Basketball rallies around sacked coach
TweetADELAIDE 36ERS icon, games played record-holder, three-time NBL champion, dual Larry Sengstock Medallist (championship series MVP), Brett Maher, the man after whom the Sixers home court is named, has quit any and all connections with the club following its sacking of coach Scott Ninnis.
Adelaide-born and bred, Maher, 51, widely (and correctly) is identified as the heart and soul of the club which on Monday unceremoniously axed Ninnis, just six months after signing him to a two-year contract, citing some unexplained "standards not being met."
Sixers CEO Nic Barbato, who has a soccer background, and new GM of Basketball Operations Matt Weston, an occasional NBL assistant coach who did some work for the league making connections in China, apparently were concerned after 11 days of preseason work that this new "great roster" was not being taken in the right direction.
Australian Basketball Hall of Famer Phil Smyth, who coached three of Adelaide's championships, said he was "gobsmacked" by the decision which he described in a word as "disrespectful".
"It's history repeating itself but taken to a whole other level," Smyth said.
"The most savage part of this is that Scotty definitely cares deeply about the club, which I'm not sure you can say about everyone concerned.
"The three ingredients for success are care, trust and respect and I don't see a lot of that in this situation."
Weston, appointed to his role after Ninnis - the only man with genuine connections to all four 36ers championships and who salvaged the 2023-24 season as interim coach - was appointed head coach, immediately denied him his first choice of an assistant, Graham Kubank.
Endeavouring to force seasoned veteran coach Brendan Joyce on him while also selecting new recruits for the team, Weston next brought in American coach Mike Wells as his lead assistant.
Wells has a supposedly impressive NBA resume, mostly as a second banana who has not been a head coach at any appreciable level. Anyone calling his appointment "an upgrade" is either ill-informed and unaware how many assistants there can be in an NBA program, or simply an NBL cheerleader wearing rose-coloured glasses.
But forget the Next Stars program. Now we allegedly have NBA assistants prepared to come to remote outposts such as lil old Adelaide to become NBL assistants. Who would've guessed?
Wells does not know the 36ers players, he does not know the league, he does not know the opposition or how the game is officiated, so it will take at least a season for him to acclimatise.
Ninnis was dismissed on Monday and Maher, one of the few players with his singlet number (#5) retired by the 36ers, quit all roles with the club on Tuesday morning.
David Spear, another 36ers championship-winner with 1986's "Invincibles" who also captained the 1987 SEABL champion Adelaide Buffalos alongside Ninnis, was about to have his company sign a five-figure sponsorship deal with the Sixers but now has withdrawn that offer.
On SEN Radio, Weston initially appeared to fudge his role in the dismissal, while clarifying Ninnis was appointed before he joined the club.
"It was one of those things that for the last sorta couple of months I've been looking through and have decided that it's best that we move in a new direction," he said.
As for Ninnis being appointed in February? "I wasn't there."
When further pushed by host Kym Dillon on who it was that was unhappy with certain standards not being met, Weston said: "I've identified them."
"The Iceman", Darryl Pearce, whose #4 singlet also hangs in the rafters and who was an original 36er and a starter on the 1986 champion, said he felt for Ninnis being sacked at a time when he had to be excited and looking forward to what the season ahead would bring.
Ninnis summed it up best with his post today on social media which read: "It's been a very difficult few days for myself and my family.
"I was completely blindsided by Monday's news, just 11 days into pre-season.
"The incredible support that I've received from current NBL coaches and players both past and present, as well as 36ers legends, family and friends, club sponsors and the South Australian basketball community has been overwhelming.
"I've put my heart and soul into this club for nearly half my life and I'm deeply disappointed and hurt by this outcome.
"I walk out with my head held high knowing what I achieved at the end of last season and what I was putting in place for the season ahead.
"I'll share more in the future.
"I have a two-year contract with the club which I expect to be honoured.
"For now, this matter is in the hands of my legal team."
Ninnis' appointment for two years saw key Aussie players such as Dejan Vasiljevic and Isaac Humphries sign long-term deals.
AH YES: The Good Times, the 1998-99 champion 36er teams. Last century.