How coach’s belief fuelled Higgins-Titsha’s rapid rise

Just nine months ago, Alex Higgins-Titsha was still waiting for his NBL debut.

He’d earned his chance by standing out during a gruelling eight hour “open gym” session in Cairns, with 40 hopefuls battling for a development spot.

Back then, landing on an NBA Summer League roster would have felt like a pipe dream.

But the 25-year-old is savouring the opportunity and credits Taipans coach Adam Forde for making it all possible. 

"I've had a lot of old coaches and when I told them Cairns wanted me, they said, you’ve got to do it," Higgins-Titsha said from Las Vegas, where he's lining up for the Golden State Warriors. 

"Even if another team offers, that’s what you’ve got to do, because if you work hard, Fordey will reward you for that.

"I think last season I just focused on getting better, getting in with the system, and then got the opportunity."

With several of Cairns' bigger names sidelined, Higgins-Titsha stepped into key minutes and didn’t waste the opportunity.

He reached double-figures in six games, including three of the final five, and closed the season with 15 points and four rebounds against Tasmania.

"We had a couple of injuries and I got a good opportunity and Fordey just believed in me and I just kept going with it," he said. 

"Obviously the first game I was definitely nervous and then even the first couple of minutes you're nervous, or even the first minute, and then you're like, this is basketball, it's what I do and I belong here for sure."

Just a month after the season finished, Higgins-Titsha earned a full roster spot and represented Australia in 3x3 under Forde’s guidance, competing in Thailand, Singapore and Mongolia.

Then came perhaps the most surreal moment of his journey so far: an invite to a Golden State Warriors mini-camp, followed by selection on their Summer League roster.

It’s been a rapid rise, and one he’s fully embracing. 

"Hearing my family talk about it and stuff and then you're like, oh sh*t, this is really happening," Higgins-Titsha said. 

"And you're like, wow. It's kind of crazy. But yeah, like I guess this month has been kind of non-stop so I haven't really thought about it.

"I'm sure when I get home I'm gonna be like, wow, it's been a crazy few weeks. Crazy.

"Just being around, like obviously a lot of the NBA guys are here working out (in Vegas), seeing how they work out and seeing how the coaches and physios do everything. It's been crazy and it's just - even though I have been injured, which is disappointing - it's been an awesome experience."

Higgins-Titsha's rise over the past year has been relentless, and he has no intention of easing up.

"The Olympics would be amazing. Being an Olympian and representing the country like that, even after playing the World Cup, the Olympics is another level. I want to establish myself in the NBL and hopefully get to the NBA one day," he added.