1
May
Sports Family
'One closer to dad': Will chasing AFL great's titles
After winning a EuroCup championship, Will McDowell-White is chasing down his dad and three-time AFL premiership winner, Darryl White.
EuroCup champion Will McDowell-White reflects on special season with JL Bourg in France
- William McDowell-White: "I want to finish my career with the Bullets"
- Why McDowell-White chose Europe over an NBL return
- McDowell-White bounced back to form in JL return
Holding up a EuroCup championship trophy, Aussie point guard William McDowell-White couldn't help but think about one thing closer to home.
"First things first, winning a championship means I’m one closer to dad," McDowell-White told basketball.com.au.
If you're wondering who he's talking about, his talking about three-time AFL premiership winner with the Brisbane Lions, Darryl White, who was part of arguably one of the greatest teams in Aussie rules football history from 2001-03.
McDowell-White has been close to winning a championship in his professional career once before, with the New Zealand Breakers, where he helped the franchise under Mody Maor go within minutes of a title in game five of the 2023 NBL Grand Final series at Qudos Bank Arena.
That was when the Breakers led in the fourth quarter before the Kings, under Chase Buford, stormed back to win the second of their back-to-back championships.
This time was different though as the 28-year-old's JL Bourg Basket team made all the clutch plays to beat Besiktas 73-71 in game two of the EuroCup championship series in Istanbul, Turkey to complete a sweep and take home the French club's first EuroCup title.
Returning home to France, McDowell-White and his teammates were treated to a parade, where they felt the true scale of what they had just achieved.
"I don’t think it’s properly sunk in yet but the club and the people of Bourg deserve this moment," McDowell-White said.
"It’s filled with great people who make it work with what they have, I’m more happy for them than anything else."
In his second season in Europe since leaving the NBL following a stint with ALBA Berlin in Germany, McDowell-White admitted this season with JL Bourg was different than others.
"It has felt different this year and more rewarding in some ways," he said.
"I feel like this year I had a bigger role, especially from a leadership aspect and taking responsibility in big moments.
I believe having that EuroLeague season (with ALBA Berlin) under my belt also helped me be more confident and composed on the floor and got back to playing my style and at my own pace again."
The former Breakers and Kings guard, who was one of the hottest free agents amongst NBL teams last offseason before signing a one-year deal in France, said he was "not sure" what his plans were for next season yet - opening up the possibility of an NBL return despite the belief he will return to Europe for another season.
