Saint Kentigern College old boy Alex McNaught had somewhat of a dream basketball season in 2022/23, making his debut for the New Zealand Breakers as well as the Tall Blacks.
The 20-year-old has had a dramatic rise to the top over the past 12 months and has no plans of slowing down.
After finishing at Saint Kentigern College in 2019, McNaught made his way down to Nelson and became a wider squad member of the Nelson Giants NZNBL side before an injury opened up a spot for him.
“I remember being on the court for my first start in a professional game and I was just like, wow, this is what it’s like to be up here,” he says.
In 2022, McNaught played his third season for the Nelson Giants in the Sal’s NBL and was a permanent member of the starting lineup, seeing his averages increase across the board.
McNaught was working a shift at Briscoes, where he had been working for two years, when he received a call from his agent saying he was going to be a New Zealand Breaker.
“I was a little bit in shock because, as a fan, of the Breakers for many years leading into that, it’s like wow! First of all, it’s a lot earlier than I expected to be part of this group, let alone being able to say I’m a part of the team,” he says.
For most of New Zealand, when someone mentions the Breakers, Tom Abercrombie is the first player that comes to mind, which McNaught says is a testament to the longevity of his professional career.
“Tom welcomed me with both arms into the side and taught me a lot about how to treat myself as a professional athlete. It was a big step from working a 9-5 job on the side to basketball being my full-time profession,” McNaught says.
McNaught slotted right into place, scoring his first Breakers points in his debut in a season where the Breakers fell achingly short of winning the competition.
“Life hits you pretty quickly sometimes and that whole year went through like a flash but being with the Breakers was one of the most spectacular seasons I’ve ever been a part of,” says McNaught.
As if his year couldn’t get any better, he was then selected for the Tall Blacks (National New Zealand Basketball team) during the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) window in November.
He got to represent New Zealand at the highest level, travelling to Jordan and Lebanon which was a dream come true.
“I’m just grateful to be able to have had that opportunity and take advantage of it. Getting to play over there and experience what it’s like to be playing at that level as well was amazing,” he says.
During this time, McNaught played with New Zealand Basketball greats such as Jordan Ngatai and Ethan Rusbatch while being coached by Pero Cameron.
“These players have been around for a long time, and I’ve been watching them for many years so the fact that I got to play alongside, room with and play under them is an experience I could never take for granted,” he says.
With 12 caps now to his name in the Breakers jersey, two appearances for the Tall Blacks and becoming a constant figure in the Nelson Giants lineup, McNaught says bringing himself back to earth after a golden season was a lot easier said than done.
“It’s all happening really quickly but I don’t mind it being like that. I haven’t had a holiday for the last two years just because of how the seasons have stacked on each other but I’m quite enjoying how this is all unfolding,” he says.
As he reflects on his professional basketball journey since leaving St Kents, McNaught says one of his favourite moments was performing the infamous New Zealand haka for the Tall Blacks.
“There’s no greater feeling than doing a good Haka in front of a hostile crowd in a different country to go on and then play them at an incredibly high level against an incredibly high-level team,” he says.
Now full of confidence, McNaught has quickly switched his focus to the NZNBL season and making more of a name for himself before beginning another campaign with the Breakers.
McNaught turned heads this season and ultimately earned nominations for Youth Player of the Year and Most Improved Player in the NZNBL competition.
