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Phillips bids UK farewell in search of greener pastures

Bermuda?s only basketball pro Sullivan Phillips has had enough of life in the UK and has headed stateside to hone his silky skills ahead of a move to Spain.

Phillips, a gold medal winner for Bermuda at the Island Games in Gibraltar in June, is desperate to make it into one of Europe?s top domestic leagues and believes his work in America over the next few weeks is going to be enough to get him a contract.

The 26-year-old former Bermuda Institute pupil has enjoyed successful stints with the Birmingham Bullets, Brighton Bears and the London Towers ? where he was MVP in a championship-winning team ? and is now keen to take his considerable hoop skills to a more lucrative league.

A proposed money-spinning move to China fell through due to height restrictions, leaving Spain as his top option.

?I?m now working out with a guy named Coach Landis who has worked with a lot of top players and he?s well connected with the Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards, and a couple of other teams,? said Phillips, who played his first game on a Bermudian court last month when he turned out for the national team against the NBA-star filled Sports Power Pro International side at CedarBridge Academy.

?He?s highly rated and is my shooting coach for the rest of my career, God willing. I?m hoping he can help me sharpen things up and take me to the next level.

?I have been looking at a few options in recent years and it was a shame about the China thing, but if you have a 7 ft player then you can?t have a 6ft 8/9 ins guy ?cos it?s a guard-orientated league ? they put restrictions on height, hopefully to make for a faster, more skilful style of play

?My move fell through cause they were playing around with the figures, they wanted me for less than I wanted to go thus I had to look elsewhere.

?Right now as far as Spain, or anywhere else is concerned for that matter, I?m just sitting back weighing the options for the best move, as well as doing some technical things ? like highlight tapes ? to make the deal even more lucrative.?

Phillips, who was born in New Orleans to a Bermudian mother, moved to the Island when he was ten before going on to the Garden State Academy in New Jersey and then the Atlantic Union College in Massachusetts and Columbia Union College in Washington.

In 2003 he moved to the UK with the Birmingham Bullets before moving on to the Bears and then the Towers.