Timing Perfect for Phoenix Guard

South East Melbourne import guard Gary Browne says he couldn’t have picked a better team to play for than the Phoenix.

The Puerto Rican has had quite the career journey, playing in multiple leagues including his hometown, Italy, Israel and Turkey.

After back-and-forth conversations, Browne became a key target for the Phoenix in the offseason and he has revealed he researched the club’s playing culture, and the NBL’s reputation, before signing.

“Timing was great in terms of me coming in this year,” Browne told The Huddle.

“As a player you wanna be somewhere where they really embrace your skills in and outside of the court...sometimes you want to be in a place because it has a good reputation or it has good basketball players.

“You want to be somewhere where you can display your skills and they understand who you are as a person and as a player.”

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Browne praised both South East Melbourne coach Simon Mitchell and CEO Tommy Greer for their efforts in getting him to the Phoenix, where he now has become a piece of the furniture.

“The year that we talked, I watched them play. I watched how coach (Mitchell) coached with his players,” Browne said.

“I watched the organisation from the outside, the social media. Seeing the guys that are there I can actually tell if it’s nice to be in there or not.

“I like the NBL, I’ve always wanted to come and play. The standard here, it’s a very good standard.”

Browne and the Phoenix sit fourth on the ladder with an 8-6 record. They go head-to-head with the Illawarra Hawks on Thursday night at 7:30pm AEDT at John Cain Arena.