NBA Aspirant Gak Signs in Cairns

The Cairns Taipans have secured the signature of Akoldah Gak, with the former Illawarra Hawk joining the club on a two-year deal.

The 6’11” (210-centimetres) forward has played the last three seasons at the Hawks, averaging 5.5 minutes a game across NBL23. 

"AK is exciting. He has the ideal blend of strength and athleticism that’ll complement our style of play," Cairns coach Adam Forde told the club's website. 

"He has spent time in Illawarra learning from great coaches, while learning what it takes to be a pro. He also won the Players’ Player award there, which highlights the type of character and work ethic we will expect from him here.

"AK is not your normal 20-year-old – he’s been in the league for three seasons already. I anticipate his impact for us to be immediate and eye-opening."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A GAK ATTACK ?<a href="https://twitter.com/illawarrahawks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@illawarrahawks</a>&#39; <a href="https://twitter.com/akoldah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@akoldah</a> takes flight at NBA Summer League for the <a href="https://twitter.com/chicagobulls?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@chicagobulls</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBLxNBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBLxNBA</a> Summer League live on <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAusNZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPNAusNZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/6ZiJjT5Bmz">pic.twitter.com/6ZiJjT5Bmz</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1546261346534424576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

While Gak has played limited minutes in the NBL, he's clearly held in high regard. He was called up by the Chicago Bulls to play at the NBA's Summer League last year.

"AK has NBA ambitions. During the recruiting process, we spoke with his Summer League coaches and they were honest in their feedback. They said he possesses all the physical tools to make the transition, but just needed some more polish to his game," Forde added. 

"Our plan here is to provide him with that opportunity in Cairns. He’ll showcase his talents to help us win, and we’ll help him reach his full potential."

Gak joins Sam Mennenga, Tahjere McCall, Sam Waardenburg, Jonah Antonio and Lat Mayen on the Taipans' roster.