Travers unfazed by Perth boos

Heading into Friday night’s clash with the Perth Wildcats on the road, there was a lot of talk surrounding how returning WA native Luke Travers would handle the pressure.

Having played the last four years for the Wildcats before departing to further his development into an NBA-calibre talent in Melbourne, many were curious how the 22-year-old would handle the jeers from the Red Army.

Ever the professional, LT simply went about his business once the game started, silencing the crowd with a thunderous slam in the opening minutes.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">LT with the two hand jam!!! <br><br>? ESPN via Kayo <a href="https://t.co/sIeoJ46TWs">pic.twitter.com/sIeoJ46TWs</a></p>&mdash; Melbourne United (@MelbUnited) <a href="https://twitter.com/MelbUnited/status/1712783150605385964?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

That was one of a trio of dunks for the NBA Draft pick, who said after the game that he was indifferent to the noise coming from the RAC Arena crowd.

“If I didn’t hear the boos, then I wouldn’t feel like I’d done my job properly in these past four years,” he chuckled.

“It was cool to see, I expected it, but there was also a little bit of support as well, so it was cool.

“I was pretty calm… I just try to take it all in, enjoy the experience, it’s not very often you get that sort of opportunity so I just tried to make the most of it.”

Travers finished with 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block across his 26 minutes.

Post-game, Head Coach Dean Vickerman praised his star forward for his poise and growth.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dean and Luke spoke to the media after our 7-point win against the Wildcats. Watch the full press conference here ?? <a href="https://t.co/4StB9NWXRk">pic.twitter.com/4StB9NWXRk</a></p>&mdash; Melbourne United (@MelbUnited) <a href="https://twitter.com/MelbUnited/status/1712951351402004623?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“We obviously talked about it, he’s a championship player (in Perth) and if he got booed, that’s an absolute sign of respect for what he’s done over here for this club,” he said.

“We’re privileged to have him and talking to his parents they already see growth in him as a person and that’s what they wanted, just a change of environments.”

United will return home to face the Brisbane Bullets on Sunday from 2pm at John Cain Arena.

After back-to-back sell-outs to start the season, tickets are selling fast for Melbourne’s third home game, so get in quick to secure your seat.