HISTORY MAKERS

DAVID DURANT

Like many others, David Durant’s initial involvement with the Rockets was playing in the junior grades. This was back in the mid to late 60’s when the game was growing very rapidly but certainly wasn’t as well organised as it is today. His family involvement dates back even further with an Auntie documented as part of the Social Committee in earlier Club Committee Minutes.

He got involved on the “management” side in 1992, as the Vice-President Basketball (a role he still holds), and during that time has seen many, many changes as the game has evolved. His main focus these days is making sure Junior basketball runs smoothly (as Chairman of the Junior Operations Group), and he is North’s Member Protection Officer.

Many will also be aware and appreciative of David’s involvement as the court announcer during Premier League games at Hillcrest.

Despite his busy lifestyle, David was a major driver for 5 National Junior Championships held in Adelaide over the years, managing the Organising Committee for several of those. For his role in these events, he received a Basketball Australia Award in 2010. He is a willing volunteer for many other basketball events including the Masters Games held in Adelaide in 2015.

He has also been involved at the executive level of the game in South Australia for many years, serving as North’s delegate on the BASA Junior Basketball Committee from 1994 to 2005, before being elevated to the Executive Committee until the demise of that version of the Association. He then chaired the new Competition Committee for Basketball South Australia from 2006 until 2012.

Coaching is something David has always done, regularly looking after 2 and 3 teams in the same week, for some 23 years, meaning he has coached at least 2,000 games and who knows how many children and adults he has helped develop? It would be impossible to determine the number of Premierships he has been a part of over the years.

A family man who has seen his children go through the North Adelaide ranks and now sees his grandchildren hit the court, David and his wife Helane are and have been fixtures of Hillcrest longer than most. A Club stalwart in every sense of the word.

For his dedication, involvement, commitment and devotion to the North Adelaide Basketball Club over many, many years, David was awarded Life Membership in 2002.