CHESTER Jets have signed one of the biggest names in British basketball.
They sent shockwaves through the British League by snapping up John McCord from Thames Valley Tigers, a regular in the league's All Star team since 1998.
Jets, who won their first trophy last season, have signalled their intention to challenge for the league title with this capture so soon after confirming that their inspirational captain Pero Cameron had re-signed for the forthcoming season.
McCord will be the fifth player to be confirmed on the Jets' roster for the new season, along with returnees Cameron and James Hamilton and other newcomers Billy Keys and Calvin Davis.
The 6ft 6ins American was born in the Bronx, New York City, and went to Cornell University. He was in his second spell with the Tigers after leaving the Bracknell club for a season at Edinburgh Rocks. Last season his 25.2 points per game ranked him the leading BBL scorer.
Said Jets' head coach Robbie Peers: 'We lost Loren Meyer so we felt we had to replace him with someone of a similar standard and I think John is a quality player. He is experience, he knows the league and we are delighted to have him.
'He is an all-round player and he plays both ends of the floor. I'm going with a big team this year and putting James Hamilton and McCord on guards defensively.
'Obviously, John is athletic and he's a team player. He scores, but he only takes good shots and his field goal percentage is very high. He is going to complement our system very well.'
And of the re-signing of Cameron, Peers added: 'Pero, along with James Hamilton and Dave Gardner, has been the backbone of our team for the past two seasons. He has a major impact on our team chemistry and possesses an excellent temperament. '
