Rico Alderson loves playing for the Bears - it reminds him of the All-Star game.

The former Derby and Leopards star was a headline signing for Nick Nurse's men just a week before the start of the current BBL season and is fitting into the system slowly but surely.

Alderson was one of the hottest properties in the BBL last season when he made the league's top tens in rebounds, steals, assists and three-point shooting percentages.

He also claimed MVP honours on All-Star day in a team coached by Nurse and featuring Albert White, Randy Duck and Sterling Davis from the Bears plus Leopards' Rod Brown and Mo Robinson.

It is All-Star night every week now as Bears continue their hunt for silverware on three fronts.

Alderson has not scaled too many scoring highs so far this season but has shown glimpses of what he can do with his vision and rebounding skills.

He had seven assists in the defeat of Sheffield, including some deft pieces of handiwork, then stacked up 14 rebounds in the defeat of Newcastle last Saturday, despite suffering the after-effects of flu.

That restricted him to little more than half the game as Leicester were brushed aside last Sunday.

So far so good then for the 26-year-old from Tennessee but he admits the best is yet to come.

He said: "We're winning so I guess I'm doing all right. I think I'm moving along and slowly getting there. Maybe by Christmas I'll be back to my All-Star best again.

"Whatever I can do to help this team win it doesn't matter, whether it be scoring or rebounding."

Alderson's name was being mentioned as a potential recruit for Bears throughout the close season.

There was some foundation in those rumours too as Nurse kept in touch with former Leopards coach Bob Donewald and refused to rule out the possibility of signing the Essex team's top player.

Alderson said: "Bob and Nick have got a special respect for each other as coaches.

"I guess Bob just knows I am the type of player who would love to play for a good coach, a coach who is going to look after his players.

"I probably had everybody in the BBL wanting me but I did a Las Vegas tournament with the Leopards and I did really well.

"A couple of agents were supposed to see about me going to China where the big money is.

"I was putting my eggs in that basket but I knew all along if I was going to come back to England it would be to Brighton.

"Their style of play suits me well. They are a lot like my old Leopards guys.

"When we went to the All-Star game last year it was more like a Brighton and Leopards team anyway. We just gelled together."

With honours being shared around by Bears' team of stars, the chance of them all coming near the top of BBL's statistics-based rankings system are remote.

That much was proved when not one of Nurse's men was named among the five candidates for the player-of-the-month award.

There will be fireworks from Alderson sooner or later however. In the meantime, he is just enjoying the All-Star treatment.