Admiral commands respect in Cairns’ new era

With 131 games of NBA experience, Admiral Schofield brings a strong resume to the Hungry Jack’s NBL.

Eager to make his mark, he’s focused on helping Cairns chase their Championship ambitions, with the club going “all-in” on making history.

“I think the roster that this organisation put together is suitable for winning, suitable for Championships,” Schofield said in a media conference on Tuesday.

“Coach Forde, he's a great coach. I can tell his demeanour. He's very serious. He's all about hard work and getting better, but more than anything, he's about winning.”

The small forward says he’s heard “great things” about the NBL and is keen to showcase his skills at this elite level.

“It's actually hard for imports to get into this league, so it's a great opportunity for myself,” he said.

“More than anything, I'm ecstatic to be a part of this organisation. These guys, you can already tell, we have a great group, and I'm just excited to get started and get my feet wet here in this league.”

Schofield joins a strong group of Taipans recruits, alongside Jack McVeigh, Ashton Hagans and rising Australian talent Reyne Smith.

Speaking about what he can bring to the Cairns lineup, he said:

“I'm a versatile player. I'm a winner. I can shoot the three, can attack the basket,” he said.

“I'm a three-level scorer, but I pride myself in defence and being tough and not letting our team get punked by any means. I'm a physical player, but more than anything, I'm a great teammate. I pride myself on celebrating the little things and being a guy that really encourages teammates to get better, but also pushes them to get better in practice.

“I'm a guy that's a leader of his own, but I know how to lead in different aspects, whether it's by example, being vocal, or just showing guys the ropes, or stepping back and listening and being in a position where I can be humble and learn from other guys to make them feel more comfortable about me being on the court. For me, it's a new experience that I'm really excited for, and I can't be more satisfied to be with a group like this.”

The 28-year-old believes his NBA background will be a major asset in a league with a similar style of play.

“I was really excited to see the guys in the scrimmage and watching film before getting here to see the style of play and how the game flows here,” he said.

“I got really excited because it mimics the NBA a lot, and that's probably where I'm most comfortable playing, just the spacing and how the game flows, where players are allowed to be creative and play freely. I'm excited for that.”

Forde was full of praise for his new import.

“He's big ... we needed that. You look at the success of someone like Kristian Doolittle with Perth at that small forward position, and that's something we wanted to find our own version of.

“Admiral's a great shooter, a great defender, and all the character checks highlighted his leadership qualities and how good he is as a teammate. He kept ticking boxes everywhere, and for us to get the calibre of player he is - someone who spent four years in the NBA - is pretty special. I'm really looking forward to spending the next seven months with him.”

The Taipans launch their CODE Sports NBL Blitz campaign on Thursday night, facing the Tasmania JackJumpers at 8pm AEST, with coverage live on Disney+ and Kayo.

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