Former Auckland Tuatara player Dontae Russo-Nance has been awarded the Male Junior Player of the Year Award at the Basketball New Zealand annual awards over the weekend.
The St Kentigern College product helped the Tuatara reach the Sal’s NBL Grand Final in the club’s first season competing in the league before heading off to the US to pursue his basketball dream.
Russo-Nance averaged 15.4 points, 4.6 assists and a league high 2.9 steals per game with the Tuatara in 2022 on his way to winning the Sal’s NBL Youth Player of the Year.
He posted multiple 50-point games and a career high 61 points against Mt Albert Grammar School. In August Dontae was selected to attend the Basketball Without Borders Asia NBA camp in Canberra, his second trip to Canberra that year after being invited to train at the NBA Global Academy in March. Through late 2022 and early 2023 Dontae continued his education and basketball development at the prestigious Oak Hill Academy – a prep school in rural Virginia, United States.