Darwin experience with Salties rejuvenates Jawai

Nate Jawai is setting his immediate basketball sights on helping the Darwin Salties launch an assault on the NBL1 North championship as he continues to embrace life in the Top End and his bond formed with coach Matt Flinn and his teammates.

Softening the blow for Jawai of how things ended with the Cairns Taipans was what he has found waiting for him in Darwin as part of the Salties foray for the first time to be part of the NBL1 North competition.

Being part of a start up franchise and bringing top level to basketball to Darwin has been everything and more that Jawai envisioned.

"It's been phenomenal to be honest. It's a new fresh start with a new team for Darwin city itself and the atmosphere at our games is amazing," Jawai said. 

"You look at it starting with the women's game and our game the stadium is pretty much full and in my opinion it's the best atmosphere I've been around in the NBL1 North. 

"The city's really behind the team and it's enjoyable when you have a great fanbase around basketball wherever it is, but here it's just different. Everybody gets into the game and it's fun. The entertainment is fun, the half-time show they put on is fun and it's just a good environment to be around."

What Jawai has built already in Darwin in terms of a bond with coach Matt Flinn is something that has been above and beyond what he ever thought was possible too.

Jawai had long played against teams where Flinn was either assistant or head coach at the Illawarra Hawks, but to now work with him day in and day out has blown the big man away.

"It's also a fresh start for myself moving from Cairns up to Darwin and I wouldn’t say it's been a difficult move, but I probably didn’t know what I was getting myself into," Jawai said.

"I'm happy that I made the decision, though, because it's fun to be around, it's fun basketball and my teammates are great to be around. We are winning and coach Flinn has been amazing and it's really enjoyable to play underneath him. 

"Coach Flinn is a great guy with a lot of experience having coached the Hawks when LaMelo Ball was there so he had that experience, and he knows the business in and out. It's been easy for me with him understanding me as a person and as a player. The biggest shock I got here was just how amazing he is and the respect level he has for all the players."

Jawai's experience in Darwin is more than just about bringing the game of basketball to the Top End, he's there to win as well.

While he is still working his way back from a calf complaint, Tad Dufelmeier, Makuach Maluach and Jerron Jamerson have been leading the charge for the Salties as they currently sit third in the standings at 10-4.

Jawai loves the team they have put together and sees no reason they can't win it all in what would be a remarkable first season despite acknowledging it will be far from easy.

"That's definitely the goal to win it all, but we can't afford to look too far ahead. It's a tough league and I like NBL1 North is one of the toughest comps going around and obviously we have some great players on our team," Jawai said.

"Tad, Jerron and Mak has been outstanding. He's a phenomenal talent, he's young and has a passion for the game and has a bright future in front of him. Obviously he's signed in Melbourne and I'm happy for him with that, and he's just a great kid. He's respectful and Tad is the same. 

"I played with Tad in Cairns and Jerron, I've watched for a long time when he was in Mackay and has been around the league. It's a pretty good, experienced group with a lot of young players besides that and everything is clicking, and the biggest thing is that we enjoy playing with each other. It's been fun."

As for his immediate future, this weekend's road trip to play the Sunshine Coast Phoenix and USC Rip City might be a little too soon for Jawai to be back on the floor, but he's not far away.

"This weekend I'm still not too sure, I need to get cleared from the physio from my mild calf strain. It's nothing serious but I don’t want to redo it," Jawai said. 

"I think I returned too early the game I played against Rockhampton when it wasn’t fully healed and I hurt it a little bit more. But it's feeling better now and I'll definitely be back for the finals, and hopefully a round or two before that. 

"I'm looking forward to getting back because you get that hunger to play when you are sitting on the sidelines and you see the guys out there having fun. It's a bit hard, but I've been through a lot in my career and I just have to be patient to be ready to go when it matters the most so we can have a crack at that title."

Another huge thing for Darwin basketball is the announcement that the NBL Blitz will be played there ahead of the 2022/23 NBL season. Jawai is excited for that and would love to be part of his newest NBL club to be part of the action.

"I was with Jeremy at the announcement of the Blitz and I was pretty excited to be honest with you," he said. 

"I think Darwin deserves it and it's a nice city, and the fans are coming out and to have the NBL bringing another event here to the city will be great. The basketball growth here in this community has been huge and I think it's a positive thing for the NBL and the city, and I'd love to be part of it."

In the bigger picture, what Jawai has done on the basketball court during 212 NBL games or making it to the NBA and representing the Australian Boomers is one thing, but what he has done for the community right from his hometown of Bamaga and beyond is immeasurable.

That's why the news that he would no longer be part of the Taipans for #NBL23 and beyond where he has played 180 of his 212 games in the league was met with a measure of surprise – but not so much from Jawai himself.

