It is time that we put on our tin foil hats and get a bit strange and paranoid here, basketball fans.
The past few hours have yielded some news which is seemingly unwelcome for Melbourne United.
It is, but it isn’t.
Please take heed of the word “seemingly.”
Ibekwe has been granted (giggle) leave on ‘compassionate terms’ and most certainly not because they had found someone better, due to his wife being pregnant – apparently.
Of course, we are expected to believe that it is a common occurrence that athletes are caught unaware by such a thing and have to fly back to their European lairs rather than bring their new family to stay here.
A month into his contract, and with apparently no other deal in the wings for him, this would seem an odd move that would create less stability for his new family, not more.
Odd?
Once shenanigans have been called, they cannot be uncalled.
But just when it looked like United had gone from hero to zero, I am alerted to this intriguing Josh Childress tweet:
He then goes on to inform that this friend was a team-mate of his at Phoenix.
A former Phoenix Sun on such short notice, what are the chances? With less than a month to spare before the season begins!
Things never line up this perfectly without some guidance.
United fans are going to be awfully thankful to the ownerships ‘compassion’.
Now you may ask yourself, but who?
Who is the man who will be replacing Ekene Ibekwe before the season even begins?
Spongebob: A lifetime Melbourne United fan…….. since last year.
Time to pull the old “Guess Who?” out of the dusty wardrobe.
Judging on the video below, I would say no.
Was he a Phoenix Sun between 2010 and 2012? Yes.
Is he in contract? No.
Does he have international league experience? It would be likely.
Would he be a direct replacement for Ekene Ibekwe? We assume so.
Have a look at this candidate and tell me what you think:
Hakim Warrick, ladies and gentlemen!
Jarrad Hurley's professional basketball aspirations led him to the dizzying heights of the Adelaide social league circuit. After an epiphany that his hoop dreams would go unrealised, he put the ball down and picked up a pen. Jarrad lives vicariously through the successes of Australian basketball, is a mad 36ers fanatic, and might just cry if the Boomers ever medal.