Taoyuan Leopards fans on Saturday had reason to celebrate despite the team’s seven-game losing streak, as former general manager Brett Su put on a show in his return to professional basketball during their 105-96 loss to the Tainan TSG Ghosthawks.
Su, who turns 36 on Jan. 28, proved he still has some game left in him, scoring 17 points with six assists as starting point guard in his nearly 34-minute stretch on the court in Tainan.
It was his first professional game in more than three years.
Photo: Wu Meng-ju, Taipei Times
“I worked out for only three days before playing,” Su said after the game. “I have no speed now. I cannot keep dashing on the court and have to take a rest once in a while.”
Although slow, and appearing slightly out of shape, Su impressed broadcasters and the crowd with fakes, passes and penetration — moves that have been rarely seen from the Leopards’ local players this season.
Leopards head coach Bobo Liu, who also coached Su 15 years ago at the Dacin Tigers in the SBL, praised Su for facilitating the team’s offense.
“His ability to pass the ball is still there. He made some great passes today, but our players did not expect the ball to come,” Liu said, adding that Su’s performance was particularly impressive as he had been busy working as the franchise’s general manager until six days ago.
Su announced the Leopards’ signing of the eight-time NBA All-Star Dwight Howard early last month, but stepped down on Monday last week after a fan backlash over the team’s decision to bench Howard.
Su’s comeback was also welcomed by former Tigers’ teammate Lin Yi-heui, who joked that he felt “rejuvenated” and “10 years younger” by their reunion.
Despite Su being a little rusty against the Ghosthawks, Lin said he expected the veteran point guard to soon find his old self.
In addition to two short stints in the Chinese Basketball Alliance in 2012 and 2015, the 1.8m Su also played for the national team. He was named Rookie of the Year in 2006, earned assist titles in 2007, 2012 and 2015, won SBL championships in 2009 and 2017 and was the SBL Finals Most Valuable Player in 2017.
Su announced an early retirement at 32 in August 2019 in an Instagram post, which he took down after the Leopards announced in late October that he would return to basketball as a player while also serving as general manager.
The Ghosthawks yesterday added another win, topping the Taichung Suns 106-95 in Tainan.
On Saturday, the New Taipei CTBC DEA bagged its fifth straight win at home versus the Kaohsiung Aquas 93-85.
They yesterday extended that streak with a an 88-81 win at home over the Taiwan Beer Herobears, putting them atop the six team T1 League with an 8-3 record.
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