The New Zealand Breakers have bolstered their roster with a household name returning to the franchise for the upcoming Australian NBL season.
Guard Tai Webster heads a group of three who have signed for the Auckland-based club, adding another chapter to a relatively calm offseason.
While sport globally has beenhit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Breakers have been able to dodge the carnage in favour of a few luxuries, including a longer offseason, little financial strain and a couple of talented Tall Blacks joining them at training.
Webster and New Zealand teammate Isaac Fotu were offered a place to train at the club's facility by owner Matt Walsh, after returning home when their respective European leagues were suspended.
But there were always bigger hopes - Walsh made his desire to sign both obvious, and while Fotu elected for Italy, signing with Reyer Venezia last month, Webster differed, deciding to stick around and return to the team he represented as a teenager back in 2012-13, signing a one-year deal.
Joining him are Australian big man Daniel Trist and American power forward Kyrin Galloway.
Trist will add depth up front, having spent his last two years with Melbourne United and the South East Melbourne Phoenix, amassing 47 games as a role player off the bench.
Galloway joins on a three-year deal, the first as a development player. He comes off four years with the University of North Carolina in Greensboro in NCAA Division 1 college ball.
The 21-year-old's numbers gradually improved over his tenure, with the 6'8" forward hitting 35 per cent of his three point attempts in his final year, while also averaging 1.7 blocks per game.
But Webster is without a doubt the most valuable amongst them, and offers plenty of experience from playing in Europe, as well as two FIBA World Cups for the Tall Blacks.
Webster emerged as one of Galatasaray's best players while in Turkey the last two years, averaging 10.7 points and four assists per game in 35 games across all competitions last season, shooting 45 per cent from the field and 34 per cent from beyond the arc.
He has also spent time with Fraport Skyliners in Germany, as well the Golden State Warriors in the 2017 NBA Summer League.
Breakers coach Dan Shamir believes it is a major coup for the club.
"I know for sure that during the last few years every good team in the NBL tried to get Tai Webster, and did everything they could," Shamir says.
"Adding Tai is a huge step for us in building the structure of our team."
"All I'm focused on is winning, that's the most important thing to me."
Newly signed Breakers guard Tai Webster has one clear goal - to win a championship. Photo / Getty
Whether that eventuates soon to end a five-year title drought is a different story, but the roster so far is looking promising, with the Breakers having plenty of backcourt talent to choose from.
Webster joins brother Corey, who has long been a star at the club across three separate stints stretching back to 2008, while point guard Jarrad Weeks is set to be a go-to option off the bench. The club are also hopeful in retaining the services of import Scotty Hopson, who sparked the Breakers' late-season revival last season and was an MVP candidate.
Kiwis Tom Abercrombie, Finn Delany and Rob Loe will play significant forward minutes, with the Breakers also aiming to add a seven-foot import centre. It all comes together to form a special group to be a part of, something Webster has quickly noticed.
"It's been a long time since I've been really involved with a club like this, and you can definitely see it's come a long a way.
"It's continuing to get better every year - not only the Breakers but the league as a whole."
