Alex Pledger enjoying basketball return after cancer battle

After two years recovering from cancer, Alex Pledger has made his return to the local basketball league and his beloved Southland Sharks.

When you see the man known as "Chief" back sinking three pointers, you can see just how much it means to him to be on the court playing ball.

"Little bit like the first day of school," laughed Pledger.

"I was a little nervous and a little anxious before it."

But that's no wonder because for two long years since the former Tall Blacks and Breakers centre was forced to the sidelines after he was diagnosed with stage two colorectal cancer in 2021.

The 36-year-old has since undergone radiation, chemotherapy and had major surgeries with his most recent happening in November for reversal stoma pouch surgery.

It was all worth it though with Pledger now cancer free, although he'll have tests for the next five years before doctors give him the full signoff.

But right now, his focus is on getting other matters such as his return to basketball ticked off.

"I had to kind of build into things slowly, I couldn't just jump right back in," he said.

"I always believed I'd be able to make it back."

The four-time ANBL champion has signed with the Sharks for the tail end of the NZNBL competition. Pledger returned to Invercargill last week for trainings but by Saturday he was making his season debut.

"He nearly died," joked Sharks coach Guy Molloy.

"We were going to play him for five minutes and then it was a difficult game for us so he then ended up playing 15.

"Luckily for him, I had to shoot up to Auckland for a national camp so the boys had three days off - he probably enjoyed that!"

Pledger's return is not only a full-circle moment for him but also the club who've been supporting Pledger throughout his cancer journey.

Teammate Alonzo Burton recalls the day the team found out about Pledger's diagnosis.

"We were all together in the hospital room, we were all in tears," Burton said.

"Seeing our brother like that in that way and him telling us his news, we rallied together, we had a reason to play and we wanted to play for our brother."

Pledger now wants to use his opportunity as chance to give back to a sport and a team that have given him so much.

"I don't know if I'll ever be what I used to be," he said.

"I'm just happy I was able to get to this point - anything beyond this season, we'll just have to see how the legs feel at the end of it."

Cancer forced him away from the game once, but now when the time comes, Pledger can leave on his own terms.