DUBAI (United Arab Emirates) - To finish as runners-up in Asia's most prestigious club competition is already an achievement per se for Shabab Al Ahli.
Thus, the eagerness of Sir'Dom Pointer and the whole crew to sustain that success in the recently-opened 2024/2025 FIBA West Asia Super League.
"We just want to build on that," the well-travelled pro said. "Finishing second out of the whole Asia, we feel like we can compete. And we know we can compete.
The UAE Basketball League powerhouse wrote history last June when it went all the way to the Final of the inaugural Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia), going 2-1 in the Group Phase before ousting Shahrdary Gorgan in the Semi-Finals.
It didn't get the ideal result after bowing to Al Riyadi in the Last Dance but that was nonetheless a campaign to remember, as they registered the highest finish ever by an Emirati team in the contest formerly known as the FIBA Asia Champions Cup.
That run actually left fans surprised, for Shabab Al Ahli weren't expected to get that far given that the meet featured other contenders such as Gorgan - a fellow WASL pioneer from Iran - and the Hiroshima Dragonflies of the B.League, to name some.
Then there were dark horses, too, like Indonesia Basketball League outfit Pelita Jaya Bakrie, as well as the Liaoning Flying Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association.
One could say that homecourt advantage played a big role since the BCL Asia was held at their own stomping grounds that is the Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall, but there's no denying how impressive the squad was in the tournament.
Pointer himself was a major factor in their drive to the podium, posting per-game averages of a team-best 18.2 points on 57.1-percent shooting from the field, 4.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.8 steals, and a block in the 24.3 minutes of playing time.
So appreciated were his contributions that Shabab Al Ahli opted to keep his services, and now he's serving as one of their reinforcements in the WASL-Gulf League.
Being retained by the champions from Dubai also made Pointer join a rare company of foreign players competing in WASL for the third time in as many seasons.
"It feels good," the native of Detroit, Michigan said of staying with the club. "I'm used to the league at this point. I've played against Shabab Al Ahli many times."
It could be recalled that Pointer signed with Manama late in the league's first season in 2023, which saw him help the Bahraini Premier League's winningest team become its inaugural champions by beating Kuwait Club in the Final in, coincidentally, Dubai.
Maybe there's something with him playing in the 'City of Gold' given the major milestones he's achieved while in there. And definitely, the nine-year pro out of St. John's would want to add more to it by coming out successful in the Gulf League.
Shabab Al Ahli got off to a solid start to their campaign following an 83-65 beatdown of Al Bashaer at home on Tuesday night, leaning on a balanced attack in which Pointer contributed 18 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and a block.
With that dominant Opening Week victory, they all hope that it could be a sign of good things to come especially for their aspirations to go deeper this season.
For starters, the team hasn't gotten past the Semi-Finals of the Sub-Zone League, with the 2023/2024 edition a disappointment in their own standards as they bowed out of the Qualification to Semi-Finals after losing to Bahraini side Muharraq.
Their eyes are, needless to say, locked in on the prize, for it won't only mean asserting supremacy in the Gulf League but to prove, too, that their BCL Asia run is no fluke.
Still, they're taking it one step at a time, doing their best to stay as focused and as grounded as they can be each game - all while working toward the goal.
"They had a good team then, and I feel like we have a good team now," offered the 32-year-old winger. "We're just trying to win as many games as we can."
FIBA