Shawn Myers becomes Lavery’s first Phoenix signing

Shawn Myers has been announced as John Lavery’s first summer signing in charge of Cheshire Phoenix, as the rebuilding begins for what will be the first full season as a community interest club.

The Peter Pan of British basketball, Myers stood firm with the rest of the squad in times of adversity last season as the future of the Cheshire franchise was in limbo, and once the Phoenix rose from the ashes, over the entire course of the campaign, the league veteran averaged 10.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, pulling down 213 defensive rebounds.

6ft 6in forward Myers highlighted both his own past experiences with Cheshire, and also what the fans have had to endure, as being some of the main reasons he wanted to return to the Northgate: “I have been through a lot of ups and downs with this club, but last season demonstrated exactly how much this franchise means to the supporters.

“That is exactly the kind of support that an athlete wants. When you are trying to perform at your best you don’t need drama, you need to focus on the task at hand and have strong support behind you. That is what the fans here provide.

“With John Lavery and Mike Burton in charge and strong leadership at the helm, I wanted to be a part of what the club is building. I can still deliver on the court and if I can help some of the younger players who come in to adapt to the BBL and become strong players perhaps we can bring success back top this great club. The fans deserve that.”

John Lavery’s decision to recruit the vastly experienced Myers is hoped to pay dividends, as a player who can bring his wealth of wisdom to those that follow him into the side during the coming weeks leading up to the first game of the season.

“I said at the outset that I came back to win things,” he said. “This league is full of wily, experienced campaigners. If you want to be successful, you need to have a player on the court and in training who has that unrivalled knowledge of how those players and teams work. Shawn gives us that edge. No-one has more experience than him plus he can still go out there and give you 20 points and 15 rebounds against players half his age.

“Shawn is the first piece of the puzzle for us. What he brings will mix well with the other players we are looking at and I believe that will make us real contenders for honours this season.”

• According to Cheshire Phoenix’s Facebook and Twitter accounts – there are further announcements due on both player signings and also a “major” shirt sponsorship deal. Be sure to keep checking UKAmericanSportsFans.com for all the latest on Cheshire Phoenix and the rest of the news from the BBL as and when we get it!