Yee Chun Leong
TUTONG
IT WAS a sweet homecoming for Marcus Quirk as he joined in for the third session of Premier Runs Overtime (PRO) on Sunday.
It was his first time returning to Brunei after leaving to further his studies seven years ago.
He has since signed on his first professional contract to play for Kaohsiung Steelers in the Chinese Taipei P League in July last year.
The 24-year-old was delighted and felt that the timing was perfect.
"What motivated me to come back was that I realised it has been too long," said Quirk in an interview with BruSports News at the Tutong Chung Hwa Basketball Court.
"Every year I tell myself I will return but for whatever reason I always have something going on or too busy.
"It was more about to see my family and let myself take a break midway through the season and reset mentally," he added.
"It is good for my soul to see everyone again. The timing worked out.
"I'm just happy to see everyone who I have played with or against before and see how much they have grown," he continued.
Quirk also commended the PRO team for ensure basketball continues to level up in the country.
"Brunei is small and I got to talk to Wira (Pori) and Ben (Sim) on how they put energy and time into creating something that motivates Brunei players to get better," said Quirk.
"It is good to see a mix of new blood, players I didn't know like Jaron (On) who was only 11 when I last saw him.
"Now is good to see him and it was also shocking to see how some of them have grown as the new generation to mix with guys I have played with before," added the 6'6 forward.
The Steelers have only won one game out of 12 midway through the 2024-25 season.
Quirk recently managed a career-high of 19 points, shooting 5-8 from behind the arc, in a 103-96 loss agajnst the Fubon Braves on January 12.
When asked on how much his professional career has helped his game grow, Quirk replied: "I do have my own frustrations on how I feel that I can play better and training has been hard.
"But at end of day it is my dream job and I'm grateful that I'm there and in a country where I get plenty of support with the opportunity to play (professionally).
"I love the city of Kaohsiung. The team treats me well and (eventhough) we haven't been winning many games this year but the fans have been supporting us through everything," added the Jerudong International School (JIS) alumni.
"I feel like I'm the luckiest guy in the world. When I was younger, I always wanted to play professionally and didn't even believe if it was possible.
"I just love basketball and to keep playing everyday. The fact something like a far away dream came true is just crazy," he concluded.
