NBLC Alumni: Al Stewart
5'10
Guard
From Chicago
Tenure: 2011-2018
2xDPOY
2xAll-Defensive Team
2013 All-NBLC
From the inception of the NBL Canada Al Stewart was there, and for the remainder of his time playing, he would not play anywhere else.
He began playing competitive basketball at Manley Academy, where he was a teammate of future six-season NBA guard Luther Head and an All-Sectional player, finishing with averages of 16.2 points and 12.1 assists per game.
From there, Stewart moved to Creston, Iowa and joined the Southwestern Spartans, for whom he averaged 14.3 points per game on 61% shooting, as well as earning all-conference team honours. Next season he played for the DMACC Bears in Des Moines, going on to be twelfth overall nationally in assists.
He then stayed in the city but made the move to the NCAA, signing with the Drake Bulldogs. In his first season he finished in the Missouri Valley Conference top ten for assists, steals and field goal percentage, which earned him a spot on the conference all-newcomer team. The same season Stewart became the first player to record a triple-double in the MVC tournament.
After his senior year, Stewart turned professional in 2007 and began playing for a number of teams in minor leagues. Some of these teams would be recalled in his later career; the Manchester Millrats (With whom he won the Premier League Basketball Defensive Player of the Year award in 2009) would later become the Saint John Mill Rats; the Vermont Frost Heaves were coached by his future Storm and Moncton Magic coach Joe Salerno.
2011 saw the inaugural season of the NBL Canada and Stewart is a player who can claim being there for it. Playing for the Summerside Storm, under the guidance of Salerno, he averaged 12.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.2 steals - All of which remain career bests for him - in 34 games. He was named to the All-Defensive team and the Defensive Player of the Year.
This season he was responsible for a league milestone: against the Mississauga Power on January 12th, 2012, Stewart recorded 28 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists, the NBLC's first-ever triple double.
After beginning the following season with the Storm, Stewart left the team early to teach at Sherman Elementary School in Chicago. Despite the early exit he still earned his second Defensive Player of the Year award and was named to the All-NBLC third team.
He returned the following year, playing 24 games for the Storm and averaging 10.5 points, 6.2 assists and 4.0 rebounds per contest. In the post-season the Storm would reach their first NBL Canada finals, where they had a 3-1 lead over the Windsor Express, but it would be a case of so close yet so far. Windsor would win the last three games to claim their maiden NBLC championship.
For the 2014-15 season Stewart parted ways with the Storm and joined the London Lightning. He started in 29 out of 34 games and registered a 10.2-point scoring average, but he could not lift London out of their struggles. They ended up finishing third in the central division and were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.
The next season Stewart signed with the Saint John Mill Rats, but left after three games to make a return to the Storm, now called the Island Storm. He averaged 7.4 points and 4.4 assists in 16 games played for the Storm in 2015-16, where he won Player of the Week on April 16th. His season highlight would be scoring a career-best 31 points against the Cape Breton Highlanders at home on April 30th.
After a second-round playoff exit in six games to the Halifax Hurricanes, Stewart followed coach Joe Salerno to Moncton, becoming the first player for the newly-formed Moncton Magic.
He played 46 games, starting in 21, and helped the team reach the Atlantic Division finals, where they came unstuck against Halifax and lost the series 4-1. Stewart ended the season on 8.7 points, 4.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game.
Since the end of this season in Moncton, Al Stewart has not played in the NBL Canada - or indeed anywhere professionally. Looking back at his records and achievements in seven straight seasons, he has already left his enduring mark on the NBLC and for all the teams he has played for. While he has not officially retired, whenever he does he will bow out as one of the NBL Canada greats.
