Gardener | Talented Guard Gardener Reunites With Nakamura
The Akita Northern Happinets have secured the services of explosive lead guard Michael Gardener for the 2011-12 season. The bj-league club made the announcement on Monday.
Gardener, who turns 30, on Saturday, played in Germany’s second-tier ProA league last season, seeing limiting time with Cuxhaven (three games, 16.0 points per game). Japan national team guard Takumi Ishizaki left the Shimane Susanoo Magic and has moved on to play for Cuxhaven’s league rival, BV Chemnitz 99, for 2011-12.
Gardener has previously suited up for the Takamatsu Five Arrows (2009-10), Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix (2008-09) and Rizing Fukuoka (2007-08). He helped the Phoenix win their first Eastern Conference regular-season crown, but the team, which also included 236-cm center Sun Ming Ming, lost to the Tokyo Apache in the Final Four in May 2009.
Now, Gardener will join forces with ex-Hamamatsu coach Kazuo Nakamura, who led the team to titles in each of the past two seasons, before stepping down to become the Happinets’ second coach. Akita joined the bj-league last fall and went 18-32 in its inaugural season.
He’s been assigned jersey No. 55 for Akita.
The 182-cm Gardener, a Southeastern Louisiana product, has called Hall of Famer guard Isiah Thomas, another little guy who did it all on the court, his favorite player.
Playing for the undermanned Five Arrows, Gardener was sixth in the league in scoring (21.2) and first in assists (7.0). In 2008-09, he helped the Phoenix amass win after win. Gardener was the league’s No. 3 scorer at 25.5 points per game, while finishing first in assists (6.75) and second in steals (2.3). He averaged 18.4 ppg for the
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