Since we last saw Terrico White in Perth, he has played in Puerto Rico, South Korea, the United States, Mexico, Taiwan and the Dominican Republic. But after all those experiences, all he’s wanted to do is come back to Australia.
His last experience in the country was bittersweet. While he finished on a high with the NBL20 championship, the series ended prematurely due to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic – which meant he had to leave the country.
Since the start of 2020, he has been looking for an opportunity to play in Australia. And that finally came with his signing with the NBL1 West’s Eastern Suns for the coming 2025 season.
“I've been trying to get back down there since 2020,” he told NBL Media.
“The league down there is very competitive. I love being down there. Everybody keeps asking me ‘What's my favourite country that I've been played in?’ And I always say Australia first and foremost. The living, the culture, everybody speaks English, so that makes it very easy.”
With his familiarity in Perth, the NBL1 West seemed like the perfect fit for the former NBL Finals MVP. After some discussion with Rockingham back in March, he kept a close eye on the competition for the remainder of the season. Impressed with what he saw, his former teammate Bryce Cotton found him his new home in Kalamunda.
“Once Bryce hit me up… I told him whatever is needed let me know and I'll sign it ASAP I'm ready to get back down there,” White said.
With a few more years of experience under his belt, he explained what fans should expect from the two-time NBL champion on the NBL1 hardwood.
“I mean obviously I'm a little older than what I was back when I was in Perth,” he joked.
“But pretty much the same thing, scoring to all three levels. Playing and guarding multiple positions, just overall a good basketball player.
“I don't want to toot my horn or anything because I'm not that type of person. But like I said, the same things that I did in Perth, I'm going try to bring to the Suns.”
Knowing he’s finally got back into Australia, White’s priorities change from off the court to on the court, where he wants one thing and one thing only. A championship.
"(I want to) just to keep adding to my rings, and try to win a championship. That's all I'm about,” he said.
“I'm not about individual accolades like that. To be never was, to be honest, but I'm all about getting rings. That's what matters the most. That's what's gonna get you bigger and better contracts, whether it's in Australia or all around the world.”
Last season the Suns finished with a 7-15 record, finishing 11th on the men’s ladder. Can a former NBL Finals MVP bring them back to the Finals?
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