Saskibaloia
03-04-2008, 08:42 AM
nbl.com.au
HUMMER of a season wins Anstey NBL MVP
Melbourne Tigers superstar Chris Anstey has been named the National Basketball League’s (NBL) Most Valuable Player for the 2007/08 HUMMER Championship season and takes home not only the coveted Andrew Gaze Trophy, but also a luxury HUMMER H3 automobile.
Anstey, who also took out the NBL’s top honour in 2006, won the award after polling 140 votes to clinch the MVP award from Brisbane’s Ebi Ere on 124. Perth’s Shawn Redhage came third with 116 while Adam Ballinger of Adelaide was fourth (111) and Wollongong’s Kavossy Franklin fifth (110).
The 213cm Tigers centre, who will lead his side in Game One of the HUMMER Championship Grand Final series on Wednesday night at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, registered votes in every round that the Tigers participated in, highlighting his outstanding consistency.
During the course of the 2007/08 regular season, Anstey averaged 21.7 points per game (sixth in the NBL) at 49% from the field, as well as 12.0 rebounds (first in the NBL), 2.9 assists, 1.9 blocks (first in the NBL) and 1.5 steals.
He played in all 30 of Melbourne’s games and led the Tigers to a 22-8 record, which was the second best in the league.
Anstey was announced as the winner of the award at the NBL’s Grand Final luncheon in Sydney on Tuesday and also received the keys to a brand new HUMMER H3 valued at over $60,000 as a reward, which was put up by the NBL’s naming rights sponsor.
"It's an amazing prize," Anstey enthused.
"You feel sorry for someone like (former Tigers star) Andrew Gaze who's won maybe 10 of them (MVP awards) and never had the opportunity to win something like that."
But Anstey won't keep his new set of wheels all to himself extending an open invitation for his team-mates to take it for a spin.
"I just think that MVP is an award that goes to someone on the team who's given a particular role that maybe gets more attention than the guys," he said.
"And I don't think that role's any important than the guys who play two minutes or play 15 minutes and do their job."
"Obviously without those guys and without us winning games I don't win it personally and so I think they're all a part of it."
"If they want it it's theirs for a little while and as far as I'm concerned they deserve it as much as I do."
Voting for the MVP award is conducted following each regular season game by the coaching staffs of each team, with the player amassing the most votes at the end of the season being declared the winner.
The NBL’s MVP award is named after Melbourne Tigers great Andrew Gaze, with the trophy being a specially commissioned sculpture of Gaze in action. Anstey will receive the actual MVP trophy at the annual NBL Awards Ceremony in Melbourne on the night of Thursday 20 March.
I haven't been following much of this season since I was mainly watching the Uruguayan basketball league since I was living over there.
Any Aussie Bball fans out there who agree or disagree with Anstey getting the award? I definitely can't comment since I haven't seen him play this season.
HUMMER of a season wins Anstey NBL MVP
Melbourne Tigers superstar Chris Anstey has been named the National Basketball League’s (NBL) Most Valuable Player for the 2007/08 HUMMER Championship season and takes home not only the coveted Andrew Gaze Trophy, but also a luxury HUMMER H3 automobile.
Anstey, who also took out the NBL’s top honour in 2006, won the award after polling 140 votes to clinch the MVP award from Brisbane’s Ebi Ere on 124. Perth’s Shawn Redhage came third with 116 while Adam Ballinger of Adelaide was fourth (111) and Wollongong’s Kavossy Franklin fifth (110).
The 213cm Tigers centre, who will lead his side in Game One of the HUMMER Championship Grand Final series on Wednesday night at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, registered votes in every round that the Tigers participated in, highlighting his outstanding consistency.
During the course of the 2007/08 regular season, Anstey averaged 21.7 points per game (sixth in the NBL) at 49% from the field, as well as 12.0 rebounds (first in the NBL), 2.9 assists, 1.9 blocks (first in the NBL) and 1.5 steals.
He played in all 30 of Melbourne’s games and led the Tigers to a 22-8 record, which was the second best in the league.
Anstey was announced as the winner of the award at the NBL’s Grand Final luncheon in Sydney on Tuesday and also received the keys to a brand new HUMMER H3 valued at over $60,000 as a reward, which was put up by the NBL’s naming rights sponsor.
"It's an amazing prize," Anstey enthused.
"You feel sorry for someone like (former Tigers star) Andrew Gaze who's won maybe 10 of them (MVP awards) and never had the opportunity to win something like that."
But Anstey won't keep his new set of wheels all to himself extending an open invitation for his team-mates to take it for a spin.
"I just think that MVP is an award that goes to someone on the team who's given a particular role that maybe gets more attention than the guys," he said.
"And I don't think that role's any important than the guys who play two minutes or play 15 minutes and do their job."
"Obviously without those guys and without us winning games I don't win it personally and so I think they're all a part of it."
"If they want it it's theirs for a little while and as far as I'm concerned they deserve it as much as I do."
Voting for the MVP award is conducted following each regular season game by the coaching staffs of each team, with the player amassing the most votes at the end of the season being declared the winner.
The NBL’s MVP award is named after Melbourne Tigers great Andrew Gaze, with the trophy being a specially commissioned sculpture of Gaze in action. Anstey will receive the actual MVP trophy at the annual NBL Awards Ceremony in Melbourne on the night of Thursday 20 March.
I haven't been following much of this season since I was mainly watching the Uruguayan basketball league since I was living over there.
Any Aussie Bball fans out there who agree or disagree with Anstey getting the award? I definitely can't comment since I haven't seen him play this season.