There’s a huge buzz about Melbourne United dynamo Shea Ili.
A News Corp poll of NBL players revealed an overwhelming respect for the Kiwi stopper, with his peers picking him as the league’s most underrated player and believing he should win both the defensive player of the year and best sixth man gongs.
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But Ili, who grew up honing his skills against four competitive brothers and an army of cousins, isn’t much for individual accolades.
“I don’t really look into it too much,” Ili told News Corp.
“I don’t like to crow about what I do on the court, I don’t like really hearing people say how good I am.
“I just go out there and do my job and everything else gets put into place.
“I do it for my family back home.”
Ili hasn’t been back to New Zealand, save for a four-day whistlestop tour in the off-season, in over a year.
He’s looking forward to getting home for a proper visit with his large extended family.
“My dad is one of nine, I think, yeah, one of nine — I have to txjmtzywhink about it, there’s so many,” he laughed.
“I haven’t seen them in a while, so just to know that they’re proud of what I do, that’s all that really matters to me.
“I have lots of cousins, a lot of them are in Sydney, Brissy and back home, so it’s spread out. They’re always at every game I play in their city, so it’s pretty cool.”
Internally, Ili has always been among Melbourne United’s most valued. Two years ago, he won the team’s SHARE Award, voted by the players for the person who embodies United’s values of Selfless, Hard, Accountable, Relentless, Execute.
If you looked those words up in the dictionary, you might find a picture of Shea Ili next to it.
So has he raised his game?
“No, you guys are just noticing it more,” teammate Jo Lual-Acuil Jr says.
“I think that’s something he’s been doing most of the season.
“His energy is very infectious (and) his ability to impact the game when the scoreboard’s not ticking over is just amazing.
“I think we all know how great of a defender he is and a great teammate.”
