Keefe Birkett has knocked down another one.
Basketball’s resident marksman has hit the real target at long last, having finally copped the MVP award following Wednesday’s opening ceremony for the Barbados Amateur Basketball Association season at Co-operators General Insurance.
It was just one of several awards handed out to Lumber Company Lakers on a night when the Husbands club also accounted for the Premier League title and senior Coach Of The Year prize.
Yet they all paled in comparison to the big MVP trophy, as Birkett became just the second Laker to win Premier League’s top award since Adrian Stewart first did it ten seasons ago.
The honour was richly deserved, too, with the sharpshooting combo guard flashing a more rounded game to finish fifth in the league in scoring with 19.3 points per game while also averaging 5.1 rebounds and 3.4 dimes.
More importantly, he turned in those numbers on a championship-winning Lakers side that managed to defeat star-studded rosters in Orange 3 Pinelands and Urban Vybz St John’s Sonics despite playing without national players Kregg Jones, John Jones and Mark Bridgeman for most of 2017.
“It feels good because this was something I was eventually hoping to get as a good personal achievement, as we don’t get much of those awards here at Lakers because of the balanced teams we have over the years,” said Birkett.
“You don’t really get the chance to showcase all your skills but the last couple years I had to carry a bigger load, so I guess I got more of an opportunity.”
Birkett also won the play-off MVP award, while his head coach Francis Williams was named senior Coach Of The Year for guiding Lakers to the Premier League title and knockout final.
Jamar Headley proved to be a big winner on the night, too, after the Hilton Barbados Warriors forward joined elite company by becoming one of a handful of men to be awarded the Most Offensive and Best Defensive Player awards in the same year.
It came in recognition of a truly outstanding season, which saw him lead the league in both scoring (22.1ppg) and rebounding (13.6) on a Warriors team that missed the postseason.
Former reserve turned key starter Derion Hurley was adjudged the Most Improved Player after watching his scoring average jump from 7.5 to 18.74 points for league finalists Pinelands.
In the First Division, guard Stephenson Callender won the MVP award for leading City United Celtics to the league finals against eventual double-crown champions Pan American International Insurance Warrens.
Police coach Ian Greene, who also came out on the losing end to Warrens in the knockout title game, captured that league’s Coach Of The Year award. (JM)
