The comeback is almost complete for Caledonia Gladiators floor general Ian DuBose, who has been waiting for his moment to step back onto the court since injury derailed his debut season in Scotland back in January.
The 25-year-old has had an incredible journey in the game and ahead of the inaugural Super League Basketball season we took the chance to sit down with the Gladiators playmaker and learn more about his route from growing up in Durham, North Carolina, to playing in East Kilbride.
“One of my earliest memories is playing basketball. I started when I was five years old and my dad introduced me to the game as well as a bunch of other sports, but basketball was the one that stuck all the way through. I’ve loved the game from the first time I played and I feel like I play with that same joy today as I did back then as a kid.
“My family is crazy on sports and a lot of my older cousins played basketball in the NCAA and one also made it to the NFL with my dad playing sport collegiately as well, so I think I was always going to follow in their footsteps.
“Family days out were also super competitive, as you can imagine, but it was healthy competition and we always want the best for each other and to see each other thriving in whatever we’re doing. We’re definitely blessed as a family from that perspective.”
A native of North Carolina
From one of the Mecca’s of basketball in North Carolina where legends like Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan and others have excelled collegiately before stepping up to the professional game, perhaps it was inevitable that DuBose was always going to fall in love with hoopin’ on the hardwood.
The 25-year-old discussed the impact his environment had on him growing up and the pride he takes in representing home whilst overseas for the Gladiators.
“Growing up where I came from is definitely advantageous if you love basketball. Some of the greatest colleges in history are there, like North Carolina, NC State, Duke and Wake Forest, and some of the biggest legends of the game came through those programmes.
“You have some of the best basketball in the world being played within 30 minutes of each other at those places, and that trickles down to the high schools and everywhere else to inspire people like me who were born and raised there and wanted to play professionally.
“I couldn’t have asked for somewhere better to grow up given my passion for the game and being from there I feel like I play for the pride of North Carolina every time I step on the court. I’m representing my community, my family and it’s all part of my ‘why’ so I’m very proud to represent my state every time I go out there and compete.”
Time to finish the job
Leading the way for the Gladiators on several fronts before his injury last season, DuBose was a productive scorer (14.6ppg), rebounder (4.2rpg) and facilitator (6.0apg) for Gareth Murray’s side in his first season at PlaySport.
The Wake Forest graduate discussed his motivation for signing with Caledonia last season and why he chose to return for a second campaign with the Scottish outfit.
“Seeing how much the British basketball has been growing was a big motivation to come to Scotland last season and I feel like I have some unfinished business which was a big factor in me returning. We’ve got a great team here, great facilities and big ambitions where we feel we can be successful both in the Super League and Europe.
“I feel like I showed what I could do until January when I had the injury and unfortunately I had to sit out the rest of the season, but that’s sport and I’m grateful to have had the chance to come back and continue the journey with a great club and a great group of people.
“I built strong bonds and relationships with everybody last year so when I was injured and had the chance to go home to rehab I wanted to stay here and finish the journey with everybody. Being around the guys helped my recovery and I was really keen to return here and get back on the court with the guys for another big season.”
Glory for the Gladiators?
The inaugural Super League Basketball season is set to be one of the most competitive in the recent history of topflight British hoops, but DuBose is confident that his Gladiators have built a roster capable of competing on all four fronts in the SLB and discussed the team’s expectations for the year.
“We believe we have a team that can win it all this year. British basketball has been elevated to a huge platform over the last few years and we’re excited to continue to be a part of that with the Super League and make our mark by winning championships.
“This season is going to be so open and competitive so we have to be at our best every night to achieve our goals. We’ve been working hard behind closed doors for a long time now on a new identity and we know everybody else has been doing the same, so we’re excited to get started.
“The Lions have set the standard in the last few years but this summer I feel like the gap has closed between everybody in this league and it makes for a really exciting challenge, so as a competitor I can’t wait to get out there and take everybody on with this team and compete for titles.”