Neverending story: Motum still at the top of his game

• Brock Motum left the Shiga Lakes to join the Toyama Grouses in the offseason
• Motum last season reached 3000 points in Japan and 2000 points in the B1 League
• He was the B1's scoring champion for the 2024-25 season
• He was part of the Boomers teams at the 2014 World Championships and 2016 Olympic Games

New team and new city but same old efficient Brock Motum.

That's the story for the former Australian Boomers big man as he has been as reliable as ever with the Toyama Grouses in the Japanese B1 League as the ripe old age of 35.

Following his move from the Shiga Lakes, where he spent two seasons, Motum is averaging 18.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists in his 14th season as a professional.

The Brisbane product has reunited with his former coach from Shiga, David Gomez, as the Grouses made the step up from B2 to B1 and despite the team's slow start to the season, sitting 23rd in the competition with a 6-14 record, he shows no signs of slowing down.

"Coming to a new team it’s always a little bit of an adjustment but I am really enjoying it so far," Motum told basketball.com.au.

"We’ve lost a few close games that we should’ve put away so hopefully we can pick up a few wins in this next stretch of games."

Motum has played all over the world - from his college days alongside Klay Thompson at Washington State, to featuring for the Adelaide 36ers and playing for some of Europe's powerhouse clubs - and he credits the tireless amount of work he puts in during the offseason as the reason for his success so late in his career.

His training regime includes returning home to Brisbane, working out with different trainers and scrimmaging with pro and semi-pro hoopers as well as doing his strength and condition with Acceleration Australia.

"I’ve always tried to improve my game each season and I spend a lot of time in the off-seasons working out, which I think has allowed me to play at a higher level for longer and has given longevity to my career," Motum said.

"I’ve had to adapt my game to different countries and coaches and play styles so just trying to find ways to be efficient and effective for as long as I can

"Just understanding my game and my body as well as getting the work I know I need in each day to be ready for the games is the biggest factor.

"After you play for this many years you know when you need to get some extra shots to find rhythm or if you need a bit more rest."

It's not hard to see why Motum still looks reinvigorated at this stage of his career. He's declared his love for playing in Japan many times but also this year teaming up again with Gomez, who ironically was one of the candidates up for the vacant Brisbane Bullets coaching position in the offseason, at Toyama as they step up from B2 and prepare for the B Premier competition next season has given him an extra spark.

"It’s great to reunite with David - we shared a lot of success together in Shiga and he understands my game and me as a person well," Motum said.

"He did a great job in getting Toyama back to the first league last season and now we learning through experience this year and also looking forward to the B Premier league starting next season."

Even though it's a decade since he played in the NBL, Motum's connection to the league is still strong, forming a bond with new teammate and the man who led the Illawarra Hawks to last season's NBL championship in Trey Kell III after the US import made the move to Japan from Australia.

"It’s been great to have Trey as a teammate," he said.

"Watching what he did in his time in the NBL and now being able to play together it’s cool to have someone to relate to and share some stories about our times in the NBL.

"Also it helps to share some of the scoring pressure with someone of his calibre he’s been a great addition. It seems Illawarra are definitely missing him this season."

Motum played a significant part in the Boomers' rise up the hierarchy of international basketball, featuring at the 2014 World Championships and the infamous 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, where Australia was robbed of a history-making bronze medal, thanks to a phantom foul call on Patty Mills against Spain.

And even though he bleeds green and gold, the Australian Institute of Sport graduate says that part of his career is probably over.

"It was the high point of my career representing Australia at the World Cup and Olympics," he said.

"I had the opportunity earlier this year to play in a window but in the end it didn’t work out. I would never say no to a big tournament but I think the next crop of Boomers have a big future ahead.

"Maybe I’ll get a call up for Brisbane 2032 if I can keep putting up numbers in Japan."