Galloway plots redemption arc

If not for a breakout Asia Cup campaign, Sydney’s Jaylin Galloway could have been one of the forgotten men heading into the Hungry Jack’s NBL26 Season.

After helping the Kings win back-to-back NBL championships, the Townsville-born wing got the opportunity of his ‘dreams’ with the Milwaukee Bucks.

But after knocking on the door of the NBA with the Wisconsin Herd, the now 22-year-old was waived by the organisation, leaving him ‘broken’ both physically and mentally.

He then returned to Kings on a new three-year deal but just when his season was starting to take off, it was grounded, with November shoulder surgery ruling him out for the rest of the NBL25 campaign.

Instead of letting the injury get him down, Galloway, who acknowledges every player’s path is different, saw it as a ‘blessing in disguise’.

“It [my shoulder] kept on popping out before then and I think that injury was the final straw, so I wasn’t too mad about it,” Galloway told Fox Sports Australia.

“I more wanted it to be fixed because it was messing with my mental side of things. I wasn’t playing the defence I wanted to because of my shoulder.”

The started the road to recovery for the Australian Boomer, who spent the next few months rehabbing and working out alongside Kings teammate, Xavier Cooks.

This involved weight sessions, followed by 90-minute on-court sessions at the Auburn Basketball Centre, allowing Galloway to improve parts of his game, most notably his three-point shooting (highlighted by his 67 per cent clip from downtown at August’s Asia Cup, where the Boomers won gold).

Now with their home opener against Cairns on Sunday, Galloway, who top-scored for the Kings against Partizan with 20 points last week, is determined to prove that all the hard work has paid off.

“I’m just waiting for the season to start so I can show everybody. That’s all I’ve got to say,” Galloway said.

The Kings’ Round 2clash with the Taipans, which pits Galloway against his older brother Kyrin, tips off at 2.30pm AEST at Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday, broadcast live on ESPN and Channel 10.

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