WARRNAMBOOL basketball export Nathan Sobey (pictured) is bound for China with the Cairns Taipans.
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The NBL runner-up yesterday announced it would contest the Atlas Sports Four-Nations Tournament, an invitation-only competition from May 20 to June 3.
They will play 12 games in nine days, including against the Chinese national B team and select United States and Canadian outfits. Organisers estimate the tournament will provide the Taipans with exposure to 20 million people. Sobey is among 13 players making the trip under assistant coach Jamie Pearlman, who will assume the reins.
Pearlman said the tournament would allow Sobey, a bench player during the 2014-15 NBL season, to develop his craft alongside more experienced teammates.
“Tours like this are invaluable for their development to keep building on last year, so they’re sharper and better for next season,” he said.
“By the same token, they also need to be the guys who step up and make plays when we need in this tournament.
“There will be leadership required of them and I’ll be looking for them to make the players around them better too.”
afawkes@fairfaxmedia.com.au