Lots of guards
at Mega Force’s
first tryouts

Kawika Smith's previous experience playing professional basketball locally left him a little leery about the latest attempt to bring a pro team to the islands.

But after the Hawaii Mega Force's first day of tryouts yesterday, the former Hawaii Pacific University player is more optimistic about the fledgling American Basketball Association franchise.

"When we heard about this and having heard about so many things that were going to happen and never happened, you were more apprehensive at first," Smith said. "But having come out here today, it looks really good. I feel better about it."

Smith was among 16 players who showed up at Kalaheo High School for the tryout conducted by head coach George Gilmore and assistant Clay Cockett. They hoped to attract more players for today's session scheduled for 10 a.m.

Hawaii owner and general manager Orrys Williams said he's committed to having Hawaii-bred players on the team when the roster is finalized in late September. He also wants to provide an opportunity for former college players who stayed in the state after their eligibility ended.

"We know there is talent in Hawaii, it's just a matter of utilizing what they have," Williams said. "All three of us are under the same notion that this is not our team, this is Hawaii's team."

Former Hawaii guard Jason Carter was excited to hear about the team and hopes it gives him a chance to extend his playing career.

"I wanted to stay in Hawaii, my options were getting limited and I wanted to play somewhere," he said.

"It means a lot, growing up playing ball. I think I'm good enough to play in some kind of league and this is a good steppingstone for me since I had no opportunities to play."

Smith previously played with the Hawaii Chiefs of the National Alliance of Basketball Leagues and came away disappointed with the experience. But he's encouraged by what he's seen from the Mega Force staff so far.

"It seems like a great combination and I'm pretty sure these guys wouldn't get together unless it was legitimate," he said. "Orrys is very business-savvy, George is a player's player and we also have a player's coach in Clay Cockett."

The tryout was heavy on guards -- including Ryuji Numa, a 23-year-old from Japan who arrived in town after reading about it on the Internet -- with a few big men showing up at the gym.

Gilmore said the staff won't make decisions based on this week's tryouts and will also look at mainland players later this summer. The ABA season opens in November and runs through March.

Gilmore was a high-scoring guard at Chaminade in the early 1990s before embarking on a 10-year career in Europe and didn't rule out the possibility of being a player-coach, if needed.

"I may. Once a basketball player, always a basketball player," he said. "I stopped playing two years ago, so it's not that long ago.

"I've been around a little bit and I know a few things, so I'm trying to put my knowledge to these guys and help them learn to play the game the professional way."

Both Gilmore and Cockett, the current girls basketball coach at Kamehameha, said their relationships with Williams, who worked as an aerospace engineer before starting a career in sports marketing some two decades ago, convinced them to join the team.

"People will look at the past and professional teams have never done well in Hawaii," Cockett said. "But when there's an opportunity, you have to try and take a risk. If people embrace this team, it could be a good thing for a lot of our local players."

Hawaii was awarded an ABA franchise in March and plans to play its home games at Blaisdell Arena. Williams said he has secured sponsorships to help defray the travel costs, a primary concern of the league, and other expenses.

Williams said another local camp is scheduled for Sept. 2-5 at Kalaheo, with stars of the old ABA like Moses Malone, George Gervin, David Thompson and Artis Gilmore coming to town to promote the league.