Illawarra Hawks coach Justin Tatum has defended the character and commitment of American guard JaQuori McLaughlin, who was released by the reigning NBL champions just a day before the first win of their title defence.
After three straight losses to open the season, the Hawks blasted Brisbane Bullets 116-89 at WIN Entertainment Centre on Saturday night to breathe life back into their campaign.
The Hawks announced the departure of McLaughlin on Friday after the 27-year-old import had struggled to settle into a role, averaging just 7.7 points on 21% shooting, four assists and 2.7 rebounds in losses to Tasmania, Perth and New Zealand.
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In McLaughlin’s absence against Brisbane, Tyler Harvey (22 points, a career-high 10 assists, five steals and seven rebounds) was one of seven Hawks to score in double figures in easily the team’s most complete performance of the season.
Hawks coach Justin Tatum opened his post-match media conference by stressing that the decision to part ways with McLaughlin was purely related to basketball.
“I want to address a situation that was put out earlier, a false misrepresentation of a young man who was in our program, JaQuori McLaughlin,” Tatum said.
“The report was false, and that young man was nothing but a pleasure for our organisation and in our locker-room. On and off the court, he was a true professional who helped us every day while he was here.
“The departure was mutual – at the end of the day, this is a business – but the false misrepresentation that was put out there earlier today was totally false. We just wanted to make sure we clear that up for ‘JRoq’ because he’s an unbelievable kid.”
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – OCTOBER 08: Illawarra Hawks coach Justin Tatum during the round four NBL match between New Zealand Breakers and Illawarra Hawks at Spark Arena, on October 08, 2025, in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Tatum said he missed having McLaughlin in his program but conceded he was not the right fit, and he and Hawks management are in the market for a new import to join the team.
“Everything that I read in there was false. There was no cancer, nothing at all. We pretty much dislike that he’s gone, just because of who he is,” Tatum said.
“At the end of the day, this is a business and we get it, but I don’t want anything to be put out there negatively about that kid, because he was nothing but a great person in our locker-room. We’re going to miss him …
“It wasn’t that we weren’t happy with his job, but at the end of the day, we’re trying to find the pieces to fit, just like any other organisation in this league.
“At the end of the day, we have to put people into a position to help us win.
“Not saying that he wasn’t able to do it, or wasn’t doing it, but there were just things that we needed to be better at, and that was it – just basketball – and anything that was put out there negative about that kid was totally wrong.”
36ers off to 25 year first hot start | 00:45
The Hawks and Bullets are both in the market for new imports as Brisbane and American guard Javon Freeman-Liberty agreed on Thursday for him to be released from his contract, allowing him to return home to recover from a hamstring injury.
Freeman-Liberty averaged 19 points, 6.5 rebounds and five assists in two appearances for Brisbane this season.
EX-SIXER GETS REVENGE AS KINGS REIGN
Jason Phelan, Newswire
Kendric Davis got a red-hot reception as expected, but his Sydney Kings overcame the hostile Adelaide Entertainment Centre crowd and the Adelaide 36ers in Saturday night’s grudge match to hand Mike Wells’ side its first loss of the season.
Davis starred with 22 points, as did Kouat Noi with 29, and the Kings shut down Bryce Cotton, restricting the superstar to single-digit points output.
Davis made himself public enemy No.1 with Sixers fans after he said that he’d been ‘treated bad’ by Adelaide following his acrimonious off-season switch to the Kings and they loudly voiced their displeasure every time he touched the ball in the seething cauldron that was the sold-out Ent Cent, with the crowd of 10,021 setting a new record.
But the emotion of the occasion rarely seemed to bother Davis, who had a team-high 11 points in the first half, with the Kings 13 points up at half-time and leading by as much as 18 in the third quarter.
In contrast, Cotton managed just two points in a quiet first half, with Isaac Humphries, who drained a season-high 24 points in Thursday night’s win against Tasmania JackJumpers, putting up just four first-half points.
The clinical Kings led by 15 points heading into the final term, but the fading Sixers added just two more points to their tally in almost six minutes of play to drop to a 3-1 record.
Disappointed fans at least got to loudly send off Davis when he fouled out with 90 seconds remaining, but he had well and truly done his job by then.
HOT START
The evening started pleasantly enough with Davis greeted with hand taps from his former teammates before the tip-off, but then it was on for young and old.
Boos rained down from the stands when Davis first touched the ball, but his slick pass set up a commanding Tim Soares dunk.
The jeers didn’t bother Davis with his next touch either when he pulled up to attempt his shot that swished for two.
The biggest cheer of the first quarter greeted Davis’ long air ball, but that was a rare misstep for the switched-on Kings who went on an 11-0 run on their way to a 29-19 lead at the first break.
QUIET COTTON
A closely checked Cotton attempted just two shots in the first quarter and missed them both in a quiet opening.
The out-of-sorts Sixers shot just 3-of-11 from three-point range in the first quarter, but DJ Vasiljevic drained two triples as the home side went on a 10-0 run to come roaring back into it.
Cotton hit a lay-up to record his first points of the night three minutes into the second quarter, but that would be his only bucket in a first half where he shot the ball just four times.
The 36ers slashed the deficit to three points, but Davis led the charge with seven points in a 10-0 run that quieted the crowd.
Cheers greeted Davis’ third foul that saw him take a seat late in the half, but the Kings put up their highest first-half score of the season and the Sixers their lowest to trail by 13 points at the half.
FADING THIRD
Cotton was 14-of-15 from the foul line in his side’s win against Tasmania just 48 hours earlier, but didn’t go to the stripe until early in the third quarter when he missed his first free throw before making his second.
His fortunes didn’t improve as the 36ers’ challenge faded in the third term.
An unsportsmanlike foul from Matt Kenyon on Noi was part of another Sydney surge, Noi draining his free throws and Soares stuffing home another monster dunk on the next possession.
When Davis made it a 15-point ball game, Wells had seen enough and called timeout, but his charges couldn’t narrow the gap at the last break.