Ian Clark has re-signed with Melbourne United and expects the NBL powerhouse to take confidence into the new season despite falling short last time around.
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In an epic Championship Series in March, top-seeded Melbourne were upset as the Tasmania JackJumpers wrote one of the league's great underdog title fairytales.
But former NBA guard Clark believes United's near-miss, plus the return of a host of key players, will stand Dean Vickerman's talent-laden team in good stead for the 2024-25 campaign.
"The camaraderie we had as a group last season was special," Clark said.
"We were able to achieve so much and bringing back a lot of the same group is going to give us a lot of confidence.
"For the older guys, we're hungry (and) we know what to expect.
"For the young guys, having the experience of going to the grand final and being on the number one team in the league, I think it will help them take strides coming into this year."
An NBA champion in 2017 with the Golden State Warriors, Clark also claimed NBL title success in 2022 with the Sydney Kings.
He spent the following season with the Adelaide 36ers before moving to Melbourne, where he claimed the NBL's best sixth man crown last season.
The 33-year-old journeyman, who spent six years in the NBA and also had a stint in China before heading to Australia, is looking forward to settling down.
"Coming back to somewhere where I'm comfortable and feel like I can have success was a major deciding factor (in re-signing with United)," Clark said.
"It had been maybe four or five years since I had been on the same team for consecutive seasons.
"It can be difficult going to a new place and starting fresh over and over again. New people, new faces, new coaches, new houses (and) new cultures."
Clark has joined Chris Goulding, Matthew Dellavedova, Shea Ili, Jack White, Luke Travers, Kyle Bowen,Flynn Cameron, Tanner Krebs and Rob Loe in signing with Melbourne for next season.
The final pieces of the roster will depend in part on developing star Travers, who is in the United States as he continues to fight for an NBA deal.
Melbourne open the regular season on September 19, when they take on Tasmania in Perth as part of the inaugural HoopsFest round.
Australian Associated Press
