South East Melbourne Phoenix have signed former Dallas Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers forward Ryan Broekhoff for the remainder of the 2021 season.
The Boomers shooter is a major coup for the Phoenix, who brings an unparalleled balance of height, shooting and speed to the NBL.
“With the pandemic, it really makes you think about what is important,” Broekhoff told SEM Media.
“The majority of my family haven't met my young son. I've got a couple of nieces I haven't met and things like that get more important as you get older and you care less about yourself.”
Broekhoff's return to Melbourne adds a major boost to the Phoenix's title chances, with South East Melbourne currently placed 4th in the league standings with a .500 record from their eight matches.
The 30-year-old expressed his excitement to return home after ongoing negotiations with SEM.
“It's been ongoing communication and the timing and everything just seems to fit this year,” Broekhoff told SEM Media.
“This is the closest team to Frankston so it's the home team in the NBL for me.
“I'm really excited to get back, see my family, get back playing, and obviously give back to Australian basketball and the Australian community. I've had such great support through my junior program and the Olympics and everything like that, so it's time to come back and start giving back.”
Broekhoff is currently finalising his visa to return home before undergoing two weeks of mandatory hotel quarantine.