Perfect send-off looms for Hornets 150-game veteran in CBL grand final

The 150-gamer will be hanging up his basketball shoes after Saturday's CBL grand final.

"It's hard not to be nervous," Skurrie said.

"It's not hard to be excited."

"My position this year was pretty much just going to be role player, and that's pretty much all Scotty [Benbow] wanted me to do.

"[My job's been to] come in and just play the minutes I needed to play, help out the team with some of my strengths and some leadership."

By his own admission, Skurrie's final season in the Hornets' CBL squad has been 'a hell of a journey'.

The veteran played 12 games through the summer, scoring 66 points.

"I thoroughly enjoyed the season," he said.

"I'm glad I did pull on the boots and give it a crack again."

This season isn't the first Skurrie had considered calling time on his career.

Following the 2022/23 season, his long-time teammates Jordyn Burke and Tim Wade retired together.

Skurrie said the idea of all three of them retiring together had been floated, but he was convinced by coach, Benbow to stick around for another year.

"When we got to it we thought it'd be good to maybe finish up all together," he said.

"[But] Scotty just mentioned to me about maybe hanging around, just in that leadership capacity, if the body was up to it.

"I was able to be convinced again, and I've really enjoyed the year.

"But you know when it's your time, and being 43 and having achieved most things I wanted to do, I feel the time is right now.

"And I don't want to take up room on the bench that a young fella coming through [can have]."

Skurrie also took a moment to highlight the quality of the team he's played with through in recent seasons.

"You look at the calibre of players we've got coming through, it's really exciting about what the future holds," he said.

"When I do step away there's some capable people out there who can carry on the legacy."

Many of the younger CBL players farewelling Skurrie on Saturday have held him as a local basketball role model they loved to watch when they first joined the club as young kids.

"Some of the kids out there playing now like Freddy [Frew] and Tarkyn [Benbow], I've been a part of their journey from a young age," he said.

"They looked up to people like us around the club and then to see them develop and become really good leaders that will lead the team for the next 20 years, hopefully, that's in good hands.

"I think in general for our men's CBL going in the future, we're in a really good space.

"The camaraderie that these boys have in terms of playing squad, knowing each other, how they play, how they move, all that kind of stuff, it's good."