Australian professional basketball player Matt Hodgson has signed with the TaiwanBeer HeroBears for the upcoming T1 LEAGUE season in Taiwan, the club said Friday.
The 31-year-old center has been playing at the highest level of Australian basketball since his pro debut with the Adelaide 36ers in 2015. He had a stint with the Brisbane Bullets and most recently played for the Perth Wildcats in the country’s National Basketball League (NBL), posting an average of 6.9 points and 4.6 rebounds over 14.9 minutes per game..
With the Wildcats, the 2.11-meter-tall player posted an average of 6.9 points and 4.6 rebounds over 14.9 minutes per game.
Hodgson, who is 2.11 meters tall, was also on his country’s national team, the Australian Boomers, when it won the FIBA Asia Cup in 2017.
He said his decision to sign with the HeroBears professional basketball team in Taiwan felt like a step in the right direction, according to a press released issued by the team.
“I chose the HeroBears because I feel it’s the right step during my adventure in the basketball world,” Hodgson was quoted as saying in the press release. “I feel like I will be able to grow a lot with the HeroBears, and that really excites me.”
Hodgson played against Taiwan’s national team in 2017, when Australia routed them 104-66 in the qualifiers for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
He is looking forward to being on the same team with some of the players he had come up against in the past, according to the HeroBears.
“I really liked Taipei City when I was there playing against the national team,” Hodgson said in the team’s statement. “I thought that the Chinese Taipei national team was very friendly and could shoot the ball extremely well.”
In January, Hodgson made headlines in Australia when he struck Sydney Kings shooting guard Dejan Vasiljevic twice in the head during an NBL game, sparking a scuffle that spread to fans sitting on the sidelines.
According to the HeroBears, they “have experience with all types of players,” and fans do not have to worry about character issues with Hodgson.
The team’s management will discuss its expectations with Hodgson — a player who is likely to become very popular in Taiwan, Taiwan-Beer General Manager Ha Hsiao-yuan (???) said in the press release.
Hodgson is expected to arrive in Taiwan before the end of October, according to the HeroBears.
The team finished fourth among the six teams in the T1 LEAGUE’s inaugural regular season 2021-2022, with a 16-14 record. The HeroBears lost to the Kaohsiung Aquas in the playoffs and did not make it to the finals.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel