Brisbane Bullets veteran Daniel Kickert says his longevity in the sport has not come by accident as he prepares for his 100th NBL game.
The 34-year-old returned to the Australian league in 2014 with Melbourne United after almost a decade playing in the top European leagues.
He joined the Bullets last year for their return season to be one of only two men to play all 43 games for the reborn club.
Proving he hasn’t missed a beat since leaving Europe, Kickert’s three-point percentage of 47.64 is the best in NBL history for any player who has made more than 100 shots from outside the arc.
A college graduate of US basketball nursery St Mary’s, Kickert was not picked up in the 2006 NBA draft before stints in Italy, Spain, Poland and Ukraine.
While he says he isn’t vying for the Boomers’ 2019 World Cup squad, Kickert’s attentive approach to his own body means retirement isn’t on the cards.
“I got into researching as much as I can into getting that little more longevity in my career,” he said.
“I constantly listen to podcasts to get an edge on the battle against ageing. I’ve got no plans on stopping soon; I’m playing until I’m 40, if I can.”
The Bullets will continue to push for a finals berth behind Kickert’s long-range shooting prowess, but coach Andrej Lemanis says his mark has already been made on the club.
“He’s had such a long career, most of it overseas, and that’s reflective of the quality of the NBL,” Lemanis said.
“Players of Kick’s standard come back into this league confident in the competition and of being challenged in it. To have someone of his skill level and quality available in our first year (back) was pretty special really – it’s part of his legacy that he’ll leave.”
While unlikely, playing until 40 it is not out of the question, given Andrew Gaze, who will coach Sydney on Saturday against the Bullets, retired just months before his 40th birthday.
Kickert had 16 first-quarter points last week in Perth in a third-straight win that moved the Bullets into fifth.
Lemanis said the side’s recent success was good for morale, but hardly surprising.
“The last five or six weeks, we’ve been playing well and have been internally comfortable with the direction we’re moving, but it is nice to get those wins,” Lemanis said of last round’s road victories against Cairns and Perth.
“It doesn’t hurt the confidence but, then again, it doesn’t change our process.”
Lemanis said the side’s recent success was good for morale, but hardly surprising.
You can listen to Daniel Kickert’s appearance on Aussie Hoopla on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts
Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.
