BIO: Akoldah Gak was born in Sydney (NSW) in 2002 to parents who had fled South Sudan and moved to Australia. There he attended St Dominic’s College and also began playing basketball with the Penrith basketball junior program. In 2018, he received a scholarship to attend Blair Academy (New Jersey) in the United States through a basketball pipeline that was established by professional basketball player and Blair alumni, Luol Deng.

Gak’s family chose for him to begin his career in the NBL and develop in Australia due to the global uncertainty from the COVID-19 pandemic as he prepared for the NBA Draft.

FAMILY: Akoldah’s brother, Gorjok Gak also played 75 games in the NBL. Gak has two older brothers who played college basketball. Gorjok for the California Baptist Lancers and Deng for the Miami Hurricanes.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Akoldah Gak made his NBL debut with the Illawarra Hawks at 18 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

On 12 October 2020, Akoldah Gak signed a three-year deal with the Illawarra Hawks as a development player for the 2020/21 NBL season. His debut coincided with a transformative period for the Hawks, as the team navigated significant financial challenges. After falling into voluntary administration in April 2020, the Hawks were saved by new ownership in June, led by Dorry Kordahi, Bryan Colangelo, and Michael Proctor.

Under the new leadership, the team was rebranded as “The Hawks” to broaden their appeal, and Brian Goorjian was appointed as head coach. With an almost entirely rebuilt roster, the Hawks signed notable names such as Deng Adel, Cam Bairstow, Tyler Harvey, Justin Simon, and Next Star Justinian Jessup. Returning players included Sam Froling and Emmett Naar.

Despite the off-court changes, the Hawks’ season began with drama, including the omission of fan favorites AJ Ogilvy and Tim Coenraad. Both were later added as injury replacements. Mid-season, the team regained its traditional “Illawarra” name, a significant moment for the Wollongong community.

Gak’s playing opportunities were limited as a development player, appearing in four games and scoring a total of four points. Despite his limited role, the Hawks had a strong finish to the regular season, winning eight of their final 10 games to finish third (20-16) and secure their first playoff berth since 2017.

In the semifinals, Illawarra faced the defending champion Perth Wildcats but fell short, losing the series in three games.

2021/22
Elevated to the Hawks’ full-time roster, Akoldah Gak entered the 2021/22 season as Illawarra sought to build on its success. Returning leading scorer Tyler Harvey was joined by new imports Antonius Cleveland and Xavier Rathan-Mayes, with the latter replacing Travis Trice after his preseason release. Other additions included Duop Reath, fresh from an impressive Boomers campaign, and Harry Froling, reuniting with his brother Sam.

The Hawks delivered a strong regular season, finishing second (19-9), but fell short in the semifinals against cross-town rivals Sydney. Gak, primarily used as a rotational player, appeared in eight games, averaging 1.9 points and 0.6 rebounds. He provided energy and depth during a season that saw Tyler Harvey and Duop Reath emerge as key contributors.

Reath claimed the team MVP award with averages of 15.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks, while Antonius Cleveland earned the Damian Martin Trophy for Defensive Player of the Year and was named to the All-NBL First Team.

2022/23
After two consecutive semifinal appearances, the Hawks entered the 2022/23 season with major changes. Head coach Brian Goorjian departed for the East Asia Super League, and longtime assistant Jacob Jackomas took over. The team retained only Tyler Harvey and Sam Froling from its main rotation, as players like Duop Reath, Antonius Cleveland, and Justinian Jessup pursued opportunities overseas or with other NBL teams.

Illawarra signed replacements including Deng Deng, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, and Mangok Mathiang, alongside imports Justin Robinson and George King. However, injuries decimated the roster early, with Robinson suffering a season-ending knee injury in the opener. Peyton Siva was brought in as a replacement but played just 11 games before also succumbing to injury.

