Hawks homecoming "exciting" for Adnam

Kyle Adnam is going back to the future with the Illawarra Hawks. The NBL veteran has rejoined one of the clubs with which he played his formative years, and he’s keen to keep the side “rolling”.

Adnam was announced as a nominated replacement player for the remainder of the NBL24 season, and will suit up in place of injured fan favourite forward Dan Grida. Whether Adnam plays in the Hawks’ upcoming Thursday night clash with Cairns is yet to be confirmed at the time of writing.

Now 30, Adnam made six appearances as a development player for the Hawks almost a decade ago, and he says he’s happy to return to his former home.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">SIGNED ??<br><br>The <a href="https://twitter.com/illawarrahawks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@illawarrahawks</a> have added former NBL champion Kyle Adnam for the remainder of the NBL24 season. <br><br>Adnam made six appearances for the Hawks during the 2014-2015 NBL season ?<br><br>Read more: <a href="https://t.co/LwibZlDoaZ">https://t.co/LwibZlDoaZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/UOmUN5NWv2">pic.twitter.com/UOmUN5NWv2</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1747187086049124743?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“To be back, it’s really exciting for me,” Adnam told The Illawarra Mercury.

“Obviously Gordie McLeod, Matty Flinn, (Mat) Campbell, ‘Sav’ (Glen Saville), all of the guys I was introduced to when I first came to the ‘Gong were so amazing.

“Coming back every year, whether it be a road trip or not, it’s always a place I like to mark with a little ‘x’ as ‘I’m definitely going to enjoy that trip’.

“I’m here to have a good time but also contribute to winning.”

Adnam has joined the club off the back of a stint in Romania with CSU Sibiu.

The guard played 11 games for Sibiu across the Romanian League and Cup, and FIBA Europe Cup competitions.

He has also represented NZNBL side Wellington since he last stepped onto an NBL floor in 2023.

Adnam says the chance to play in Europe was the culmination of a long-time career goal, but he’s happy to be back in more familiar surroundings.

“Europe is something I always wanted to do in my career, so I’m really glad that I went and experienced it,” he reflected.

“You can have good and bad experiences, and mine was a bit of both.

“There was some opportunity in the NBL, but something I really wanted to do was go and spread my wings away. I’m glad I’ve done it.

“To come back and be in a familiar environment like the NBL and just get the opportunity to get back out there and play is really important.”

Adnam’s first chance to make his second debut for the Hawks will be in Thursday’s night’s clash with Cairns, live on ESPN via Kayo from 7:30pm AEDT.