Helliwell at home with Melbourne

The Melbourne Tigers have secured the prized signature of Australian Boomer Wade Helliwell. Helliwell has been on the radar of numerous NBL teams over the course of his extensive European career, however he has chosen to join the Tigers on his return to Australia.

Helliwell has signed a two year deal back in his home state of Melbourne after spending the past 9 seasons playing in premier European leagues Italia Serie A and Greek Heba 1. Helliwell started his senior career with NCAA Division 1 College the Charlotte 49ers before moving on to the NBL where he played with the Brisbane Bullets. Helliwell won the 2002 NBL’s Most Improved Player award with the Bullets before heading over to Europe to play in Italy and Greece.  During this time he played with Italian basketball powerhouse Rome for 3 years and played a lead role in central Italian team Rieti’s 2007 championship that took them to division one for the first time in more than 20 years.  A local hero in Rieti, Helliwell is more recognised in his adopted country, Italy, than here in Melbourne. Helliwell has also been a regular member of the Australian Boomers squads over the past 8 years, and was a member of the 2006 FIBA World Championships in Japan.

Helliwell had the following to say upon signing with the Melbourne Tigers.

“Playing with Melbourne is something I’ve always wanted to do, after speaking with Al Westover during the past months and seeing the line up we’ve put together for season 2010/2011, now was the right time. It’s exciting for me to be home and especially to be on a team like this. Our size is going to be a huge factor, we’ll have a similar setup to the top Greek teams where I’ve just finished so I feel really comfortable coming in. With this line up in the NBL - we are going to give opposing teams some real problems”.

The Greek national league rings a similar tune, with five 7 footers at PAOK (the team Helliwell played with last season). Training sessions look like Euroleague games as players show their best looking for time on court. Having just finished with PAOK and securing their spot in the European ULEB Cup Championship for 2010/2011 last month, Helliwell is fit and, with no down time, will start preparations for the upcoming NBL season with the Tigers this week on Wednesday (26th May) when he will join the Tigers at a training session in Sandringham.