Lester ‘L-Train’ Strong has topped his remarkable comeback to basketball after being named the SEABL Men’s Player of the Week for round 19, putting up two dominant performances and helping lead the Knox Ford Raiders to two crucial victories over Bendigo and Ballarat. The wins give the Raiders the opportunity to secure third spot on the East Conference ladder and a first round home final with a win over the Albury/Wodonga Bandits this Saturday evening.

Strong was involved in a serious head on car accident on Saturday 24th April and was rushed to the Alfred Hospital where he was treated for lacerations to his face, burns to his leg and, shoulder and neck pain. The accident sent shockwaves through the Knox Basketball association and the wider basketball community as many feared for Lester’s long term health, let alone his basketball career.

As more information was made available later in the day of the accident, things began to look a little more promising for the Denver, Colorado native. Doctors informed teammates and representatives of Knox Basketball that Strong should make a full recovery after some preliminary observations and cat scans but would require plastic surgery for a major wound above his right eye.

In addition to the plastic surgery and battered face, Strong sustained a small tear in his right shoulder and whip lash but it was a burn to his right thigh that prolonged his somewhat short absence from the floor. Many predicted Strong may have been sidelined for 2-3 months but the third year Raiders import was determined to return to action in a matter of a few weeks.

A total of five games were missed over a three week period with the Raiders recording two wins and three losses over the stretch, including a loss to Sandringham on the night of Strong’s accident. Sunday 16th May was the date the ‘L-Train’ put the gold and navy jersey on again as Coach Graham Longstaff monitored his star’s court time for the first month of games back.

Now three months removed from the dreaded day, Strong spoke about the day that he will never forget and his emotions, “I feel like I’ve been blessed. Every now and then I find myself clinching up at the wheel but since I didn’t actually see the accident it doesn’t don on my mind too much. When I hear or see something about a car accident on the news it makes me feel a little queasy and I realise mine probably could have been worse.”

“With the pain in my neck, I didn’t really know how serious it was. When I woke up I really didn’t know the extent of the injuries, I was ready to play when I woke up. The burns on my right leg from the airbag kept me off the court the most. The slight tear in my right shoulder healed up before the injury near my eye.”

Furthermore, Strong wanted to send his appreciation to those that were there in support, “I’d like to pay special mention to the club and the people around me that supported me and helped me get back on the floor.”

Now in his sixth year in Australia, Strong has developed a reputation as a big game and finals player with his record at the end of the regular season and finals speaking volumes about his ability to rise to the challenge. Friday night in Bendigo was a perfect example, with the Raiders needing to knock off the top placed Braves, Strong produced one of his finer performances of the season with 27 points @ 84.6%, 8 rebounds and 2 steals and helped guide his team back from 19 down in the second quarter to a thrilling seven point overtime win. Following up on Sunday, Strong was again the Raiders MVP with 23 points @ 64.7%, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 blocks as the Raiders rolled to a three point victory over Ballarat.

Strong was named round 19 Player of the Week for his efforts and with just one regular season game remaining before the Raiders embark on their finals campaign as they look to three-peat East Conference Championships and repeat as SEABL Champions, Strong has officially put the rest of the league on notice that he is ready to fire once again at the right time of year.

“I still don’t feel like I’m fully back at 100% but I’m moving closer to it. I know I’m going to have to play smart and make sure I’m playing 25-30+ minutes and staying out of foul trouble is going to be key,” said Strong.

Asked how he rates his team’s chances of being crowned SEABL Champions again for 2010 and the reputation he has developed as a finals player, Strong responded, “I rate our chances pretty high of repeating and three-peating the East. We seem to be gelling well at the moment but like many teams, we’ve still got room to improve.”

“Stepping up my game in finals is something I take pride in. I take the mentality that you either win or go home and it’s simple as that.”

The Raiders will need to ensure there is no let down this Saturday night as they take on the Bandits in Albury. A win will lock up third place on the East Conference ladder where a first round final against Brisbane at Knox Converse Stadium would await. Despite the Bandits being last in the South Conference with a 4-22 record, Strong and his teammates are not looking past their opponent for this week which features two of the Raiders Championship players from the past two seasons in Nick Payne and Daniel Briglia.

“I believe they’re [Albury/Wodonga] going to come out and play hard. We’re going to have to ignore where they’re placed on the ladder and play our game so we can secure a home final,” Strong stated.

Should the Raiders pull out a victory this weekend in Albury, Knox Converse Stadium will play host to semi-final action against the Brisbane Spartans on Saturday 7th August (TBA). Stay tuned to www.knoxbasketball.com.au for more information.