Sam Dempster is gutted that just when his NBS Nelson Giants team needed him most, his 18th season was curtailed by a foot injury.
Scans have shown the 36-year-old tore his planter fascia in the round 14 match against the Saints in Wellington, and his recovery will take six months.
Last year he suffered a serious ankle injury in the last game of the regular season as the Giants missed the play-offs.
This time, the inspirational skipper will miss the last six matches. Sam agrees he seems to be jinxed at the business-end of the season.
“I’ve partially torn my planter fascia before, but this is worse. It sucks for me personally, but those things happen in the business we are in. I am not a huge fan of sitting and watching,” says Sam, in a moonboot while ironically sitting and watching his Nelson College senior basketball side last Thursday.
He probably felt like jumping up and celebrating when they blew away Shirley Boys’ High School 104-72 in their school exchange clash in Nelson.
“It was a bit of a revenge match for us as they were beat with a buzzer beater in Christchurch last year, and also in the South Island champs at Saxton. So, this was pretty special and we won the junior game as well, by one point,” enthuses Sam.
The team is now eyeing the September South Island champs, again in Christchurch, while the veteran power forward is undecided about his playing future.
“I have kids and stuff so we will just have to see what’s best for my family.”
Sam was sideline as the Giants just lasted to beat the Franklin Bulls on Sunday to record their fifth win of the season and move to eighth on the NBL Ladder.
They start their three-game road trip against the second-placed Southland Sharks on Saturday, hoping to reverse their 10-point loss to them in Nelson a month ago.
