Brian Kerle (top left), with all of his old basketball friends who form the Myths and Legends.
Sunday 6 November 2016
By Jasmine Rolfe
The horn blew for the start of the basketball event at the Jupiters Pan Pacific Masters Games (JPPMG) today and teams were bouncing with excitement to play at the new Coomera Indoor Sports Centre, a venue for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The courts were colourful and the competition was hot, as teams from all reaches of the globe came together and were having a ball at the 10th edition of the games.
Teams both young and old could be seen battling it out for a chance at gold and players were kept on their toes as Olympians, NBL players and champion coaches could be found scattered amongst the teams.
NBL legend and former Brisbane Bullets championship coach Brian Kerle.
NBL legend and former Brisbane Bullets championship coach Brian Kerle, 71, wasn’t hard to spot towering over the other competitors at 201cms tall, while playing with his team the Myths and Legends.
Brian’s team spirit and love for the sport led him to the JPPMG this year to take a break from coaching and connect with all of his old basketball friends.
“I catch up with a lot of old mates that I’ve played with and coached at the Olympics,” Brian said.
“Seeing these guys still running around is awesome, it’s a good spirit.
“We just like to have a bit of fun, it’s good for your health and it’s a great venue!”
The Myths and Legends, who first formed in 1987, have reunited from all around Australia and USA for the JPPMG reunion.
In their first game of the tournament, the blue team came away on top by bagging the most baskets and giving meaning to the saying, “when you play ball, leave it all on the court”, defeating another Myths and Legends team, this time in red, with a finishing score of 15-8.
Self-described not as an old team but a “mature” one, with their oldest player being 88, Myths and Legends coach Greg Peck will welcome anyone wanting to have some fun and play ball in a friendly competition, embodying the kind of team spirit and sportsmanship for which the JPPMG is known.
“Myths and Legends is a club that caters for the older age players,” Greg said.
“We’ve got 24 teams in the 65+ age division.
“If they don’t have a team and they want to play, they can always come and play for Myths and Legends.”
The team will celebrate the win tonight by swapping the high-tops for dancing shoes and rocking out to the Oils, Angels and Divinyls Show at Jupiters Gold Coast.
The 10th biennial Jupiters Pan Pacific Masters Games is being held 5 – 13 November 2016 on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
The event showcases competition in 43 sports and is hosting 13,000 participants from Queensland, interstate and overseas.
