Mark St. Fort played his final game for Niigata Albirex on Sunday as his contract came to an end with the Japan B1 League team. He scored 13 points and went 5-for-5 in that game – an 82-76 home loss to Hokkaido Levanga in Niigata, Japan. His 13-game contract with the team began on October 10.
It was an opportunity to see if he can make the team for the remainder of the season. St. Fort said he felt he did not get a good chance to prove himself. He leaves Albirex in the eighth position in the Eastern Division Standings with an 8-10 win/loss record.
“There wasn’t any talk about renewal, they didn’t give me a chance to prove myself. They signed another player in my second or third game there. My goal was to make the team for the remainder of the season. I definitely didn’t accomplish that and knew that early on so it put a big chip on my shoulder to prove to them I can play at this level,” St. Fort said.
For now, he is waiting and hoping to get offers in Japan so he can finish the season there.
“Right now, I’m not sure yet. I don’t want to leave – especially not in these times with the virus (COVID-19) still pretty bad in other countries. My contract ended so late in the season so most spots are taken up. I just have to cross my fingers that one of these clubs take a chance on me,” St. Fort said.
During his time with Albirex, the combo forward averaged 10.8 points per game, shot 62.1 percent from the floor and logged just under 15 minutes per game. He averaged 3.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game while totaling five steals and nine blocked shots.
He dropped a season high 26 points in just under 20 minutes against Kyoto Hannryz on October 25. St. Fort finished 10-for-15 from the field that day, shooting 66.7 percent. In his last five games, he was able to get at least a block in each of them.
St. Fort said he was happy with his efficiency with Albirex, stating that it proved that he could play at that level, especially with the minutes he got on the floor.
“I learned that I can play at this level and how to play at this level. I learned the best ways I can be productive because I had good Japanese players around me so it made the game easier,” St. Fort said.
While in Japan, he said he was able to learn a few phrases in the language and also liked the food. Additionally, he said he liked how efficient the lifestyle is there and how the people are always on time. He said he was happy to get the offer to play in the top basketball league in Japan – a good basketball market. St. Fort said he loves to travel and is optimistic about playing basketball somewhere in the not too distant future.
Before he signed with Albirex, the 6’7” player played two games for Seahorses Mikawa, also in the Japan B1 League, to start the 2020-2021 season. In the two games he played in, he averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds in 2.2 minutes per game.
During the 2019-2020 season, St. Fort played for the Saitama Broncos in the Japan B3 League, Japan’s third division.
The Bahamian national team player had a good season for the Broncos last year, scoring a team-high 17.9 points per contest. St. Fort fell short of averaging a double-double on the season, recording 9.8 rebounds per game. He dished out 2.3 dimes per game and played the second-most minutes on the team – 33.9 minutes per game. He played in 39 games.
St. Fort shot a team-high 62.1 percent from the field and 30.6 percent from three-point territory. He had 49 three pointers on the season. On the defensive side of the ball, he was able to come away with 2.0 blocks and one steal per game.
St. Fort represented Team Bahamas at the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Americas World Cup Qualifiers in Halifax, Canada, in 2017. In addition, he represented The Bahamas at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games the following year in Barranquilla, Colombia.
St. Fort had his first overseas stint in France for Tremblay in the NM2 League in 2017. The former Savannah State University and Warner University player said he played most of that season with a knee injury that he suffered during the preseason.
“My season in France was hard because during that time we had a first-year head coach that used to be the backup point guard, nine new players on the team plus another import player and me. During the preseason, I got injured so they pressured me to come back sooner than I should have. This being my first year overseas I played the tough guy role and didn’t want to let the team or my coach down but it was just too soon to come back. I played on a hurt knee the whole first half of the season,” he said.
St. Fort said that injury prevented him from playing at a high level, but during the Christmas break he worked on his conditioning so that he could continue playing for Tremblay. He did not play much minutes after the break and was on the verge of being released before a new coach took over, and under that coach, he had a strong ending to the season.
His experience in France that season taught him a lot about himself, he said, and it helped him to be resilient. He said it made him a better player and made him rely less on his athleticism. He said he learned how to score easier and be more efficient. In addition to playing in Asia and Europe, St. Fort also played in North America and South America.
Last season, St. Fort met up with another Bahamian professional basketball player in Japan, Kadeem Coleby, at the All-Japan Tournament. Coleby plays for the Akita Happinets in the B1 League. St. Fort’s contract ended before the two teams faced off this season. That game is set for December 2.
The post St. Fort’s contract expires with Niigata Albirex appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/st-forts-contract-expires-with-niigata-albirex/
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