By mid-November, the Hawks were 1-9, struggling with limited depth and relying on players like Lachie Dent, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, and Davo Hickey. The mid-season addition of Michael Frazier II helped briefly, but he too was sidelined after eight games with a broken arm.

Gak appeared in 13 games, averaging 1.2 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.4 assists. Despite limited statistical contributions, he earned the Hawks’ Players’ Player Award, a testament to his commitment and impact within the team.

Illawarra finished the season with a 3-25 record, the worst in franchise history. Tyler Harvey (18.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.5 steals) led the team offensively, while Sam Froling (14 points, 8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists) earned the Hawks’ MVP award.

CAIRNS TAIPANS
2023/24

2024/25
Heading into NBL25, Cairns entered a new era with a restructured roster following the exits of Patrick Miller and Tahjere McCall. Additional departures included Bul Kuol (Sydney), Lat Mayen (Adelaide), Bobi Klintman (NBA Draft), and Josh Roberts, creating multiple vacancies in the rotation.

To rebuild, the Taipans brought in imports Rob Edwards, Pedro Bradshaw, and Tanner Groves, promoted Taran Armstrong to captain and starting point guard, and added experienced contributors such as Kyle Adnam (Illawarra), Jackson Makoi (Sydney), and Kyrin Galloway (Adelaide). Sam Waardenburg re-signed to lead the frontcourt, while development players Kody Stattmann and Alex Higgins-Titsha added youth and energy. Akoldah Gak returned as an athletic forward with defensive upside and interior rebounding presence.

Cairns began the season with some promising wins but fell into a major slump beginning in late October. Despite a 3–1 start, including back-to-back wins over Tasmania and Melbourne, the Taipans dropped 10 consecutive games across November and December. Defensive breakdowns and late-game execution issues became consistent themes, and injuries further compounded the club’s struggles.

Akoldah Gak was a key depth piece in the frontcourt, offering strong rebounding and rim protection off the bench. He played a larger role as injuries mounted across the frontcourt, and while his offensive contributions were modest, Gak’s defensive mobility and rebounding tenacity helped stabilize lineups lacking size. He was particularly effective crashing the glass and protecting the paint.

By year’s end, Cairns had plummeted to a 3–16 record and sat bottom of the NBL ladder. Taran Armstrong missed several games with an ankle sprain in Round 3 warmups, while Tanner Groves dealt with a calf injury that saw him miss multiple weeks. Only Kyrin Galloway managed to appear in all 28 games. With the starting five missing 25 combined games, the Taipans brought in Deshon Taylor (3 games) and Tad Dufelmeier Jr (4 games) to provide short-term support.

January saw some turnaround, with the team winning four games and competing more consistently. Rob Edwards remained a scoring machine, including a 35-point game against Brisbane, and Armstrong recorded a triple-double in a home win over the Bullets. Cairns finished the season 8–21, bottom of the ladder with the NBL’s lowest points percentage. Shortly after, head coach Adam Forde and the club mutually agreed to part ways.

Sam Waardenburg (14.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists) was a reliable two-way force and earned Club MVP, Defensive Player, and Members’ Choice MVP honours. Tanner Groves (13.5 points and 5.7 rebounds) and Pedro Bradshaw (10.7 points and 5.7 rebounds) were strong contributors, while Kyrin Galloway (7.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.1 blocks), Alex Higgins-Titsha (6.2 points, 3.9 rebounds), and Akoldah Gak ( 6.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks) delivered breakout campaigns in expanded roles.

Gak appaered in 21 games, His best performances included a 14-point, 8-rebound game against Melbourne United on October 6, a 12-point, 10-rebound outing against Adelaide on January 19, and another 12-point, 10-rebound effort against Illawarra on October 19. Gak’s size, athleticism, and rebounding instincts gave Cairns critical minutes through a season impacted by injuries.

Akoldah Gak played five seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Illawarra Hawks and the Cairns Taipans. He averaged 4.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 68 NBL games.