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Incredibly, Clark is one of three Melbourne players who has an NBA championship ring, alongside Matthew Dellavedova (Cleveland, 2016) and Jack White (Denver, 2023). On Saturday in Wollongong, the teammates will chase an NBL title in first of their best-of-five championship matches against the Illawarra Hawks.
What stands out most about the trio is the burning motivation they carry after losing last season’s grand final series to Tasmania or, in White’s case, falling short during his previous stint at United in 2022.
United teammates Jack White and Ian Clark seek a rebound.Credit: Getty Images
“We are all certainly very driven to get this done. We had disappointment last year and last time I was here, so being on the court and winning a championship is something I’ve certainly thought about a lot,” White said.
“We are three wins away, and I think we are ready, we have the team to do it.”
Dellavedova, 34, has been a stalwart for United in the past two seasons since returning from the US for a year with the Sacramento Kings, but he has yet to steer his club to an NBL title.
With his contract at United coming to an end after this series, there is a feeling his time is now.
Matthew Dellavedova (right) shows his appreciation to teammate Kyrie Irving as NBA great LeBron James looks to get in on the action in their time at the Cleveland Cavaliers.Credit: AP
One of the many lessons he picked up playing alongside LeBron James and other stars at the Cavaliers was the way they turned their desperation to win into a focus on details.
“It usually comes down to those 50-50 rebounds, those loose balls and executing your scouting report,” Dellavedova said.
“You have to expect both teams will be doing everything right, so you have to make sure everyone is ready to go and knows how important it is to be the first team to win those 50-50 plays.”
Both Dellavedova and White see similar traits from their championship teams with how this United team behaves.
Matthew Dellavedova of United wrestles for the ball against Perth Wildcats.Credit: Getty Images
Just as LeBron, Kyrie Irving and other leading Cavs would speak up to fine-tune the game plan, Dellavedova sees this side having a high level of engagement.
“[In Cleveland] walking through our scout[ing duties], everyone would be having their input about what they see and what we need to do. I feel like it is similar with this group,” Dellavedova said.
White, 27, was a two-way player with the Nuggets, so tried to soak up everything he could from superstar Nikola Jokic, but what stuck with him was the way veterans, such as Jeff Green, Ish Smith and DeAndre Jordan, sacrificed their game for their team.
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“You can’t discount just how crucial it is to have people you trust in the locker room, people to pick you up when you are down, people who actually care,” White said.
“I wouldn’t say it was the biggest shock, but what I didn’t necessarily expect, when I went to the NBA, was how elite the locker room was in Denver.
“It was a very talented group with great veterans, but having great people who had each other’s backs goes a long way.”
White echoes the thoughts of his United teammates when he describes what they take from the experiences of Dellavedova and Clark.
“It’s poise, confidence, control – they just ooze confidence, they are never rattled,” White said.
“I think as a teammate and especially as a younger guy, you look at these guys and they are solid. They get it done themselves, but they also make other guys better.”
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Incredibly, Clark is one of three Melbourne players who has an NBA championship ring, alongside Matthew Dellavedova (Cleveland, 2016) and Jack White (Denver, 2023). On Saturday in Wollongong, the teammates will chase an NBL title in first of their best-of-five championship matches against the Illawarra Hawks.
What stands out most about the trio is the burning motivation they carry after losing last season’s grand final series to Tasmania or, in White’s case, falling short during his previous stint at United in 2022.
United teammates Jack White and Ian Clark seek a rebound.Credit: Getty Images
“We are all certainly very driven to get this done. We had disappointment last year and last time I was here, so being on the court and winning a championship is something I’ve certainly thought about a lot,” White said.
“We are three wins away, and I think we are ready, we have the team to do it.”
Dellavedova, 34, has been a stalwart for United in the past two seasons since returning from the US for a year with the Sacramento Kings, but he has yet to steer his club to an NBL title.
With his contract at United coming to an end after this series, there is a feeling his time is now.
Matthew Dellavedova (right) shows his appreciation to teammate Kyrie Irving as NBA great LeBron James looks to get in on the action in their time at the Cleveland Cavaliers.Credit: AP
One of the many lessons he picked up playing alongside LeBron James and other stars at the Cavaliers was the way they turned their desperation to win into a focus on details.
“It usually comes down to those 50-50 rebounds, those loose balls and executing your scouting report,” Dellavedova said.
“You have to expect both teams will be doing everything right, so you have to make sure everyone is ready to go and knows how important it is to be the first team to win those 50-50 plays.”
Both Dellavedova and White see similar traits from their championship teams with how this United team behaves.
Matthew Dellavedova of United wrestles for the ball against Perth Wildcats.Credit: Getty Images
Just as LeBron, Kyrie Irving and other leading Cavs would speak up to fine-tune the game plan, Dellavedova sees this side having a high level of engagement.
“[In Cleveland] walking through our scout[ing duties], everyone would be having their input about what they see and what we need to do. I feel like it is similar with this group,” Dellavedova said.
White, 27, was a two-way player with the Nuggets, so tried to soak up everything he could from superstar Nikola Jokic, but what stuck with him was the way veterans, such as Jeff Green, Ish Smith and DeAndre Jordan, sacrificed their game for their team.
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“You can’t discount just how crucial it is to have people you trust in the locker room, people to pick you up when you are down, people who actually care,” White said.
“I wouldn’t say it was the biggest shock, but what I didn’t necessarily expect, when I went to the NBA, was how elite the locker room was in Denver.
“It was a very talented group with great veterans, but having great people who had each other’s backs goes a long way.”
White echoes the thoughts of his United teammates when he describes what they take from the experiences of Dellavedova and Clark.
“It’s poise, confidence, control – they just ooze confidence, they are never rattled,” White said.
“I think as a teammate and especially as a younger guy, you look at these guys and they are solid. They get it done themselves, but they also make other guys better.”
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
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