It has been 512 days since Darius Days last stepped on to an NBL court, and on that day, he walked off as a champion.
Days helped the Illawarra Hawks claim the 2024-25 NBL championship, and now, more than a year later, the energetic 26-year-old forward is back where he enjoyed some of the best basketball of his professional career.
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Since departing Australia, Days has experienced new leagues, new challenges and his fair share of setbacks, with the Gainesville, Florida native spending much of the past year working his way back to full health following injury.
Speaking exclusively to Fox Sports Australia, Days wound back the clock on his first stint with the Hawks and reflected on what made his inaugural NBL season so special.
“Playing in the NBL for my first season, it was amazing,” he said.
“Talking to JT [Justin Tatum], you know, he’s a player’s coach and he just lets his guys play and he doesn’t really put many restrictions on all these guys. He just lets us go out there and play.
“The guys were really good. They welcomed me in with open arms even though I came in a little late. They already had like their core group of guys, you know, Sam [Froling], Tyler [Harvey], TB [Todd Blanchfield], Mason [Peatling], and then they added me, Trey [Kell], [Hyunjung] Lee maybe a year or two beforehand and a couple other guys sprinkled in.
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“It was an amazing ride. We just all enjoyed being around each other, playing against each other, playing for each other. And it was just an amazing time being here.
“Also me being in Australia, that was my first time here. And the beaches are beautiful, the community is good. And it was just fun for me. I really enjoyed it,” Days said.
Days played 33 games during Illawarra’s championship campaign, averaging 10.2 points and 6.1 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game while shooting 49.0% from the field and 33.6% from three-point range.
After departing the NBL, Days took his talents to Japan, signing with the San-en NeoPhoenix in the B.League.
“And, you know, I had a pretty good start. I was there for six months. I was injured for a bit beforehand,” he said.
“After that I was injured. I left, came back to the United States. Did rehab and everything and then the off-season I was just trying to work my way back to being in playing shape, losing the weight that I gained while I was out,” he said.
Days appeared in 19 games for San-en, averaging 12.7 points and 5.0 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per game while shooting an impressive 38.8% from beyond the arc before mutually parting ways with the club.
What followed was a lengthy period away from competitive basketball.
Days spent the next 199 days rehabilitating and working his way back into shape, both physically and mentally, before eventually landing with TNT Tropang in the Philippines.
It proved to be a brief stint, with Days admitting he wasn’t yet performing at the level he expected of himself.
“I went to the Philippines for a bit before I came back to Illawarra for my second stint, and it didn’t go the way I wanted it to go there. I wanted to get back in shape and lose some weight to get ready for this NBL season and then I got cut kind of short because you know, I wasn’t performing at the way I usually should be performing,” he said.
Days played just four games for TNT Tropang, but still produced solid numbers, averaging 16.0 points and 5.3 rebounds in 28.5 minutes per game. The club went 3-1 during that stretch.
Now back in Australia and surrounded by familiar faces who know and trust him, Days is continuing to work towards full fitness with the help of Tatum and Illawarra’s training staff.
“I had a conversation with JT, our trainers and we’re working our way back. And this second stint is going to be a good one,” he said.
“We have a really good group of guys. We still have the core group of guys and we’re just stacking days on top of each other, just stacking days and we’re super excited about this season. We are just stacking days. That’s all we’re doing at this moment,” Days said.
While playing overseas in Japan, Days, like many former NBL players, continued to keep an eye on the league.
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That included following the Hawks as they struggled through their championship defence, eventually finishing eighth with a 13-20 record.
For Days, however, what unfolded wasn’t necessarily a championship hangover.
“They went in a different direction. I wouldn’t say they had a championship hangover, but, you know, it wasn’t the team that we were used to seeing.
“It was definitely different, but at the end of the day, you know, the guys went out there and competed. They continued to try to get better every day, but sometimes it came up a little short,” Days said.
Illawarra has undergone another significant roster makeover ahead of NBL27, with Days joined by fellow imports Milton Doyle and Kelan Martin.
With preparations already underway, Days said the Hawks aren’t wasting any time getting their new group up to speed.
“Yes, we literally trained the first time. We had a beach workout last Saturday. They got in and got straight to work. They’re really taking no days off.
“JT is really big on this off-season in the preparation that we’re putting together. He is trying to get all the guys here early to get the work in. And we’re super excited about those two guys for sure,” he said.
Days’ return to Illawarra came as a surprise to some, particularly given how rare it is for an import to leave the NBL, spend a season overseas and then return to his former club.
But for Days, the desire to come back never disappeared.
“I never wanted to leave Illawarra, but you know, you have to do some things for your family. I felt like Japan was the best way for me to do that.
“I always wanted to come back to Illawarra. We reached out and also Illawarra reached out. I feel like this was the best option for me at the moment. I don’t ever want to leave, honestly. Like I would sign a seven-year (contract) right now.
“I love Illawarra. I would want to be here my whole career, for the rest of my career. That’s just how I feel in my heart, because I already know what I’m getting myself into with JT and the coaching staff. They are very hard workers. We have a great front office as well. We have a great media team as well.
“Everybody is like a big family here, and everybody enjoys being around each other and regardless of however the league sees us, this is a family. And without family, you really don’t have anything.
“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”
More than a year since he last played in the NBL, Days returns older, wiser and with a greater understanding of the ups and downs that come with life as a professional basketball player.
But for Hawks fans wondering what version of Days they will see in NBL27, he expects a combination of the player who helped deliver a championship and an improved version shaped by everything he has experienced since.
“In the 2025 season, I just feel like I was just eager to prove to people that I can play overseas and eager to prove that I belong. And I was happy to do that. And maybe some games I could have done better, some games I could have done more.
But I was just happy to be here. But I feel like now, I’m a little bit older, a little bit wiser and understand the league a little bit better, but the league is getting better.
“So it’s going to be a whole different setup this year. I’m super excited about the opportunity to come back to the Hawks and you know, me being here for the 2027 season, it is definitely going to be different, I’ll say that.”