Joey Puddister, currently on the Canadian Basketball League’s Sudbury 5, is this year's winner of the George Martyn Award for dedication to the sport of basketball.
Puddister’s long list of basketball success goes back to his elementary school days.
Puddister began his basketball career while attending Silver Birches Senior Elementary School where he won two championships.
He then attended West Ferris Secondary School where he excelled in numerous sports including basketball, volleyball, football and baseball. During his 5-year career at WFSS he played on teams that won 2 NDA Championships, 1 NOSSA championship and included 2 OFSSA appearances. He won NDA Championships in football and volleyball. Puddister also played seven years of club basketball for the West Ferris Spartans.
In his last year the Spartans won Division 5 Gold at the U19 OBA level.
From 2011-13 Puddister played OCAA basketball for the then number one ranked Algoma University.
In 2013 he returned home to play for Canadore College. He assumed a leadership role by being named the team's captain, and the club would go on to achieve their best finish in the school's history.
Puddister made the jump to University basketball with the Nipissing Lakers. He would enjoy two great seasons with the Lakers and was named team captain and Team MVP in his last year with the club.
Puddister's success with the Lakers helped him to be drafted #16 by the Niagara River Lions of the Canadian Professional League. He later joined Scarborough, who would go on to win the Canadian Basketball League Championship. He attended the All-Star weekend and finished second in the three-point contest.
Puddister then travelled overseas to play professional basketball in the Dutch League and helped Rotterdam to their best record in 10 years. He is now back home in Canada currently playing for Sudbury 5 in the Canadian Professional League.
See related: Great year in Europe for Joey Puddister
See related: Local player joined Sudbury 5
Puddister will receive his award at the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame dinner to be held at the Davedi Club on Saturday May 4th, 2019.
