Two weeks after parting ways with Tai Webster, who refused to become vaccinated against Covid-19, the Breakers have signed an NBA star.
Former NBA combo guard Jeremiah Martin will join the New Zealand Breakers’ roster for the upcoming NBL season in place of Tai Webster, who was released from his contract after refusing to become vaccinated against Covid-19.
Martin played 18 NBA games across stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets and also appeared for the Atlanta Hawks’ Summer League side this August.
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Breakers head coach Dan Shamir said he had been particularly impressed by Martin’s stint with the Nets and was pleased to have him on the team for the upcoming season.
“He had two very strong performances playing at point guard and did a lot of good things,” says Shamir.
“He’s a multidimensional player, a good defender, can defend multiple positions, can play with the ball and without the ball; that’s why he fits us.”
Martin is the third and final import on the Breakers’ roster, joining former Detroit Pistons point guard Peyton Siva and French young gun Hugo Besson.
Webster and the Breakers “mutually agreed” to part ways last month, given the 26-year-old’s anti-vax stance would have created travel complications leading into the NBL season.
The NBL has yet to mandate vaccination for its playing group, but players at the two Victorian clubs, Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix, will have little choice but to roll up their sleeves if they want to keep their jobs; Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Friday that all Victorians on the authorised workers list would need to have had their first shot by October 15 and be fully vaccinated by November 26. While professional athletes are on that list, a league spokesperson told NCA NewsWire on Friday that, “The NBL is not mandating at this stage, but continues to strongly encourage all players, coaches and staff to get vaccinated.”
American import Travis Trice was released from his Illawarra Hawks contract last month after he too refused to become vaccinated against Covid-19.
The Hawks are yet to unveil Trice’s replacement on the roster.
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