Jett Milligan (second from left) and teammates depart for the Bendigo Braves USA Hoops Tour at Tullamarine Airport. Photos: Supplied
Lockington local Jett Milligan was recently able to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience playing basketball in the United States.
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Milligan was financially assisted by the Rochester Lions Club and Rochester Sports Museum to venture to the US as part of a tour with the Bendigo Braves from December 26 to January 14, a trip the club embarks upon every two years.
Milligan departed Tullamarine Airport with the team’s destination being Atlanta via Fiji and Los Angeles, a 26-hour travel time ahead of it.
The team was straight into on-court action within hours of arrival, starting against Berea College, with fatigue from jet lag playing a major role in some tough earlier games.
Jett Milligan contests a jump ball against Berea College.
The Braves played six games in total, against varied levels of opposition that were mainly high schools, and they did relatively well by winning two and losing four.
“At the start it was hard, pretty bad, and then after the first couple of games we started playing well,“ Milligan said.
“Overall, it was pretty good just to play different levels.
“Some teams were harder, some teams that weren’t as hard, but then playing the harder teams helps you get better.”
Other opponents alongside Berea College included Pisgah High School, Christ Valley Varsity, Georgia Force, Southside High School and Georgia Varsity.
Jett Milligan and a Georgia Force player swap jerseys.
The nature of the rules was the main thing Milligan had to adapt to in the games, particularly as a centre being more affected by it than other positions on the court.
Another adaptation was the style of play he faced, particularly when guarding opposing offences.
“Their ball movement and off-ball movement, they’re just always moving,” Milligan said.
“So it’s just hard to keep track of where your player is, where to be on defence, and they’re just always talking.”
Of course, the games are only one part of a tour such as this one, and Milligan was able to get the full US basketball experience, watching NBA games and even meeting a familiar face to the Bendigo Braves in former player and current Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels.
The team had a group photo with NBA legend Dominique Wilkins at the Atlanta Hawks arena.
Daniels took the time to speak to Milligan and the Braves before a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, checking on how they were going and signing merchandise, with the day having another pinch-yourself moment when NBA legend Dominique Wilkins stopped by for a group photo.
The group also went to New York towards the end of its trip, getting a tour of the iconic Madison Square Garden and attending a second NBA game, between the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers, with Milligan noting the MSG atmosphere as a standout.
When play begins, young players such as Milligan can see first-hand what the sport looks like at the highest level; so what did he take from it?
“Mostly just how quickly they move down the court, how in sync they are as a team,” Milligan said.
“They just know when a pass is going to come even though it doesn't look like it can, they can find gaps that you can't see.”
The team at an NBA game between the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers.
A holistic viewing experience was also gained by watching college basketball, including one of the best programs in UCLA, and also two games in the top high-school league Overtime Elite, where the team was invited to sit courtside once word got out it had travelled from Australia.
Milligan was also able to watch a professional ice hockey game, recalling humorous incidents where a referee was knocked out and a player lost a tooth.
But the trip would fittingly conclude with another unique basketball experience, Milligan and the team visiting the famous Venice Beach courts in LA, where icons such as the late Kobe Bryant have also played.
The team playing basketball on the famous Venice Beach courts.
While there, the team was approached by others to join them in some four-on-four play, as the tour mixed in traditional basketball with the colloquially known ‘street ball’, and Milligan and his team got in one more memorable basketball moment before heading back home.
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