NICKNAME/S: Fish

BIO: Scott Fisher was born in San Jose, California (USA) Fisher played at the University of California, Santa Barbara under head coach Jerry Pimm.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Scott Fisher made his NBL debut with the North Melbourne Giants at 23 years of age. He scored 22 points in his first game.

Scott Fisher joined the NBL in 1987 after being recruited to play for the North Melbourne Giants by newly appointed head coach Bruce Palmer. The Giants had missed the playoffs the season prior and as a result moved home venues from Coburg to the inner city where they would play at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, more commonly known as “The Glasshouse”.

Thanks to a influx of finances, the team re-branded to the North Melbourne Giants, appointed a new head coach in Bruce Palmer, and recruited star import Scott Fisher. Fisher added 25.1 points, 11 rebounds, and 2.6 assists alongside Fisher (25.1 points and 11.0 rebounds), and together they helped guide the Giants back into the playoffs. North Melbourne finished in sixth place at the end of the regular season (15-11) and then went on to lose to Illawarra (97–105) in the Elimination Finals.

1988
It was (almost) a Cinderella season for Dillon and the Giants in 1988. This year the team added bruising import Tim Dillon to play alongside Scott Fisher, a duo that quickly became known as the ‘Twin Boulders’ by media and fans. The team also acquired US born Mark Leader from Geelong, who had become a naturalised Australian during the off-season.

The Giant’s new frontcourt saw the team skyrocket to the top of the NBL ladder, causing regular sellouts at the team’s 7,000 seat home court. Fisher (27.5 points and 11.3 rebounds) and Dillon (33.2 points and 10.9 rebounds), who was selected to the All-NBL First Team, led the Giants to a second place finish (18-6). Over the course of the season, Dillon scored 35 points or more 13 times. This included a 49 point effort, nailing 22 of 29 shots (79%), against the Newcastle Falcons.

in the semifinals, the Giants made easy work of the Wildcat’s and reached the Grand Final for the first time in the club’s history. 5,200 Cannons fans turned up to the AIS arena to see Phil Smyth (25 points) and Jamie Kennedy (21 points) lead the Cannons to victory in game one (120-95) as Dillon (29 points and 16 rebounds) leding the team in scoring and rebounds.

In game two, Dillon (43 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assist) was unstoppable, helping the Giants even the series behind a home win (117-101). Dillon also delivered his best game of the series, filling the box score with 21 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals in the win. 7,200 Giants fans turned up for Game 3, keen to see the team win their first championship, North Melbourne’s Cinderella season wouldn’t come to pass, with Canberra winning the series clinching game (108-101). Willie Simmons (23 points and 10 rebounds) led the way for the Cannons with alongside Simon Cottrell and Phil Smyth (both 21 points). Smyth would be awarded the Grand Final MVP after averaging 21.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 2.6 steals across the three-game series.

1989
Since 1986, the Giants had slowly crept closer and closer to winning their first NBL championship, with it all culminating this season. After missing the playoffs in 1986, Bruce Palmer replaced Les Riddle as coach and turned things around, coming within one game of winning the championship and come 1989, it was all business. The team added naturalised import Cecil Exum from the state league and Ray Borner (via Illawarra) to strengthen the frontcourt alongside Scott Fisher (32.1 points and 12.7 rebounds) and Tim Dillon (29.4 points and 10.0 rebounds). Both men would again, delivered two of the greatest statistical seasons of all time and Fisher would be selected to the All-NBL First Team and win the league’s Most Valuable Player award as North Melbourne finished the season in second place (17-7).

Both North Melbourne and Canberra would receive a first round bye and automatic entry to the semi finals. Canberra would qualify for the semi finals after eliminating Sydney (2-1), while North Melbourne’s semi final with Perth culminated with the Giants winning by 55 points at home in game three. The final score line of 165-110 remains the highest score ever recorded in a NBL postseason game. Dillon (40 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists), Fisher (32 points and 14 rebounds) and David Graham (25 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists) all coming up big for the Giants. Wildcats captain Mike Ellis (18 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals) top scoring for the visitors.

Canberra, who would reach their fourth time in seven years, would host game one, where the trio of Fisher (37 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 steals), Dillon (24 points and 12 rebounds), and Borner (18 points and 9 rebounds) walked into the AIS Arena and come away with a six point win (111-105).

The Giants returned to Melbourne for game two, and similar to the season prior, the Glasshouse was a sell-out, with 7,200 Giants fans keen to see the North Melbourne go one step further than last year. Fisher (33 points and 12 rebounds) was relentless at the offensive end and finished as the game’s high scorer. Teammates Dillon (21 points and 15 rebounds), Borner (16 points and 7 rebounds), David Graham (16 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals), Exum (10 points and 8 rebounds) and Mark Leader (10 points and 12 rebounds) delivered a balanced offensive attack, the Giants finishing the game with six players scoring in double figures.

North Melbourne ensured that Canberra had no chance of repeating last years result by destroying the Cannons on the glass, with the team having collected 60 rebounds, compared to Canberra’s 39 at the final siren (111-97).

