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 RAMS NEWS: SUPER-BUSH RETURNS
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by Piet Van Hasselt
25 October 2002
Rams Fans will welcome back one of their favourite heroes
when Clifton Bush takes the court next season after the
Scenic Circle Rams secured the first major signing of the
Burger King National Basketball League (NBL) off-season.
Bush has signed a three-year deal which will ensure his
legendary slam-dunking ability and trademark gestures are
a feature of games at the WestpacTrust Centre over the
coming seasons.
Bush, 32, earned the nickname “Super-Bush” for
his all-round skills, boundless athleticism and the
ability to turn the game quickly. An American-born, 1.95m
forward, Bush will enter his seventh season in the NBL
and will play as a kiwi with citizenship paperwork to be
finalised before the 2003 season tips-off on Anzac Day.
Bush is one of the NBL’s iron-men averaging 38.8
minutes per contest across his 101-game career. He is
also among the NBL’s most versatile weapons,
averaging 22.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0
steals and shoots an accurate 52.6% from the field.
Bush should combine well with returning Rams MVP American
John “Pope” Whorton and will be reunited with
the experienced duo of Carlo Varricchio and Dave
Langrell. In fact, long-time fans may remember a
breath-taking long alley-oop pass from Varricchio to a
flashing Bush for an emphatic slam dunk, back when the
Rams played at Cowles Stadium.
Bush played for the Rams from 1997-1999, propelling the
Rams to a berth in the 1999 Grand Final at the
WestpacTrust Centre. Bush led the team in scoring each
season, and was regularly amongst the rebounding leaders.
In 2000, Bush was injured at the beginning of the season
but picked up a playing spot part-way through the season
with the Waikato Titans. Bush’s minutes were
limited, but that didn’t stop him helping the Titans
to the Semi-Finals.
Bush returned to Waikato in 2001 and was the key figure
in the NBL Championship Title triumph, winning the
league’s Most Outstanding Forward award and was a
member of the NBL All-Star Five. He was the NBL’s
leading scorer averaging 27.4 points per game, and was
third in rebounds with 11.6 per game.
This year Bush moved to the Manawatu Jets, and continued
to put up consistently high statistics across the board.
The relatively inexperienced Jets qualified in dramatic
fashion for the playoffs, and lost to the Nelson Giants
in the Semi-Final. After the season, Bush was a member of
the 2002 NZ Koru Team (essentially NZ "B") that
played in the four-team Wollongong World Basketball
Challenge in Australia.
Bush is looking forward to settling with his family in
Christchurch year round and becoming a part of the
community, saying “I am a Cantabrian and always will
be. Christchurch is my home and that has never changed
and never will change”. Bush’s three-year
contract will have an additional long-term benefit to the
Canterbury community via the charitable arm of the Rams
organisation, The Rambo Charitable Trust.
Bush is an experienced social worker who specialises in
working with youth-at-risk. As part of his contract he
will be extensively involved in the Trust’s
community outreach programmes, which aim to use
basketball as a vehicle for improving the welfare of
Canterbury’s youth.
Rams Head Coach and Managing Director Dr John Watson is
now focused on creating a team that is stable from year
to year, with players who are committed to being based in
Canterbury. “We have the ability to enter into long
term commitments because of the long-term stability given
to us with the four years remaining on Scenic Circle
Hotels’ sponsorship of the Rams. People here talk
about the Clyde (Huntley) and Dutchie (Rademakers) days
and I want to create a new dynasty in Canterbury
basketball”.
Bush is currently playing for Icelandic First Division
team Snaefell, where he has a 61% field goal average and
has averaged 24 points and 13 rebounds per game.
Bush is in Iceland with Kiwi wife Christina, originally
from Rangiora, and daughter Maria (2) and Clifton Jr (8
weeks). The Icelandic regular season ends in early March.
>>> Look for more information on
"Super-Bush" and a more complete Rams News
edition detailing the Rams currently playing overseas and
other happenings in the near future.
Newcomers
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