National Basketball League Hall of Famers Ray Borner and Larry Sengstock have been named as Assistant Coaches for the 2007 HUMMER NBL All-Star Game on 12 December.
Borner will be an assistant to head coach Alan Westover on the World All-Stars Team while Sengstock will help Brian Goorjian on the Aussie All-Stars bench for the NBL’s showcase event at the State Netball and Hockey Centre (‘The Cage’).
NBL interim Chief Executive Officer Chuck Harmison said the two legends were the perfect choices to help lead the star-studded teams.
“The appointment of Larry and Ray as All-Star Assistants continues our tradition of honouring the greats of the past by naming them as assistants for our All-Star teams,” said Harmison. “The names Borner and Sengstock were synonymous with the League throughout the eighties and nineties and they have a combined experience of 974 NBL games, which makes them the perfect people to guide our young crop of All-Stars. Their presence will also add to the star power on the night, which is great for the fans.”
Sengstock was inducted as a Player into the NBL’s Hall of Fame in 2001 as a unanimous selection and played in the 1992 NBL All-Star Game. He played 456 NBL matches between 1979 and 1996 for the St.Kilda Saints, Brisbane Bullets, Gold Coast Cougars and North Melbourne Giants. Sengstock won five NBL Championships with St Kilda (1979, 1980), Brisbane (1985, 1987) and North Melbourne (1994). Sengstock scored 5,466 points, and hauled in 3,221 rebounds during his career and also won the NBL Grand Final Most Valuable Player award in 1979, an honour which is now known as the Larry Sengstock Medal. He was named as a member of the All-NBL First Team in 1982 and represented Australia as a member of the Boomers at the 1980, 1984, 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games, and the 1978, 1982, 1986 and 1990 World Championships.
Borner was inducted as a Player to the NBL’s Hall of Fame in 2006 after a career that included 518 games, 7,040 points and 3,927 rebounds. After joining the NBL with Coburg in 1980 as a seventeen year-old, Borner played in 22 NBL seasons (a feat which only the great Andrew Gaze has since equaled) for five clubs - Coburg, Wollongong, North Melbourne, Geelong and Canberra. Borner was named league MVP in 1985, becoming the first-ever Australian to win the award. He was selected to the All-NBL First Team in the same year and named to the All-NBL Third Team in 1995. Borner won an NBL title in 1989 with North Melbourne and was himself an NBL All-Star in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995.
In other All-Star news, Sydney Kings swingman Glen Saville has been named to replace injured Brisbane Bullets forward Sam Mackinnon in the Aussie All-Stars team and Cairns Taipans import Larry ‘The Birdman’ Abney has similarly been named to play in place of injured New Zealand Breakers forward Rick Rickert for the World All-Stars.
Mackinnon has been sidelined for the past few rounds with a knee injury that required surgery while Rickert has not played since 17 November.
Harmison said the loss of Mackinnon and Rickert was unfortunate but that Saville and Abney would prove more that worthy replacements.
“Abney and Saville are two players who will thrive in the fast-paced All-Star environment and I know their inclusion will be welcomed by the fans,” said Harmison. “There is no doubting they are both true All-Stars in our League, so adding them into the mix will only help enhance the event.”
The pair were chosen from amongst the pool of five Reserves for each All-Star team by the All-Star Selection Panel, which comprised NBL legends Steve Carfino, Andrew Gaze and Mark Bradtke.
The starters for both the Aussie All-Stars and the World All-Stars will be announced later this week.
Tickets for the 2007 NBL All-Star Game are now on sale through Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com.au) or by calling 136 100. Ticket prices are $25 for Adults, $15 for Children (14 and under) and $68 for Families (2 adults, 2 children). Fans are advised to purchase their tickets early as the event is expected to be sold out.
World All-Stars Team
Kavossy Franklin (Wollongong Hawks)
Corey Williams (Townsville Crocodiles)
Rick Rickert (NZ Breakers)
Martin Muursepp (Melbourne Tigers)
Shawn Redhage (Perth Wildcats)
Cortez Groves (South Dragons)
Adam Ballinger (Adelaide 36ers)
Ebi Ere (Brisbane Bullets)
Darnell Hinson (West Sydney Razorbacks)
Kirk Penney (NZ Breakers)
Larry Abney (Cairns Taipans)#
Head Coach: Alan Westover (Melbourne Tigers)
Assistant Coach: Ray Borner
Aussie All-Stars Team
Stephen Black (Cairns Taipans)
CJ Bruton (Brisbane Bullets)
Chris Anstey (Melbourne Tigers)
James Harvey (Gold Coast Blaze)
Nathan Jawai (Cairns Taipans)
Mark Worthington (Sydney Kings)
David Barlow (Melbourne Tigers)
Paul Rogers (Perth Wildcats)
Joe Ingles (South Dragons)
Glen Saville (Sydney Kings)*
Head Coach: Brian Goorjian (Sydney Kings)
Assistant Coach: Larry Sengstock
# Replaced the injured Rick Rickert (NZ Breakers)
* Replaced the injured Sam Mackinnon (Brisbane Bullets)