On paper, at least, it seems a somewhat strange decision to move from the side that finished second in last season’s Superleague Basketball table to the side that was propping-up the base.
But when the opportunity arose for Ethan Wright to leave Leicester Riders and sign for Caledonia Gladiators, he jumped at the chance.
Last season was a significant blip for Gladiators, who had established themselves as one of the most formidable teams in the men’s league and, in 2023, won the club’s first trophy in two decades. Such a pedigree was why their last place finish in the league, as well as premature exits from the other competitions, made for a disappointing campaign.
Wright was not put-off by the Scottish side’s poor form last year, though, and the 25-year-old American, who hails from New York, didn’t hesitate in signing for Gladiators when the offer arrived.
“There were a lot of factors behind my move. I loved my time at Leicester and we had a great season, but I was often coming off the bench.” says Wright, who was named ‘Sixth Player of the Year’ for the 2024/25 campaign.
“So coming to Gladiators, I’ll have a bigger role and more chances to show my individual ability.
“Last season, I know Gladiators had some issues, but generally, I'd heard really positive things about the club
“The guys in the squad are great and I like the coaching style so I’m glad to be here.”
Last season, Gladiators’ momentum was severely disrupted by both coaching changes - the club went through a grand total of four coaches for the men’s team last season alone - as well as much chopping and changing of the player roster.
This season, though, the men’s side has considerably more stability, with former player, Jonny Bunyan installed as permanent head coach and a squad that, Wright believes, has the ability to contend, and potentially beat, every team in the league.
“This season, a big thing is consistency. And with Jonny (Bunyan) head coach from the start of the season, he's had the chance to recruit his guys and he’s been very clear with what he wants from us and how he wants us to play.
“Pre-season has gone very well - the biggest thing I've noticed is the energy in the locker room is very positive.
"We definitely think we can be challenging for trophies - if you don't have that attitude, I don't know why you'd be playing.”
Wright is confident his attributes will contribute significantly to what, he believes, will be a much improved season for Gladiators and with the 6’3” guard one of the more experienced players in the squad, he’ll be taking on something of a leadership role both on and off the court. And the American is hoping that, with his increased court-time, he can show another dimension to his game that, so far, hasn’t been able to flourish.
"I think I can bring a lot to the team. Last season, I showed flashes but coming off the bench is a different role because you have less of an immediate effect on the game,” he says.
“But this year, I feel like I can bring a lot of scoring and shooting. And something I want to do more of this season is creating for others. So the main difference for me from last year is that this season, I will hopefully have the ball in my hand a lot more.
“Also, I’ve got experience - I’ve been around the league, so I know the style of play and know how games go, which can be helpful.”
Gladiators most pressing goal is to start the Superleague season strongly. They begin their campaign this afternoon, when the Scots host Newcastle Eagles at East Kilbride’s Playsport Arena and Wright is adamant that he wants his new side to start the season as they mean to go on.
“It's always the goal to start the season well,” he says.
“We've played a few pre-season games, but once you get the fans in the building, it's a different feeling.
“I've heard that Gladiators - Newcastle is a pretty big rivalry, so I'm looking forward to experiencing that.
“First and foremost, our target is to be consistent and concentrate on not losing two games in a row and we want to feel like we've competed and put our best foot forward in every game.
“If we manage to do that for the whole season, we'll be in a pretty decent spot.”
