Toohey’s first call from NBA legend

With five titles as a player and four more as a coach, Steve Kerr’s NBA Championship pedigree places him among the all-time greats.

So it’s no surprise Alex Toohey was a little starstruck when he picked up a late-night call from his new coach at the Golden State Warriors.

“I spoke to Steve the night I was drafted, which was so cool,” Toohey told CODE Sports.

“It’s hard to describe the moment. Just grateful to have that connection with one of the greatest people in this field of basketball ever.”

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Naturally, the two had no shortage of conversation, especially given their mutual connection to Andrew Bogut, part-owner and assistant coach at the Sydney Kings and a pivotal piece in Kerr’s 2015 Championship team.

Now, Toohey is keen to leave his own mark in San Francisco.

“He (Kerr) said he knows I’m the type of basketball player they like to have in their organisation and he has heard some pretty good things about me.”

After being selected with the 52nd pick, Toohey hit the court for the Warriors at the California Classic. His next stage: Summer League in Las Vegas.

He’s a player the team rates highly, drawing huge praise upon being drafted.

"The thing that intrigued us was his size, his IQ, and the way he plays the game,” Warriors Assistant General Manager Larry Harris said.

"We believe his maturity and unselfish play make him a great fit for our system.

“The way he’s going to fit down the road with us is exactly how Steve and our system works.”

Saturday morning’s clash with Portland will see Toohey in action alongside familiar faces from the NBL, including Taran Armstrong and Alex Higgins-Titsha.

“I’m not expecting to come in and play a 1000 minutes a game, but more importantly get used to the systems and keep developing my body and IQ,” Toohey added.