The 35-year-old could see the writing on the wall with the way his first season in Cairns under new coach Adam Forde panned out. 

He's now focused on the future and the immediate, that's overcoming a minor calf injury and getting back on the floor for the Salties. But longer term, he sees no reason he still can't be a force in the upcoming NBL season if a team is willing to back him in.

"There's still a chance, I'm not calling the quits yet and I'd like to keep playing. There are a few interests out there so I just have to get healthy first and make sure I finish this NBL1 North season off strong, but I'm not closing the doors on the NBL," Jawai said.

"It's a fun league to play in and to be around, and I've been around it for a long time. It's something that I enjoy doing even if it's just to be on a team and mentor younger guys or having a role. 

"I'm open for anything and I think that was a part of my choice to come to Darwin as well to see how the body holds up and show how I can still play. Obviously this calf injury is a bit of a setback but it's not something I'm too worried about. I'm just working on myself and trying to be healthy to give it another crack."

While Jawai hasn’t received as many minutes the past two seasons as he was accustomed to through the rest of his NBL career, the fact remains he has shown an ability to be a match-winner and an unstoppable force.

If he catches the ball in the block and is given the chance to do his thing, there are no other bigs in the league who can stop him and that was still on show at times when he got the opportunity to show it this past season with the Taipans.

That's why Jawai remains confident he can still impact the NBL.

"Of course I still think I can play in the league. I still have that confidence and that's not gone away, and I know that I'm a different type of player," Jawai said. 

"There's not anybody like me in the league anymore and the game has changed, and I think it's more of that youth the coaches are looking for, or at least the last two coaches I've had who want to focus on more of the running game. 

"The last two seasons have been tough to be honest with you, but it's a business and I understand that. When coaches make decisions then I understand what they do and I know the game pretty much like the back of my hand now, and I've been in this business for a long time. 

"I know I can definitely go out there and be hard to stop but it's just the game plan that the coaches are going with in this new era of basketball. That's kind of tough for my game but the confidence is still there that I can make a difference. 

"I probably can't dunk it like I used to but I still can do things that can contribute to a team and be tough to stop. The last two seasons have definitely been difficult for myself personally but it's just going to take that one coach to trust me and give me that opportunity. I still think I can be effective if they do."

Jawai began his NBL career at the Taipans in remarkable fashion back in the 2007/08 season where he won the Rookie of the Year award. Since returning in 2016/17 after winning a championship at the Perth Wildcats, in many ways he has been the face of the Cairns franchise.

He knew the writing was on the wall that his future likely wasn’t at the Taipans as they began to head in a new direction, but that doesn't mean he still wasn’t disappointed not to be able to end his career in Cairns on his terms.

"Throughout the season I could kind of tell there wouldn’t be interest in me going back so I sort of prepared myself for it to be honest. It was a different coach and it was our third straight season of not making the playoffs since we made that great run," Jawai honestly reflected.

"I think Fordey decided to change it up a bit and i can kind of understand why they needed a bit of a shake up to be honest with you. I needed to realise that it was going to happen like that, but it was still disappointing that I didn’t get offered the chance to go back or be around the community. 

"Cairns is still my home and all that, and I still support whoever is on the team but it was pretty disappointing to be honest with you. That's just part of the business and it's nothing I hold against the club; I wish them luck for next season and hopefully I'll be on another team and can compete against them and we'll see what happens."

While Jawai was prepared for the decision from the Taipans to be made official that he wouldn’t be with the team moving forward, those around him still took the news hard.

But he has just focused on his time in Darwin and trying to find a new NBL home.

"I've got a lot of family in Cairns and around the area who were pretty shocked I wasn’t coming back," he said. 

"I'm disappointed for them as well and the community because when the news came out they were a little bit shocked because I hadn’t said anything about it. 

"It was a bit of a shock for a few of my family and friends, but it is what it is and hopefully I can go back there and play in front of them for a couple more times at least. I don’t know if this is the end or not, but I'm keeping the options open and I'm grateful for where I'm at in Darwin at the moment. It's been fun."

Whether it's living in Cairns, Darwin or wherever his newest NBL home might be should be find one, Jawai is also dealing with living away from his two daughters who live in Brisbane for going on three years.

That's something that is a source of constant strain to be away from his nearest and dearest, but the best he can do is fully embrace the time he does get to spend with them including this coming weekend.

"They are still in Brisbane and we go there this weekend with the team so I'll get the chance to see them then," Jawai said.

"It is tough being apart from them and it's been like this for the last three years now. When you have days that aren’t going right for you, it's such a nice feeling to be able to see your kids and family. 

"It takes your mind off basketball so it's been a difficult rollercoaster for me but I'm used to it now and it has been three years that we've been apart. As long as I get to see them throughout the season then that's a bonus."