Melbourne Signs "Unbelievable Athlete"

Melbourne United has filled its first import spot, signing American guard Rayjon Tucker for the 2022/2023 Hungry Jack’s NBL Season.

Known for his outstanding scoring ability and impressive athleticism, Tucker has played 39 NBA games for the Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks.

The 24-year-old has been a star for the Wisconsin Herd in the G-League, holding the record as the team’s all-time leading scorer with averages of 21.3 points a game, across 61 appearances.

United coach Dean Vickerman said the club was delighted with the signing.

“He’s (Tucker) such an unbelievable athlete who has the ability to bring everything we were looking for to the table,” Vickerman said. 

“He plays with a lot of energy, a lot of excitement, at 6’3 he plays a lot bigger than he is. We know he will bring in great versatility as a defender, being able to guard one-through-four.

“We’ve played an above the rim style in the past with our guards, but this is a next-level athlete who will be able to fill some of the gaps we lost with Jack White.

“I think fans are going to be really excited by the power and athleticism he’ll bring to John Cain Arena.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rayjon Tucker is an INSANE Athlete, he dunks EVERYTHING! ? <a href="https://t.co/EYARxRmF34">pic.twitter.com/EYARxRmF34</a></p>&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1438192387982086154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Tucker said he was looking forward to bringing his skills to the NBL. 

“Meeting Dean (Vickerman), I could sense the winning attitude that he’s built in Melbourne,” he said.

“This is a team that strives for excellence, so it means a lot that they picked me to come in and be that guy to help push us over the top. I just want to build on the foundation that Dean has already built.

“I’m going to come in and handle business because I’m a winner … I’m one of those guys that when the pressure comes, I play better.

“When you see me, it’s showtime. I’m an entertainer. My goal is to do everything I can to help us win and put on a show for the fans.” 

Tucker joins Isaac Humphries, Makuach Maluach and Joshua Duach as new players on Melbourne’s roster, following the departures of Jack White (NBA), Matthew Dellavedova (NBA) and Jo-Lual Acuil Jr.