Laid back Kenyon's one concern about 36ers move

After speaking with head coach Mike Wells, signing with the Adelaide 36ers was a no-brainer for Matt Kenyon.

But there was one thing that has the experienced guard on edge about his move to South Australia.

An avid surfer in the off-season, Kenyon has been keeping a close eye on the recent spate of local shark sightings and attacks ahead of his shift to Adelaide.

“I love to surf but it’s probably a bit more of an off-season thing rather in season,” he tells Adelaide 36ers Media.

“And there's been heaps of shark activity in SA which is a little scary.

“But I live a pretty laid-back lifestyle, I just love to surf, cruise, hang around with friends and grab a coffee.”

Though he won’t make the move until the conclusion of his NBL1 commitments with Logan Thunder in Queensland, Kenyon has been doing his research on places to live and things to see.

“I can’t wait to get down there,” he smiles. “I’ve heard there's lot of beautiful spots and actually I haven't really spent a whole lot of time in Adelaide so I'm pretty keen to explore and suss it all out when I have time.

“I've heard little bits and pieces (about the beaches in South Australia) and my mates have told me there are some good waves but that whole shark thing is going to be something I'm going to have to get over.”

Renowned for his tenacity in defence and his ability to play a number of roles on the court, the former Brisbane Bullets, Tasmania JackJumpers and most recently South East Melbourne Phoenix player was impressed with the vision presented to him by coach Wells.

“Having a chat with Mike, he is really trying to like bring in good guys and a good group that is going to play for one another, play super hard and put out a product that the 36ers fans are going to be proud about,” Kenyon explains.

“That's something that I'm super excited to be a part of.

“I think I'm a pretty unselfish basketball player - I just want to do whatever it takes to win and it sounds like Mike is recruiting a lot of guys who are similar to that, so it was kind of a no brainer.

“As a player I think I'm known for my defence. I like to think I’m pretty hard-nosed, I like to guard the best guy on the court and make the opposition guy’s life hell, which is fun.

“I like to just cause a bit of havoc, I’m a pretty good rebounder for my size, I think, and I'm a cutter, a slasher, improving my three ball - just trying to do whatever it takes to win.”

While he has played against most of his new teammates, Kenyon spent a period on the same side as fellow 36ers recruit Isaac White when the pair were playing for Tasmania.

“Whitey is a legend,” Kenyon says of 26-year-old White. “He’s a perfect example of a guy who wants to play for his teammates.

“I’ve spoken with him and having him on the roster made it pretty inviting for me (to sign with the 36ers).”

Something else that was inviting for Kenyon was the prospect of playing at home in front of a packed-out Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

“It's kind of well-known around the league that Adelaide fans are super passionate, and probably the most passionate fan base in the league,” he explains.  

“I'm excited to put on a good product for them and hopefully they’re proud of how we play and the way we go about things.

“We’ll hopefully get some wins on the board, and I know it's been a bit up-and-down over the past couple years but hopefully we can change that next season.”