BIO: Jonah Antonio was born and raised in Perth (WA). He also attended Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, Kansas (USA).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Jonah Antonio made his NBL debut with the Cairns Taipans at 25 years of age. He scored 11 points in his first game.

Jonah Antonio signed a three-year deal with Cairns in June 2022, joining the Taipans after a season of foundational building under coach Adam Forde. Despite the previous year not yielding much on-court success, the groundwork laid resulted in Cairns having one of their most successful seasons ever during NBL23. The team retained key players such as leading scorer Tahjere McCall, Majok Deng, Bul Kuol, Mirko Djeric, and the league’s Most Improved Player, Keanu Pinder.

Cairns saw significant changes in their roster during the off-season. Major departures included Kouat Noi (to Sydney) and Nathan Jawai, who, despite expressing a desire to continue playing, was not re-signed by the Taipans or any other NBL team. The roster rebuild began with the signing of promising big man Sam Waardenburg (3-year deal), who was highly sought after by multiple NBL teams but chose Cairns due to being offered a starting role. Fellow college graduate Lat Mayen (Nebraska) and Jonah Antonio (via the Czech League) also signed multi-year deals, while Ben Ayre, who impressed as an injury replacement player last season, was elevated to the main roster. Imports Scott Machado and Stephen Zimmerman were replaced with DJ Hogg and Shannon Scott.

Entering the season as one of the youngest teams in the league, Cairns was widely predicted to finish at the bottom of the ladder. However, the Taipans defied expectations, starting their campaign with a 5-1 record, including upset wins over grand finalists Tasmania (106–84), South East Melbourne (85–76), and reigning champions Sydney (83–78). Their sole loss during this stretch was against Perth (76–105).

Notable performances throughout the season included two victories against Melbourne United. The first, a tightly contested game, saw Cairns outscore Melbourne 11-1 in the final four minutes to secure an 81–77 win, propelling them into second place on the ladder. Coach Forde praised Pinder (26 points and 10 rebounds), calling him “the best center in the league.” The second matchup was a dominant 25-point victory, where Cairns led by as much as 40 points in the final quarter.

Cairns developed a reputation for ending opposition win streaks. Notably, they snapped Brisbane’s three-game win streak in November (90–82) and halted Sydney’s record-breaking 17-game road winning streak with a thrilling overtime victory (94–88).

Despite losing Keanu Pinder to an ankle injury in December, Cairns surprised the league by going on a five-game winning streak. This stretch included wins over Adelaide (86–83), Illawarra (96–89 and 89–84), Brisbane (107–81), and South East Melbourne (94–85).

In the final month of the season, Pinder sustained an eye injury, ruling him out of the playoffs. Cairns and New Zealand battled for second place, with the Taipans finishing their regular season by defeating Perth (84–71). Although Cairns and New Zealand ended with identical records (18–10), the Breakers’ superior points percentage saw Cairns drop to third, necessitating a play-in tournament route to the semi-finals.

Cairns faced Perth in the play-in tournament without Pinder but triumphed behind a record-breaking performance from DJ Hogg (32 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists), who set the Taipans’ playoff scoring record in their 91–78 victory. This advanced Cairns to a semi-final matchup against Sydney.

The Taipans faced further adversity when McCall dislocated his shoulder in the seeding qualifier against Tasmania, forcing him to miss Game 1 of the series. Sydney capitalized on his absence, with Xavier Cooks (27 points and 14 rebounds) leading the Kings to a 95–87 win. Game 2 was marked by drama, including the ejection of Kings coach Chase Buford and multiple injuries. Amid the chaos, DJ Hogg (25 points and 8 rebounds) and McCall (20 points and 7 assists) led Cairns to a 93–82 win, forcing a decisive Game 3.

