He seen it all with the Cairns Taipans from day one and now coach Aaron Fearne is at the centre of one of Australian sport's developing feel-good stories.
Cairns have won their maiden National Basketball league (NBL) minor premiership in their 16th season in the competition.
It's just the sixth time in their history the Taipans have made the finals and it comes little more than six years after the club went into voluntary administration.
While other Queensland NBL clubs Brisbane and Gold Coast dropped out of the league over the past decade, Cairns survived and ultimately thrived as a community-backed club, rather than relying solely on the fluctuating fortunes of private owners.
It's almost a classic rags to riches yarn - though no one is claiming the Taipans are high rollers.
Now in his sixth year as head coach, a tenure during which he took the Taipans to the 2010-11 grand final series, Fearne has been the one constant at the north Queensland club since it's birth in the 1999-00 season.
"I started as a development player the very first year, so I started right at the bottom and had to work my way up," says Fearne.
"I've seen it all. I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly for sure, there's no doubt about that.
"I've seen the club fall over, come back together as a community model and go to the finals four years ago.
"Miss the playoffs by one game (the last) three years in a row and now we're back in the playoffs.
"To be minor premiers, the first regional team in 31 years to do it, is a pretty huge accomplishment."
Their success against their bigger city rivals this season has been based on maintaining the nucleus of their roster from the last couple of seasons, though veteran forward Alex Loughton is the only prominent member of the squad remaining from their 2010-11 finals campaign.
Imports Scottie Wilbekin and Torrey Craig have both made a significant impact, with the former, a classy point guard, winning the club's season MVP award last week.
Athletic Craig and veteran big man Cameron Tragardh have provided the best one-two offensive punch off the bench of any NBL club.
But Fearne has also profited from a dream injury-free run for all his key players, fielding the same starting five for all 28 minor premiership games.
The Taipans won their series against all of the other seven NBL clubs and finished the regular season by winning nine of their last 10 games.
They have won an all-time franchise-high nine road games this season.
Cairns play defending champions Perth in a best-of-three semi-final series starting later this week.
The other last four matchup pits New Zealand Breakers against Adelaide, who loom as the Taipans' biggest threat, having won their last 10 straight.
"They are pretty tough right now, they've got firepower everywhere with the way Brock (Motum) and Jamar (Wilson) are playing," Fearne said of Adelaide.
"Their other guys can really hurt you too.
"Perth have obviously had to deal with some injuries, which has been disappointing for them I'm sure, but they are the defending champs.
"All the top four teams are all really talented and anyone can win it.
"All of the four teams have won pretty well on the road, so I don't think play on the road is an issue here."
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