Know Your Team: A.J. Gaines
London Lightning
6’4
Forward
From Shreveport, Louisiana
2020 All-NBLC
When Anthony "A.J." Gaines came to the NBL Canada he made an immediate impact, with big efforts on both ends of the court making him a stand-out performer and showing a rare consistency of almost always putting up big numbers for his team.
An All-District first team honouree with C.E. Byrd High School, Gaines went on to play four years with the Louisiana Wildcats in Division 3 of the NCAA. He hit the ground running, averaging 12.8 points per game and 57% field shooting, and was named the ASC East Co-Freshman of the Year and to the All-Freshman team.
He saw his time limited in his second season by injury, but averaging 20.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.1 steals and blocks per game in junior year, he received the ASC East conference's Player of the Year award. Gaines seemingly saved the best for last, though: in senior year he led the Wildcats in steals, blocks, rebounding and scoring - in the latter two he also finished second overall in the ASC that season - and is the only player to finish in the top ten in all categories.
He won his second conference Player of the Year award and led the team to their first-ever ASC championship appearance. He remains Louisiana's all-time leader for steals and rebounds, and is second overall for points and blocks in the team's history.
In his first year as a professional player, Gaines averaged 22.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game for the Nevada Desert Dogs in North America Pro Basketball. His best performances coming largely off the bench, he won the league's Sixth Man of the Year award.
From there he moved north of the border and made his NBL Canada debut in 2018 for the defending champions London Lightning. He hits the ground running with an opening double-double of 30 points and 12 rebounds against the St. John's Edge. He bettered his scoring best with 32 against the KW Titans on February 9th and finished the season with eleven straight double-digit performances, as well as three more double-doubles.
He managed two more double-doubles in his first NBLC playoffs, where London lost in five games to the Titans. Undeterred Gaines rejoined the team for the 2019-20 season where he was nothing short of spectacular. He reached double digits in all but two games as well as six double-doubles and three thirty-point performances. It came as no surprise that at the conclusion of this impressive season Gaines earned his first All-NBLC honours with a place on the second team.
With no NBLC season in 2020, Gaines signed with Lapuan Korkiobrat in Finland, where despite a mixed season for the team Gaines had the best offensive season of his career to date, averaging 20.2 points in twenty two games on the season. It is hard to imagine the NBL Canada without him though, which is why it came as great news he was retained by London for the 2022 season, where hopefully we will get to see more of his prime basketball talents on his return to the Canadian courts.
Picture: Melinda Martinez
