South West Slammers import Alex Holcombe happy to hold his own against NBL1 West’s star big men

The NBL1 West men’s competition is the land of the giants, with every team boasting a star big man. NBL players Gorjok Gak (Rockingham) and David Okwera (East Perth) man the middle for their sides alongside a collection of local talent and a coterie of imports who come in with everything to prove. But new South West Slammers recruit Alex Holcombe is confident he has what it takes to match it with the best. The 206cm-tall recruit said his professional experiences in Montenegro and Kazakhstan would hold him in good stead as he tries to make an impact in Slammers colours. “I match up well against other physical bigs,” he said. “In other countries, they have a different style of play. In America, it’s all who can jump the highest with hardly any skill. “Over in other countries, what I’ve learned is the bigs, they know how to shoot better now, they’re better passers, they know how to spread the floor. “I’ve been adapting to how to guard them and how to play similar to their skill sets. It’s been a new thing to learn and I’m still learning.” The son of a college star and former professional, Holcombe played at several colleges in the US before the game took him to eastern Europe in 2022. He said the experiences had taught him much about himself and had been challenging and rewarding in equal part. “You’re not in America anymore, you’re in their world now, so you’ve got to learn how to adapt to a different environment,” he said. “When things don’t go your way, you’ve still got to have some professionalism, don’t complain too much. “One thing about me is I’ve adapted, I know I can adapt in a week or two. It’s like my skill now.” The 25-year-old said he was loving life in Bunbury and had been warmly welcomed by everyone at the club. “I’m still getting to know everyone, but these people are easy to talk to, I’ve made a bunch of friends already,” he said. “On the court, it’s the same process. I’ve got nothing but humble, down-to-earth teammates. “There’s no toxic energy on the court, everyone knows their role on the team, and nobody thinks they’re better than any other person. Everyone’s locked in.” Holcombe registered six points and seven rebounds as the Slammers opened their season with an 11-point loss to Rockingham Flames on Thursday.