Last updated 14:13, June 16 2018
ROBERT PREZIOSO/GETTY IMAGES
Corey Webster is averaging over 40 points a game for Guizhou in China's NBL.
Corey Webster is averaging over 40 points a game for Guizhou in China's NBL.
Globetrotting Kiwi hoops star Corey Webster continues to light up China's National Basketball League.
Webster, who will return to the New Zealand Breakers for the 2018-19 Australian NBL, is enjoying a productive off-season stint in China's secondary league where he is the No 1 import for the Guizhou Shenghang Snow Leopards.
The 29-year-old Tall Blacks shooting guard was in red-hot form as he scored a season-high 48 points in Guizhou's last outing, a 127-113 victory over Jiangsu to improve to 2-1 for the campaign.
The slick Kiwi made 16 of his 32 shots, was six of 12 from beyond the arc and 10 of 11 from the free-throw line as he continued his blistering start to China's major off-season league. He also stuffed the stat sheet with five assists, three boards and a pair of steals.
Webster sits third on the Chinese NBL's scoring leaderboard through three rounds, running at a stellar 40.3 points a game. He had 33 points in a 124-92 win over Fujian and 40 in a first-up 114-111 defeat to Guangxi.
Little wonder then that Tall Blacks coach Paul Henare has had no luck securing Webster's release for the upcoming Fiba world cup qualifying games against Hong Kong in Rotorua on June 28 and China in Auckland on July 1.
With their Kiwi import in such blistering form, the Chinese club has shown no interest in handing him over for the international window, despite a Fiba mandate that clubs should release players for these games.
"We've had many discussions with his agent and tried to resolve the issues around clashes with his games and the windoiw, and we're still trying to work that one through at this stage. But they're very reluctant to release him," Henare said after announcing his squad of 20 to prepare for the upcoming games.
Asked if he saw the irony in Webster not being available to play against China because he was playing in China, the Tall Blacks coach replied: "I would not have put that 2 and 2 together at all."
Basketball NZ had attempted to compromise by securing Webster's release just for the game against China, though as of the weekend had had no success.
Webster had played the past season for Ironi Nahariya in Israel before heading to China, and recently signed a three-year deal to return to his hometown Breakers for the next ANBL season.
He has been in outstanding form for the Tall Blacks through their Asian zone qualifying campaign so far, averaging a team-high 19 points a game as the New Zealanders top Group A with a 3-1 record.