Former Denver Nugget Julius Hodge Joins Cheshire Phoenix

The former Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks forward/guard made his debut for the Nix on Sunday and grabbed a double-double in a three-point win.

The arrival of the 6ft 7ins 30-year-old US Virgin Islander , who broke into the professional ranks in the 2005 NBA Draft, bolsters a Nix squad that has been constantly upgraded in the last few weeks and underlines the club’s determination to launch an era of success as they prepare to move into the new Cheshire Oaks Arena next season.

Julius Hodge said:

“I have chosen to become a part of the Cheshire Phoenix in the BBL because I recognized a tremendous opportunity to help grow basketball in the UK. This will also be a great chance to help my good friend Coach Coffino, Andrew Donaldson and the Phoenix win a championship. Great things are about to happen for basketball in the UK and I look forward to this opportunity to jump start the awareness.”

Head Coach John Coffino said:

“Jules has an impressive CV. But what I have grown to love about him since his days in high school is his ability to lead by example and become another coach on the floor. When he played for me in the NBA D league he was a big part of our success. Which is why I have been on a quest to coach him again ever since. It goes without saying he is one of my all time joys to coach. I am very excited we have been re united again.”

Nix Chairman Andrew Donaldson said:

“Julius is a ground breaking signing and we look forward to seeing him lead from the front on the court as the marauding warrior we expect him to be. Off the court we believe Julius and the club’s beliefs, community philosophy and ambition are perfectly matched. That we have been able to successfully bring Julius to the club demonstrates the seriousness of our ambition and underlines the fact that this season is possibly the most competitive the BBL has been in over a decade. The Cheshire franchise is a storied one, with a successful heritage and we are working hard, players, coaches, volunteers and fans, to bring those glory days back.”