The Giants 1989 title was the first Grand Final won by a Victorian team in the modern era. Not since the St Kilda Saints won in 1980 during the league’s semi-professional years had a Melbourne team become champions. Fisher, who averaged 35 points and 12 rebounds in the series, was a easy choice for Grand Final MVP honours.

1990
The Giants lost a number of key players after winning the 1989 Grand Final, which resulted in head coach Bruce Palmer furiously recruiting new talent instead of devising ways to defend their championship.

Former Indiana Hoosier Joe Hillman was signed as a replacement for Dillon, naturalised import Dwayne Nelson who had spent the past five seasons with Adelaide filled the role of Exum and young Australian Institute of Sport product, 19-year-old Pat Reidy was added to fill out the team’s main roster.

Despite the roster overhaul, the Giants blazed a trail through NBL opponents, winning their first eight games in a row. Scott Fisher (31.4 points, 12 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.5 steals) led the team in points and rebounds, finished second on the team in assists and steals and shot 55% from the field to deliver one of the greatest statistical season in NBL history.

Hillman added 22.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 2.3 steals while Ray Borner (15.8 points) and David Graham (15.5 points) rounded out the team’s offence.

The team finished the season in first place on the ladder, winning 20 from 26 games. The Giants and the Eastside Melbourne Spectres (who finished first and second) would earn a bye and face the winners of the elimination finals which saw Perth defeat Melbourne in two games and Brisbane, rebound from a game one loss to eliminate Sydney in three games. In surprising fashion, fifth placed Perth would eliminate North Melbourne in the semifinals (2-1) and third placed Brisbane defeated Eastside in two games. Perth would go on to become eventual champions, defeating Brisbane in three games to capturing their first NBL title.

1991
With the North Melbourne Giants still searching for someone to replace Tim Dillon (who had left the team after their 1989 championship), the Giants signed Yale University grad Paul Maley who had played the previous season with the South Melbourne Saints. Maley paired alongside Fisher and saw his productivity jump from a healthy 25.8 points with the Saints to a 27.6 points per game tally in his first year with the Giants, as well as 10.2 rebounds per game. Fisher would again lead the team with 30.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists as the Giants, who finished in second place during the regular season, were able to get past Geelong in the elimination finals (winning in three games) before being knocked out by rival club Eastside Melbourne Spectres in the semifinals.

1992
In 1992, Fisher (27.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists) and Paul Maley (21.9 points and 9.9 rebounds) again led the Giants into the postseason behind 14 wins, 10 losses and a fourth-place finish, Fisher being named NBL MVP at season’s end. The Giants then eliminated the Illawarra Hawks in the Quarterfinals before being ousted by Brian Goorjian and the South East Melbourne Magic. The Magic being the same team that eliminated them the season prior under a new name (The Magic had re-branded from the Eastside Melbourne Spectres at the start of the season).

At the end of the season Fisher would leave Melbourne and sign a deal with the Perth Wildcats.

PERTH WILDCATS
1993
1993
In 1993, Fisher averaged 23.7 points and 10.7 rebounds, and helped guide the Wildcat’s to a first place finish in the regular season with a 21-5 record.

1994
In 1994, Fisher averaged 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds, and helped guide the Wildcat’s to a sixth-place finish during the regular season with a 16-10 record.

1995
In 1995, Fisher averaged 19.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists as the Wildcats finished with a record of 19-7 and in ourth place during the regular season.

Fisher also led the Wildcat’s scoring with 18-points in the first ever NBL game vs NBA against Houston Rockets in London 1995.

1996
In 1996, Fisher averaged 16.4 points and 8.4 rebounds, and helped guide the Wildcat’s to a third place finish in the regular season with a 16-10 record.

1997
The 1997 season saw Fisher average 10 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1 assists and play a key role in helping the Wildcats to a fourth place finish in the regular season with a 17-13 record.

1998
During the 1998 season Fisher averaged 17.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists and helped the Wildcats finish with a record of 17-13 and end the regular season in third place.

1998/99
During the 1998/99 season, Fisher averaged 16.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists and was a part of the Wildcat’s squad which finished in sixth place with a record of 13-13.

2000
In 1999/00, Fisher averaged 12.9 points and 6.4 rebounds, and helped guide the Wildcat’s to a third place finish in the regular season with a 22-6 record.

2001
In 2000/01 Fisher averaged 13.4 points and 7.8 rebounds, and helped guide the Wildcat’s to a third place finish in the regular season with a 21-7 record.

2002
In 2002 Fisher appeared in one game for the Wildcats to round out his NBL career.

‘The Fish’ is the only NBL player to be named in a All-NBL team for the first eight seasons of his career.

Scott Fisher played sixteen seasons in the NBL, playing for both the North Melbourne Giants and the Perth Wildcats. He averaged 22.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 417 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 43rd in total games played.
– 8th in total points
– 6th in total rebounds
– 31st in total assists
– 19th in total steals

Dan Boyce (817 Posts)

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.