Trey Pulliam insists Newcastle Eagles’ brilliant win against Bristol Flyers in the Super League Basketball Trophy final told him everything he needed to know about his new team.
And after sitting out that victory march in Birmingham, the in-form rookie can’t wait to write his own name in the roster’s history books — and bag a Play-Off winners’ medal at the expense of bitter rivals Leicester Riders.
Pulliam was the victim of red tape in January after signing too late to star for Newcastle in Marc Steutel’s first final at the Eagles’ helm.
But he said: “I watched that game from the sidelines and that’s when I knew I was stepping into something special.
“Of course it was frustrating that I couldn’t play but I got to see the very best of my guys in a big game situation.
“To come in and see the way they handled the pressure made me want to be a part of it. It was a hugely motivating moment for me.”
Given the responsibility of leading Newcastle, US star Pulliam took time to understand the strengths of a multi-talented Eagles team.
A slew of injuries to key players, combined with a brutal schedule, made the SLB rookie’s job so much more difficult with roles changing on an almost daily basis.
But Pulliam took a challenging start to life on Tyneside in his stride and was hailed as the best point guard in British basketball by Steutel earlier this week.
“I feel like we’ve got one of the most talented teams in the league and that’s been shown again and again towards the end of the season,” he added.
“With the injuries we’ve had it’s been incredible really. Who knows what type of team we would look like if we’d everybody healthy since January?
“But the fact that we’ve still got this far shows what type of team we are. Whenever we lock in and we fully engage and trust each other we’re so tough to beat.
“We’ve come through every big test so far this season and we’re ready to take one more win.”
Newcastle’s third final of 2025 supports Pulliam’s view that the Eagles have long since proved their big game credentials.
And if defeat in the European North Basketball League decider was tough on a fast-tiring team then the journey to Bratislava was all about grit, determination and a desire to improve.
Those qualities have been key to Newcastle’s evolution but a regular-season wake-up call against Rob Paternostro’s strongarm Riders last month reminded Pulliam and co. that the men in black need to be at their very best to beat the best.
The battered and bruised hosts ended that game with three players down, Cole Long headed to A&E and Steutel thrown out.
And Pulliam added: “Riders have been tough all season. I feel like the last two times we played them we let the games slip away.
“We can blame the referees but it is what it is. It’s down to us to put things right.
“Whatever Riders throw at us we’ve just got to find a way to get the job done.”
If Pulliam is only just learning what one of British basketball’s fiercest rivalries is all about then the 300-plus travelling fans need no reminder why backing their team against Paternostro’s Riders means everything.
Leicester and Newcastle have enjoyed some ding dong battles in memorable finals down the years and everything points towards another classic at the O2.
“I didn’t dig too deep into the rivalry until this week,” added Pulliam. “But from talking to coach the past few days, seeing little clips and stuff like that, anyone can see what this game means to both clubs.”
Newcastle and Leicester first met in a Play-Off Final in 2012 when the Charles Smith-inspired Eagles took a 71-62 win to complete a season clean sweep. But Riders gained revenge the following year with a Play-Off final win against Fabulous Flournoy’s side.
And over the years the two teams have emerged as serial winners — Leicester are hunting a 20th title this weekend while Newcastle have set their sights on a 29th piece of major silverware.
“I’ve said this on the record many times,” said Steutel. “I respect Leicester and I respect coach Rob. I genuinely do.
“They were down 10 against Sheffield in the semi-final and showed some will and resilience to beat a really good Sharks team.
“We’ve got to get our heads around what we need to do to be successful against them and they need to do the same with us.
“But it will be electric to play Leicester at the O2 with both teams’ seasons on the line.”
The Sunday afternoon showdown tips-off at 4:30pm with the game screened live and for free on the DAZN YouTube channel or the DAZN app on smart phones and TVs.
