In the midst of a difficult off-season which has seen them lose Finn Delaney and Mika Vukona until later in the year, the Mike Pero Nelson Giants have retained the services of five local fan favourites for the 2019 season.
Giants skipper Sam Dempster has re-signed with the franchise for his twelfth season for the franchise.
It’s been a busy off-season for the 28-year-old sharpshooter with his recent wedding and also starting his own business.
“2019 has got off to a great start for me, tying the knot and my second child on the way.”
Sam says he has a great feeling about the group and the season to come.
“It feels like it’s going to be a great year.”
The Giants have also managed to lure Perth Wildcat Rhys Vague across the Tasman.
The 23-year-old forward, who stands at 2.06m, already has two ANBL championships to his name.
Rhys has spent time in the national setup with the emerging Boomers as he joins fellow Aussie star Daniel Grida in the Giant’s ranks.
Towering forward Bronson Beri has also put pen to paper as he becomes one of the most experienced campaigners in the squad.
The 6’9″ Bronson Beri has been with the Giants since 2007 when he was part of the championship-winning team as a rookie and will be back at the Hangar this year.
The veteran of over 100 NZNBL games will be looking to use his wealth of experience again in 2019 along with fellow locals Tom Ingham, Riley Bensemann, Tyler Marsh and Ali Granger.
The Giants kick off its campaign on April 14 against Taranaki at the Trafalgar Centre.
