In the 1990’s basketball exploded in Australia. Behind the skills and athleticism of an influx of talented American imports, the league grew beyond tin sheds to acquiring large TV audiences and drawing 15,000 fans to games.
Many of those NBL imports carved out long careers in the NBL, some chose to have children here while playing in the NBL.
Ben Simmons, Dante Exum and Jonah Bolden are all sons of 90’s imports who are now carving out impressive NBA careers as well as being integral parts of the Australian National basketball program.
But there are other sons of the import stars who played down under in the 1990s who are carving out impressive basketball careers in either high school, college or Europe today that should be on NBL team’s radars.
There are many sons of NBL stars who could venture down under to play in the NBL as a local player, thanks to being born here while their father starred in the national league.
With NBL teams currently amidst a flurry of off-season activity, re-signing and recruiting players for the next NBL season it could benefit them to look at international basketball players who could slot into rosters as local NBL players.
Kendall Stephens
Stephens, the son of Everette Stephens, who played three seasons in the NBL (1992-94) for the Geelong Supercats and Newcastle Falcons.
Before making his way to Australia Everette was a second-round draft pick of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1988 who went on to play with the Indiana Pacers (1988-89) and Milwaukee Bucks (1991) in the NBA.
Kendall, aiming to follow in his father’s NBA footsteps, nominated for the draft in 2018 but wasn’t lucky enough to hear his name called out.
During his time in college, he put up very respectable numbers against many of the NBL’s recent talent. In 2014 Stephens (19 points) outscored former NBL import Travis Trice (14 points) in a Purdue Vs Michigan State game and also dropped 22 points in a head-to-head duel with DJ Newbill (37 points).
Since going undrafted he has spent the past 12 months playing for Obradoiro CAB in the LIGA ACB, Spain’s premier basketball competition. Kendall saw limited opportunities in Spain, playing in 6 games to average three points per game but has a game that could easily make an impact for any NBL team.
While Stephens, who was a part of the Orlando Magic’s summer league team in 2018, no doubt still has his eyes on competing in the NBA as his father did, perhaps he could do so via the NBL. It would benefit some NBL coaches to at least ask the 201 cm guard if he’d be interested.
Kendall Stephens single season record for threes made
DJ Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell, who now goes by the name DJ Mitchell, is the son of Mike Mitchell who played in the NBL for seven seasons (1991-97) for Gold Coast, Brisbane and North Melbourne.
DJ, born in Melbourne during his father’s time with the Giants recently transferred from Wake Forest University to Santa Clara University.
At 203 cm Mitchell is a much slimmer and faster version than his father, is yet to play for Santa Clara but averaged 2.9 points and 2.2 rebounds in 12 minutes per game as a college sophomore. The versatile forward who can play on the wing or in the paint connected on 42.9 per cent of three-point bombs in 2018.
Mitchell, now a junior, is likely to finish his college degree but in 2021 he would be a very nice addition to any NBL squad.
DJ Mitchell (9 points) Vs UNCG
Xavier Cooks
Cooks is a much more familiar name to Australian hoops fans than others on this list, having developed his game here instead of overseas.
His father Eric, who played four seasons in the NBL (1997-00) played most of his professional career in second-tier Australian leagues like the ABA and SEABL, hoping to make get his chance in the NBL. Xavier, however, is a bonafide NBL talent who like his father may not play much in the NBL during his career but this is instead due to large European contracts and possibly the NBA.
Even this season, multiple NBL teams have approached Cooks attempting to sign him to an NBL deal but so far have been unsuccessful due to European and NBA options.
Last year, after playing for Winthrop University for four years (averaging 14 points and 8 rebounds) Cooks went undrafted but was lucky to earn workouts with the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors, who he played for in the NBA Summer League. After missing out on NBA rosters Cooks signed with S.Oliver Würzburg in the German Bundesliga in July 2018.
Cooks, who is currently still playing in Germany and averaging 11 points per game, has been approached by the South East Melbourne Phoenix, Illawarra Hawks and Melbourne United in recent years with offers to play in the NBL.
Sadly it’s unlikely we see him play here until his NBA opportunities dry up, but no doubt he makes his mark in the NBL before it’s all said and done.
Xavier Cooks College Highlights
Keanu Pinder
Not only is Keanu Pinder the son of a former NBL import but he is also one of the country’s best indigenous basketball players you’ll find today.
His father Kendal won two championships with the Perth Wildcats (1990-91) a team who has tried multiple times to sign Keanu since he graduated from Arizona University in 2018.
Pinder currently plays with Legia Warszawa who play in the Polish basketball league and is averaging 5 points per game.
Keanu, from the Kimberly region of Western Australia, is another blue-chip talent who many NBL teams would like to get their hands on but it may not happen until the European contracts run out and the NBA door is closed.
Keanu Pinder College Highlights
Other notable sons of NBL imports who could show up on NBL rosters in the near future include;
Shaylen Woodberry
Woodberry, a left-handed junior sharp-shooter who has a knack for knocking down 3-pointers, is the son of former Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sydney import Steve Woodberry.
Shaylen, a high schooler, playing for Mount Tabor High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina so he’s a few years away from being ready for the NBL but if the Brisbane Bullets were smart they might start conversations with the son of the 1999 NBL MVP who still returns to Brisbane to visit his grandparents on a regular basis.
Tad Dufelmeier Jr
The Canberra born son of former Cannons star Tad Dufelmeier who played seven NBL seasons attended Salt Lake Community College for two years before completing college education at Concordia University.
Dufelmeier, an effective pass-first point guard is currently without a professional basketball contract.
Adrian LaFleur
The son of Andre LaFleur who averaged 21 points and 8 assists per game over a six-year NBL career with Gold Coast and Illawarra, currently playing for New Mexico Highlands (NCAA Division II).
Born in Sydney during his father’s time with the Hawks, averaged 8 points in 20 minutes per game at New Mexico Highlands this season and would be a nice addition to any NBL team’s bench this season.
Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.
