Image credit: Michael Farnell (Sports Imagery)

The passion and energy that Taeshon Cherry has brought to Willetton Tigers this NBL1 West season is all about helping them back to RAC Arena for the grand final and winning trumps everything in his basketball.

You can understand that an import at 25 years of age and still in the formative years of his professional career is just focused on his own numbers and chasing his own basketball dreams.

His numbers are great and it would be a shock should Cherry not make the All-First Team given he's providing 22.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.7 steals with shooting 54 per cent from the field and 37 per cent from three, but for him winning trumps everything.

The energy he brings to the floor where he might very well be the most passionate NBL1 player in the country in 2025 is all about wanting to bring the Willetton community into the game and doing anything he can to help inspire his Tigers to win games.

It's certainly working too with Willetton locked away to at least finish in fourth position coming into the last round of the regular season.

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What inspired him to join Willetton was when coach Adam Nener talked about how close they were last year and how they wanted to go one better in 2025, and that's Cherry's ultimate motivation to help the Tigers to a first men's championship since 2010.

What is giving Cherry even extra motivation is just seeing what it would mean for veterans like Michael Vigor, Kyle Armour, Andrew Black and Damien Scott, and Willetton products Roosevelt Williams Jr and Tom Gerovich.

"Every day even at practice it's so much fun and competitive, and Adam lets us play a lot during practice so I think that brings us closer as well," Cherry said.

"Everybody has a hunger to want to win and every time we lose a game especially some of the close ones against top ranked teams we can feel how close we are, and you can tell how badly we want to win.

"For me, I want to win so bad for these guys especially like Blacky, Kyle, Vigs, Scotty and all those older guys who are getting towards the end of their careers. It would obviously be good to go out with a bang with a championship so I'm really hungry to win and do it for those guys."

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Bringing the boundless energy

Cherry as a person in every day life is the most laidback character you are likely to find, but the version of him on the floor has him provide the most noise, energy, hustle and passion that you are likely to see.

While that might sometimes rub opposition players or even the officials the wrong way, at the end of the day the one and only motivation behind it for Cherry is just wanting his team to win.

"What's crazy is that off the court I'm so chill and don't really say much, and just like to stay in the background or stay home playing video games but when I'm on the court, everything changes," Cherry said.

"Ever since I was six or seven I've always been an energy guy and have always been a player who wants the team to do good first and that's why I've always wanted to bring the energy.

"That doesn’t change now that I'm here in Australia or wherever I'm at. I'll always be a big energy guy who dives on the floor and will get to yelling or clapping or screaming.

"Whatever it takes to get anybody into the game is what I'll do, and especially the crowd. I love playing to the crowd, that's my favourite thing to do, and it makes it a lot more fun to be part of."

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How arrival in NBL1 West happened

When Cherry was back in Lithuania nearing the end of a season with Plunges Olimpas where they won just 13 of 37 games, he was looking for a new opportunity to open up and Willetton coach Adam Nener's call couldn’t have come at a better time.

The lure of playing in Australia was enough but then when Nener sold him on the journey the Tigers were on and looking to go one step better than last year's heartbreaking and nail-biting grand final loss, and Cherry just had to jump on board.

"So I was in Lithuania towards the end of that season and that's when Adam had reached out because I did sign a little bit late," Cherry said.

"He had watched a couple of my games from Lithuania and I talked to him and basically he was just telling me how they were in the grand final last year. That instantly got my attention because I was losing a lot in Lithuania and we were like the bottom placed team.

"I just wanted to come to a winning culture and then all the guys have played most of their careers with Willetton like Ro, Scotty, Gero, Kyle, Blacky and everyone is part of that Willetton community.

"That was important to me and I love the community aspect of it here and all the kids and everything at the games is something I'm really big on.

"So it was a no-brainer to come to a team that wanted to win and it's big for me to try and help this team back to the grand final so that's how it all came about."

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The carrot of grand final at RAC Arena

Playing in some huge college environments and even throughout Europe and Cherry has played in some big stages before, but the lure of playing at RAC Arena should Willetton get back there over the next month is something that's hard to get excited about.

