Humble local star aims to maintain award-winning form
A modest Leon Kwek preferred to heap praise on his teammates this week, even after being named the Air Asia ASEAN Basketball League Player of the Week on Thursday.
Despite a stellar opening round in which he averaged 16.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4 assists over the course of two wins for the Singapore Slingers, Kwek said he was surprised by the recognition.
“I felt very humbled to the named the Player of the Week,” he said.
“To be honest, I did not expect the award because I didn’t think my stats were comparable to some of the imports who were playing at a very high level, and it was actually my teammates that made me look good.
“So I definitely have to give credit to the team for this award.”
While Kwek might be surprised with the recognition from the ABL, Slingers’ fans who witnessed his first game at OCBC Arena last Friday night would not be, and neither would his teammates.
Prior to the season starting, Kwek’s teammates were well aware he would play a starring role this season.
Returning backcourt partner Mitch Folkoff predicted the 20-year-old would set the court alight this season.
“Leon has been practicing really well,” Folkoff said prior to the first game.
“He’s ready for a breakout year.
“He adds a dynamic aspect to our offensive game. He can play both inside and out, he’s good on the fast break, and he can shoot the ball.”
And that’s exactly what Kwek did in the opening two games of the year.
He dropped a career-high 20 points against Malaysia in the season-opening victory and backed it up with a versatile 11 point, 8 rebound, 2 steal game in the nail-biting win over Alab Pilipinas.
Kwek is no stranger to having an excellent start to a season. In his rookie campaign, he was a prominent performer for the Slingers in the first nine games, playing a key role off the bench.
But his season was rocked when he diagnosed with dengue fever, and he missed the next five weeks of action.
The second-year Singaporean returned to the court in the latter stages of the season but never hit the same form in the Slingers’ extended playoff run.
He was disappointed with the way his 2015-16 season ended and is driven to ensure he builds on his great start to the season and maintains it long into the playoffs.
“I hope I can produce a consistent effort for the team this year,” Kwek said.
“I worked very hard on my conditioning in the off-season to make sure I can last for the whole season.
I’m a young guy. I can bring a lot of energy to the team and I hope I can play at a consistently high level for the rest of the season.”
The Slingers take on Saigon Heat on Saturday at 5.00pm in Ho Chi Minh.
Singapore fans can watch the contest Live on Hub Sports Arena (Channel 112/205) or on mobile devices via the StarHub Go App.
Article written by Michael Farrell
