Champion Sixer wants a three year deal

Posted: Wed Oct 7, 1998 at 10:41 AM ET

Adelaide 36ers grand final MVP Kevin Brooks has been back in Adelaide for just six days but he's already looking to sign a new deal that will keep him at the club into the 21st century. Brooks, who has returned to the 36ers from the United States after a protracted contract dispute, is keen to extend his one-year contract to three. "I've just found out that Darnell Mee (Adelaide's other US import) has committed himself for three years and I'd like to do the same ... if the club wants me," he said. "Adelaide is the place I want to be and I'd love to spend another three years here. "Darnell and me are great friends and we enjoy playing basketball together so hopefully that can be arranged ... (coach) Phil Smyth has already been into my ear about pledging my future here and hopefully we can get something done before the season's finished." The return of the 202cm Brooks is a great fillip for the 36ers who begin the defence of their National Basketball League championship against the Wildcats in Perth on Saturday. The versatile, sweet-shooting forward, was a standout for Adelaide in its stellar 1998 season but appeared lost to the club when the 36ers couldn't pay him "anywhere near" what he was offered in Europe and South America because of their salary cap. The 36ers had set their sights on replacing Brooks with Adelaide-born centre Paul Rogers, who has since joined Perth, but finally managed to persuade the former Denver Nuggets forward to return through the untiring efforts of Smyth. "Phil was the mediator in negotiations and was the man who really got the deal done," said Brooks, 29 at the end of the month. "There was never any doubt I wanted to come back and help defend the title but as professionals us players have to market ourselves at the highest possible price and my agent was adamant I could earn a lot more money elsewhere. "I started to look at other possibilities in Spain, Italy and Turkey where I was being offered 30-40 per cent more money than I'm getting here but in the end Adelaide was the place I wanted to be."

Such was Brooks' desire to return to the 36ers he will virtually play the first month of the new NBL season for free. His late arrival cost him a month of pre-season training but he believes he is in reasonable condition. "I would have liked more time to prepare for the season (which is starting less than four months after last season because of the switch from a winter to summer season) but things are cool," he said. "My rhythm is pretty good and my timing's not off very much. Brooks, who has played in the US, France, Argentina and Brazil, rates the NBL the best league after the NBA. He said his 36er teammates were the best group of players he had played with. The fun-loving Brooks was pleased with his first season as a Sixer but is looking to improve on his season average of 19 points and seven rebounds. "I want to be more consistent, grab more rebounds and establish more of a leadership role on the court." With the addition of former North Melbourne Giants big man David Stiff, Brooks is confident about the 36ers' chances but warned they would face tough opposition. "Everyone is going to be shooting for us and trying to knock us down," he said. "It will be a challenge but I think we can step up to it. We have a strong desire to repeat and as long as we can stay injury free we'll go very close."

*This article taken directly from The Advertiser