Former Los Alamos High School Hilltopper and University of New Mexico Lobo Alex Kirk will continue his professional playing in Tokyo, Japan this fall. Courtesy/Alex Kirkrjmontano@ladailypost.com
Playing basketball and visiting different countries for a living is a dream come true for White Rock native Alex Kirk. The former Los Alamos High School Hilltopper and University of New Mexico Lobo will continue his professional playing career with Toyota Alvark Tokyo in Japan this fall. The Japanese League season starts in late September. While his agent sorts through the contract stipulations, Kirk will spend some time with friends and family in New Mexico.
A new league means new challenges for Kirk, who has never been to Japan before. “I know it’s an up and coming league – as the European market gets smaller and smaller, a few of the Asian leagues are getting stronger and stronger,” Kirk told the Los Alamos Daily Post. “I think it’ll be a league where the imports might be a little older than me, but I think it’ll be a place that I’ll have a lot of success.”
Kirk spent the last season playing in both the Turkish Airlines European League and the Chinese Basketball League. Playing in Turkey was great experience for the former Hilltopper. “I played for a top 5 European club which was pretty awesome honestly. Just to be around some of the best players in Europe, I was a small fish on that team, which is not a bad thing, I got better,” Kirk said.
In his first season of playing basketball professionally overseas, Alex Kirk signed with Pistoia of the Italian Serie A where he averaged 16.3 points and 7.6 rebounds a game. “The most fun I had was playing in Italy where I was the star and we had a lot of success and we weren’t supposed to,” Kirk remembered of his time in the Santa Fe sized city. Pistoia did not have a good soccer team, nor any other sports, which translated into a great deal of fan support and attention. “All of a sudden we were having success, and I was the best player on the team so I was treated very well, and when my family came over, they were treated very, very well. So far, everywhere I’ve been, I’ve been treated extremely well,” Kirk added about being an American-born player on the overseas teams.
While Kirk waits to head to Japan, he’s been busy traveling to see old teammates in Australia and at the NBA Summer league in Las Vegas, Nev. He was also able to participate in the $2 Million winner-take-all TBT Basketball Tournament in Brooklyn, NY, falling just short of the grand prize.
Lobo Basketball Changes
While Kirk has been playing overseas, the University of New Mexico has gone through a tumultuous off season. Craig Neal, who was a heavy influence in recruiting Kirk to UNM, was relieved of his duties as head coach and New Mexico State’s Paul Weir was hired as his replacement. “I’ve talked with him a little bit, but I haven’t had the chance to formally meet him. I’ve played against [his teams] and obviously read up a lot about him. I’m really excited to see him get the job, but I was obviously sad to see coach Neal leave,” Kirk responded when asked if he’s kept up with his Alma Mater.
Former Los Alamos High School Hilltopper and University of New Mexico Lobo Alex Kirk in action on a court overseas. Courtesy/Alex Kirk
Former Los Alamos High School Hilltopper and University of New Mexico Lobo Alex Kirk in action on a court overseas. Courtesy/Alex Kirk
Former Los Alamos High School Hilltopper and University of New Mexico Lobo Alex Kirk in action on a court overseas. Courtesy/Alex Kirk