NBL team left scrambling after US import’s crushing injury blow
Tall Blacks guard Mojave King is set to sign on as the replacement for Breakers recruit Josiah-Jordan James as he works to recover from a hamstring injury.
On Wednesday, the Breakers confirmed the US import had torn his left hamstring in a NBL pre-season game against Melbourne United and is facing up to six weeks.
James in action against the Sydney Kings during a pre-season match. Getty Images for NBL
James’ injury is a cruel blow to the Auckland-based side as they finish their final preparations for their first NBL game of the season against the Illawarra Hawks.
Breakers president of basketball operations Dillon Boucher said James was “tremendously disappointed” to learn the extent of his injury, given how far he has travelled to secure his spot on the team.
“Our first thoughts are with him,” Boucher wrote in the statement.
“No player wants to be injured, but this is especially the case when you have travelled so far to a new club and playing in a new league.
“He is working with our incredible medical and performance team with the goal of getting back on the floor.”
The Breakers have yet to confirm who will step in to replace James as of yet, but it has been widely reported the team will sign Kiwi international King.
King, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023, is a Breakers veteran who last represented the team in 2024-25. He has 95 NBL appearances.
While King will be a valuable replacement for the Breakers heading into the new season, Boucher praised the team’s next man up mentality in times like these.
“We showed in pre-season when we had several players out that the team does not dwell on who is missing, but sees opportunity for the next player in,” he said.
“That is the key, players stepping up and making the most of added minutes and the chances to take on more responsibility.”
Elsewhere, the Tasmanian JackJumpers announced coach Scott Roth has inked a two-year extension that will take hi through to the end of the 2028-29 season.
Roth, an American coach, has been in charge of the JackJumpers over the side’s past five campaigns and helped them to win the championship in 2023-24.
He was crucial in forming the ‘Defend the Island’ mentality that the team works towards, with the term embraced by fans across the state.
Scott Roth, head coach of the JackJumpers looks on. nna\alyssa.bone
“Every Tasmanian has really backed us and believed in us,” Roth said in a statement announcing his new deal.
"That pride and belief in our team gave Tasmanians a real pride and belief in themselves too.
"I think we've also raised the bar and paved the way for others like the AFL to build a team here with confidence, it can happen and should happen on this island."
Tasmanian club chair Steve Old had a simple message about Roth’s signing, saying: “Scott understands Tasmania, Tasmania understands Scott.”
He continued: “Scott didn’t just coach a basketball team - he helped build a club, a culture and something that Tasmania has truly made its own.
“We genuinely believe the best chapters of the JackJumpers story are still to be written.”
The NBL27 will begin on Saturday when Melbourne United host the Adelaide 36ers. The Breakers will kick off their campaign on Sunday against the Hawks, while the JackJumpers will host South East Melbounre on Monday night.