"It's exciting to think about definitely," Cherry said.

"It's one game at a time obviously but just thinking about playing in front of a big crowd in a big arena like that is pretty special. I've been part of big crowds in some big stadiums before, but I think that will be special to be playing for a championship.

"If we can get there with this team it will be a special time especially with Willetton for what they went through last year losing how they did in the championship game. If we were able to get it this year that would be so amazing."

Immediate connection with coach Nener

From the moment Cherry first spoke with former NBL1 West Coach of the Year Nener about the potential of joining Willetton, the pair had an immediate connection that has only continued to grow throughout the season.

That doesn’t mean Nener isn’t also hard on him and challenges him when need be, but he also backs him in and puts him in positions to thrive. As a result Cherry can't imagine finding a better coach to play for.

"He's one of the best coaches I've ever had and I've told him that too. He lets me play my game and he's so catering towards the players, but he's also really hard on us at the same time," Cherry said.

"It's like the perfect balance where he asks us what we see and goes based on what we're feeling in the game, but he also gets on our ass in the locker room when we're not doing what we're supposed to on defence.

"It's a good mixture and he's a great coach, and I feel very comfortable playing under him already."

Stark difference from Lithuania/Latvia

After finishing his college career at Marian University on the back of time at Grand Canyon State and Arizona State, Cherry sure couldn’t have had a more contrasting first three years of his professional career.

It started in Latvia before a stint in Lithuania and both in terms of basketball and the lifestyle, it's fair to say he likes what he has found in Australia a whole lot more.

"Man, in both those countries I was playing with teams where we were living in villages so it was a hard time," Cherry said.

"There was like only one store in those towns and there was a lot that was hard about it, but being out here, I'm a lot more comfortable.

"I'm from San Diego and life is pretty much exact the same out here with the beaches that are 10 or 15 minutes away, you've got McDonald's and all the American food and all stuff.

"I've just felt so comfortable out here and I think that translates onto the court as well because I feel confident and comfortable where I'm at. It's been a blast already and hopefully I can come back because I want to."

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Playing in NBL not out of reach

Watching what Cherry has done in the NBL1 West with Willetton this season and it's not a stretch to think that he could make the leap to the NBL at some point.

He is keen to come back to Willetton in 2026 so it wouldn’t be a shock to see him also snapped by an NBL team for that 2026/27 if he can continue on the trajectory that he is on.

"I've even told my dad this and I do feel like I would be able to play in the NBL if I got the opportunity against some top level guys," Cherry said.

"I'm confident in my skills and I think the NBL is in sight for me a little bit more especially because I'm still only 25 so I have time on my side playing basketball.

"One of my goals would definitely be to play in the NBL just because I'm so comfortable here and I would love to see what the top league is like and to play against the top guys like Bryce Cotton and Zylan Cheatham.

"Actually, I've known Zylan since I was 14 so to play against him in the NBL would be a blast. That's my guy, he's like an older brother to me and I played at ASU with him when he was a senior."

Having some big name connections

Cherry also has a younger brother, Jeremiah, who is currently playing at Sacramento State where Shaquille O'Neal is the general manager and Mike Bibby is the head coach.

But as for himself, he's developed a good bond over the years with Bibby along with Boston Celtics 2008 champion Eddie House through his best friend, Jaelen.

"So Shaquille O'Neal is the GM there and Mike Bibby is actually the head coach of the team. I've known Mike for a couple of years as well but my brother is really good and hopefully he gets to go to the NBA," Cherry said.

"That's his end goal and he was just at UNLV last year where he put up really big numbers, and hopefully this year is a really big year for him and he can take it to the next step.

"But even just for me, Mike has always gone out of his way to give me advice whenever he can and Jaelen House too is my best friend.

"So through him, I've had conversations with Eddie House and they've all just given me a lot of advice on basketball and how to play the game mentally, and what it takes to get to the NBA because that is the end goal for pretty much every player especially back in the States.

"I just take notice of what those guys tell me and take it to heart to try and chase my dreams."

Chris Pike

Winning desire behind Cherry's infectious energy