BIO: David Graham was born in Ivanhoe (VIC) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Bulleen basketball program. Graham received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 1984. He spent three years year there and played for the program’s state league team (1984, 1985).

NBL EXPERIENCE

David Graham made his NBL debut with the Illawarra Hawks at 20 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

Once again, the Hawks were forced to re-tool their starting line-up after losing Tim Morrissey to Canberra following his breakout season. Imports Jerry Steurer and Marlon Redmond were also not re-signed. Local product Graham Kubank was brought in as Morrissey’s replacement, while Greg May and Learando Drake were signed as the team’s new import duo.

May (27.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.1 blocks) and Drake (26.0 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.4 steals, and 1.8 blocks) didn’t disappoint, regularly filling the stat sheet. Naturalised import Jim Slacke (19.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.1 blocks) formed part of a formidable frontline for Illawarra. However, the Hawks struggled throughout the season against stronger opposition and a punishing schedule. Round 14, for example, saw the Hawks travel through three states in three days—losing to Perth by 15 points on Friday night, suffering a 75-point loss in Adelaide on Saturday, and somehow pulling off a one-point victory over St Kilda on Sunday morning in Melbourne.

Illawarra failed to build on their history-making postseason appearance from the previous year. The Hawks finished the season with losing records both at home (6–7) and on the road (4–9). Team captain Gordie McLeod (10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 10.2 assists, and 2.8 steals) led the league in assists. Kubank (10.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists) impressed in his debut season, narrowly missing out on the Rookie of the Year award to Mike McKay (Adelaide). Fellow rookie David Graham added 6.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game.

1993
David Graham joined the South East Melbourne Magic for the 1993 season following a stint with the North Melbourne Giants, stepping into a key role on a roster largely intact from the club’s championship-winning debut. With coach Brian Goorjian retaining most of the core group, Graham was one of only two significant additions—alongside Simon Kerle—brought in to help replace the departed Scott Ninnis.

Graham quickly carved out his place in the rotation, playing in all 30 games and helping to fill the gap left from Darren Perry’s ACL injurywhich saw him sidelined for the first 10 games and key big man John Dorge missing the opening 16 games due to injury, Graham’s role became even more important early in the season. He averaged 10.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 steal per game, offering steady production behind stars Robert Rose, Bruce Bolden, and Tony Ronaldson. Graham’s ability to knock down outside shots and defend multiple guard spots made him a reliable option in Goorjian’s structured, defensive-first system.

He made an immediate impact on opening night, scoring 10 points (4-of-8 FG, 2-of-3 3PT) to go with 7 assists and 2 steals in the Magic’s 106–86 win over Canberra. Throughout the season, Graham frequently shifted between roles, capable of stepping in as a secondary playmaker or floor spacer, depending on matchups and rotations. His court awareness and basketball IQ were quietly instrumental in the Magic’s second-place finish (20–6), including a dominant 12–1 record at Melbourne Park.

In the quarterfinals, South East Melbourne swept the Adelaide 36ers in two games, with Graham continuing to contribute as a steady two-way guard. That set up a semi-final rematch against the Melbourne Tigers, who had added Boomers star Mark Bradtke in the offseason.

In Game 1 of the semi-finals, Graham was one of the Magic’s few efficient performers, scoring 10 points (4-of-10 FG, 2-of-3 3PT) while adding 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in 39 minutes. Despite his efforts, South East Melbourne struggled to match Melbourne’s physicality and firepower, falling 89–72.

Graham followed up with another solid showing in Game 2, posting 14 points (5-of-13 FG, 2-of-4 3PT, 2-of-2 FT), 2 assists, and 3 steals in 27 minutes. His ability to stretch the floor and create off the dribble helped the Magic stay competitive in a high-scoring shootout, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Tigers’ trio of Lanard Copeland (32 points), Andrew Gaze (23), and Bradtke (21). The Magic narrowly lost 108–106, ending their title defence in straight sets.

While overshadowed at times by the star power of Bolden, Ronaldson, Rose, and Lucas, David Graham was an essential cog in South East Melbourne’s 1993 campaign. His consistent contributions on both ends of the floor provided balance to one of the league’s most talented lineups and underscored the depth that made the Magic a contender once again.

David Graham played ten seasons across five NBL teams. This included the Illawarra Hawks, Coburg Giants, North Melbourne Giants, South East Melbourne Magic and Geelong Supercats. He averaged 13.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 268 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 35th in total steals

Dan Boyce (836 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.