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JaVale McGee, the veteran NBA center, joined the Illawarra Hawks of Australia’s NBL about a month ago, bringing experience and size to the team. His new head coach, Justin Tatum, has high expectations for what McGee can contribute on both ends of the court.

“Just a dominant presence,” Tatum told ESPN’s Olgun Uluc. “There’s no illegal defense here, so he’s gonna clog the lane, he’s gonna sit up there and make difficult shots for everybody else.

“Then, on the offensive end, we can just put the ball up anywhere as we break defenses down, and hopefully he can just catch a lob or be on the back-side. I’m really excited for how he’s gonna be the communicator on the defensive end.”

McGee played 16 seasons for 9 NBA teams, including the Denver Nuggets and Washington Wizards. He averaged 7.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in 909 regular-season games. He won 3 NBA championships.

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