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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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Speaking exclusively to Fox Sports Australia<\/i>, Days wound back the clock on his first stint with the Hawks and reflected on what made his inaugural NBL season so special.<\/p>\n \u201cPlaying in the NBL for my first season, it was amazing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cTalking to JT [Justin Tatum], you know, he\u2019s a player\u2019s coach and he just lets his guys play and he doesn\u2019t really put many restrictions on all these guys. He just lets us go out there and play.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 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.<\/p>\n EXCLUSIVE: MVP threat ready to turn heads as Euro star reveals why he chose Bullets<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n \u201cIt 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.<\/p>\n \u201cAlso 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,\u201d Days said.<\/p>\n Days played 33 games during Illawarra\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n After departing the NBL, Days took his talents to Japan, signing with the San-en NeoPhoenix in the B.League.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd, you know, I had a pretty good start. I was there for six months. I was injured for a bit beforehand,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n What followed was a lengthy period away from competitive basketball.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n It proved to be a brief stint, with Days admitting he wasn\u2019t yet performing at the level he expected of himself.<\/p>\n \u201cI went to the Philippines for a bit before I came back to Illawarra for my second stint, and it didn\u2019t 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\u2019t performing at the way I usually should be performing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s training staff.<\/p>\n \u201cI had a conversation with JT, our trainers and we\u2019re working our way back. And this second stint is going to be a good one,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a really good group of guys. We still have the core group of guys and we\u2019re just stacking days on top of each other, just stacking days and we\u2019re super excited about this season. We are just stacking days. That\u2019s all we\u2019re doing at this moment,\u201d Days said.<\/p>\n While playing overseas in Japan, Days, like many former NBL players, continued to keep an eye on the league.<\/p>\n