NZL - Corey Webster gets his 'second chance'

AUCKLAND (Oceania Championship/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Before there was Tai Webster in the New Zealand Tall Blacks set-up, there was Corey Webster.

Tai Webster, a 17-year-old point guard who electrified the Poliedro Arena in Caracas, Venezuela, at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament with a dazzling 21-point display in a win against Angola, is now a hot topic in the game Down Under.

He recently decided to enroll at Nebraska and play for the Cornhuskers in American college basketball, an experience that should help him develop ahead of a likely appearance at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.

But there is also Corey Webster, Tai's older brother, a 23-year-old shooting guard who was in the New Zealand squad at the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the following year at the Oceania Championship.

Corey, like Tai, had been a rising star until he was banned from the game for 12 months for a second drugs infraction.

While Tai was exploding onto the international scene in Venezuela, all Corey could do was work hard, get in the best shape of his life and hope that his opportunity to play professional basketball would come around again after he served his suspension.

Maybe, if things went well, he would then be able to put on the Tall Blacks jersey again.

Things have gone well for Corey.

Having just returned to Auckland from China, where he spent a couple of months working out under the watchful eye of former Australia coach Brian Goorjian, Corey was over the weekend confirmed as one of 10 players to receive professional contracts with the New Zealand Breakers.

"I know not many people have this chance again," he said.

"I'm so grateful that they have faith, and that they've seen the changes I've made.

"The Breakers is where I want to be.

"This my home town, I feel part of the family and I feel like I owe them a lot."

Corey has had a lot of downs the past year, but the Breakers believe he has grown up.

"He has had to face the reality of what life could be like if he had basketball taken away and has spent his time out of the game to make a lot of changes in his life," Breakers general manager Richard Clarke said.

"He has worked incredibly hard on and off court over the past 12 months.

"We are proud of how he has reacted to what could have been a career defining obstacle.

"He has earned back his opportunity to be a Breaker again."

Corey believed in himself, and so did others.

CJ Bruton, a Breakers teammate, stood by him.

The former Boomers point guard, who was last year's NBL Finals MVP, set up the opportunity with Goorjian.

"He took me under his wing ever since he got here, and it was great he didn't just leave me in the dirt when this happened," Corey said.

"He was always there for me, giving me advice. He set up the China opportunity with the Breakers, and I owe a lot of thanks to him. I idolized him when I was a youngster and it's awesome to be part of the same team as him."

Bruton is very excited about playing alongside Corey.

"Goorj came back with glowing reports about this kid," Bruton said to the Fairfax NZ News.

"I've never seen him in the shape he is in now in all the time I've been in New Zealand.

"That shows how hard he's worked while he's been away."

Corey has a second chance and Bruton sees nothing wrong with him getting it.

"He's done all the right things," he said.

"When you're a kid, you're going to make mistakes and going to get slapped around.

"Now everyone's waiting to see if he's going to do right.

"I told him 'you're your own man, this is your chance to prove yourself'."

FIBA