Controversial import Craig Randall parted ways with the Adelaide 36ers three months ago, but a series of cryptic tweets highlight how he hasn’t moved on from his dramatic NBL departure.
The American guard is gifted but he had a negative impact on Adelaide’s team chemistry, prompting the club to act.
Randall has returned home to the United States, but he still keeps a close eye on the 36ers.
In recent weeks, the guard has taken shots at his former team via Twitter, especially following Adelaide’s slide out of playoff contention.
It started with a tweet on January 15 saying: “The truth is coming out if you really paying attention.”
Randall has followed up this comment with a host of targeted emojis, retweets and comments aimed at Adelaide.
One retweet was particularly telling given the tweet said: “@Adelaide36ers the ghost of Craig Randall is laughing at you all right now #firebruton
It comes as coach CJ Bruton recently branded Randall’s time in the City of Churches a “debacle” on the NBL’s season documentary.
An honest Bruton confirms News Corp’s reports Randall’s “selfishness” was evident in pre-season and snowballed during the Sixers’ embarrassing season-opening loss to Tasmania.
Stunning footage from the game shows Randall taking issue with being subbed out, arguing with teammates during time-outs and whining to Bruton and assistant coach Jamie Pearlman.
Randall is even worried about being yelled at by a teammate during the game and, after an argument with Bruton, storms off.
“I don’t want to play with (inaudible) he keep yelling at me,” he whines at Bruton in the latest episode of NBL Unrivalled.
“You’re not understanding, that’s not fair to me. You want me to stay calm?
“I’m a grown ass man, you know that.”
At one point, an exasperated Bruton, trying to get his team back into the season-opener, has to ward off Randall, who is insistent on talking about his issues, rather than focusing on the game.
Adelaide overcame Randall’s exit, and at one stage looked destined for the playoffs, but have lost five of their past six games to drop out of contention.
Randall couldn’t help but have a crack at his ex-team during this period, tweeting: “Y‘all starting to see it now huh?”
The guard also fired off another tweet urging fans and reporters alike not to blame him for the 36ers’ woes.
“I don‘t have anything to do with what’s happening in Adelaide so stop bringing me up and coming for me in negative ways please,” Randall said.
“I don’t do anything but continuously speak good about the city and the club. I appreciate my time there and what they did for me.”
Adelaide chief executive Nic Barbato said while he hadn’t seen what Randall had been posting on social media, “there’s probably some emotion coming into that” over his departure.
“Craig left on good terms with us and with me and sent me a really nice message after he left,” Barbato said. “If someone steps out of line like that in a significant way, then there’s repercussions.
“It’s no different in basketball as to any other business. “We need a united force and team to be able to have a chance of success. “We want him to be successful, wherever he goes.”
NBA VS NBA FACING A TRIM
The NBL remains committed to sending at least one team per year to the US for games against NBA opposition.
The league, in the past, has sent as many as five clubs to face NBA opposition and, after a three-year Covid hiatus, Adelaide, last year, made history by defeating the Phoenix Suns, becoming the first NBL team to win a game against a team in the world’s best competition.
NBL owner Larry Kestelman said firming up the league’s schedule as early as possible was its No.1 priority in the wake of three years of Covid disruption, but a “little window of opportunity” would be opened for a team to travel ahead of next season.
“We absolutely are having those discussions with the NBA,” Kestelman told News Corp. “I do want to continue it (but) we’re prioritising our season over and above those games.
“I don’t think we’re going to have seasons where we’re going to send three or four teams over, but we’ll do our best to continue it with at least one team a year that we can schedule well in advance.”
Kestelman said a number of clubs had expressed interest in playing the pre-season games, which are held during the early rounds of the NBL season.
He said NBA teams had embraced the challenge of Aussie visits but “wouldn’t like to be embarrassed to lose again”.
BOOMERS WORLD CUP WARM-UP SHOWCASE
Basketball Australia is “well down the path” in negotiations with multiple federations to host warm-up games in Australia prior to this year’s World Cup in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines in August and September.
CEO Matt Scriven confirmed BA is taking an “aggressive” approach to secure international games on home soil.
Scriven noted the World Cup draw, which isn’t finalised until the end of April, will also play a major role in potential opponents for Australia.
“I want to host as many international games as possible,” Scriven said.
“A World Cup in our region gives us the opportunity to lock in warm-up games and we’re currently in talks with a number of nations.
“We’re looking at the top and teams that give us an opportunity to bring world class talent here and also the right preparation for the Cup.”
The 2023 Basketball World Cup runs from August 25 to September 10.
KIWI LEGEND IN CONTENTION FOR BULLETS TOP JOB
New Zealand basketball great Pero Cameron has emerged as a candidate to coach the Brisbane Bullets next season.
Cameron, currently an assistant coach at the Bullets, was asked to present his head coaching case to club officials.
The current Tall Blacks coach has made an immediate impact in Brisbane, with some players even keen to see him stay around longer than this season.
Cameron, the only New Zealand national to be inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame, is considered one of the better man managers in basketball.
TOP SIX FORMAT HAILED A SUCCESS
The NBL’s switch to a top-six playoff format has been hailed as a resounding success with the results from all 16 remaining games set to have finals ramifications.
Eight of the 10 clubs are still mathematical chances of making the postseason, and NBL owner Larry Kestelman says that’s exactly what the league envisioned when it expanded its top four to a play-in format that would provide six teams with the opportunity to win the title.
“The play-in tournament is such a success and so crucial because everyone feels like they can actually win this thing,” Kestelman told News Corp.
“Doesn’t matter that you’re third from the bottom, you feel like you can win this championship and walk away with all the marbles at the end of it, so I think it’s already a huge success. The season has been phenomenal.”
Shoosh: All NBL teams were first informed of the Pride Round concept, including donning rainbow singlets, at the pre-season Blitz in Darwin in September last year. No Cairns Taipans players expressed concern about wearing the NBL’s Pride Round logo when the team participated in a 90-minute Pride in Sport training session prior to Christmas. This stance changed in the lead-up to Wednesday’s clash against the South East Melbourne Phoenix.
NBL Round 17:
Thursday: Brisbane Bullets vs New Zealand Breakers at Nissan Arena from 7.30pm (AEDT)
Friday: Tasmania JackJumpers vs Sydney Kings at MyState Bank Arena from 7.30pm (AEDT)
Perth Wildcats vs Illawarra Hawks at RAC Arena from 9.30pm (AEDT)
Saturday: New Zealand Breakers vs Melbourne United at Spark Arena from 5.30pm (AEDT)
Cairns Taipans vs Brisbane Bullets at Cairns Convention Centre from 8pm (AEDT)
Sunday: Tasmania JackJumpers vs Perth Wildcats at MyState Bank Arena from 2pm (AEDT)
Sydney Kings vs South East Melbourne Phoenix at Qudos Bank Arena from 4pm (AEDT)
Monday: Cairns Taipans vs Adelaide 36ers at Cairns Convention Centre from 7.30pm (AEDT)
Originally published as Logue Down: The cryptic tweets that prove ex-Adelaide 36er Craig Randall hasn’t moved on from his controversial NBL exit