In the final game, Sydney’s Dejan Vasiljevic delivered in clutch moments, hitting three key three-pointers on his way to 15 points and 5 rebounds. Cooks added a double-double (11 points and 11 rebounds), and Sydney’s defense held Cairns to their lowest score of the season in a 79–64 victory to advance to the Championship Series. Ben Ayre was Cairns’ top scorer in Game 3, finishing with 20 points (4-of-8 from three) and 4 assists.

DJ Hogg (18.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks) led the Taipans in scoring and joined Pinder (16.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 steals) on the All-NBL Second Team. Pinder made history by becoming the first player to win the Most Improved Player award twice. Rookie Sam Waardenburg (11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists) earned the league’s Next Generation Award.

Jonah Antonio appeared in 26 games for Cairns, averaging 3.0 points and 1.4 rebounds per game, contributing to a Taipans team that exceeded expectations and delivered a memorable season.

2024/25
Heading into NBL25, Cairns undertook a full roster refresh following the exit of key players Patrick Miller and Tahjere McCall. The offseason also saw Bul Kuol (to Sydney), Lat Mayen (to Adelaide), Bobi Klintman (NBA Draft), and Josh Roberts depart, leaving several vacancies to fill.

To restock, the Taipans brought in imports Rob Edwards, Pedro Bradshaw, and Tanner Groves, and elevated young playmaker Taran Armstrong to captain and lead guard. Additional reinforcements included Kyle Adnam (Illawarra), Jackson Makoi (Sydney), and Kyrin Galloway (Adelaide), while Sam Waardenburg re-signed to solidify the frontcourt. Development roster spots went to Alex Higgins-Titsha and Kody Stattmann (South East Melbourne). Jonah Antonio returned as a floor-spacing wing option off the bench.

Cairns opened the season competitively, winning three of their first four games, including an early-season away upset of Melbourne United. However, things unraveled quickly. A heartbreaking three-point loss to Perth and a heavy road defeat to Sydney launched a double-digit losing streak through November and December. Despite flashes of individual brilliance from several contributors, the team’s defensive structure and late-game execution faltered consistently.

Jonah Antonio served primarily as a reserve wing, tasked with providing outside shooting and secondary rebounding. In a rotation that was frequently disrupted by injuries, Antonio was one of several role players who stepped up when the team was undermanned. His scoring came in bursts, but his size on the wing and rebounding hustle made him a useful depth piece during stretches where Cairns was forced to dig deep into their bench.

By the end of 2024, Cairns had tumbled to a 3–16 record and found themselves last on the ladder. Injury setbacks played a significant role—Taran Armstrong missed time with an ankle sprain in Round 3 warmups, and import Tanner Groves was also sidelined for several games with a calf strain. Kyrin Galloway was the only player to appear in all 28 games, with the projected starting five missing 25 combined games over the season. Temporary signings Deshon Taylor (3 games) and Tad Dufelmeier Jr (4 games) were brought in to help patch the roster.

The Taipans showed improved form in January, going 4–3 in that month alone. Notable wins came over Brisbane, Illawarra, and a thrilling double-overtime road win against Perth. Rob Edwards erupted for 30+ in multiple games, and Armstrong posted the team’s lone triple-double in a 100–88 win over Brisbane. The team closed the regular season at 8–21, with Adam Forde departing the club shortly after, ending a three-year run as head coach.

Jonah Antonio completed the season averaging 4.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.8 assists across 26 appearances. His standout games included an 11-point, 8-rebound outing against Melbourne United on October 27, a 13-point effort with 4 rebounds and 2 assists in a key win over Adelaide on September 28, and a 9-point, 4-rebound showing against the New Zealand Breakers on November 16. Though not a primary option, Antonio’s contributions added necessary support during a season when depth was frequently tested.

Sam Waardenburg (14.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists) was Cairns’ most consistent presence 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 both solid, while emerging talent from Kyrin Galloway (7.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.1 blocks), Akoldah Gak (6.3 points, 5.6 rebounds), and Alex Higgins-Titsha (6.2 points, 3.9 rebounds) gave fans optimism for the future.

2025/26
After winning its second NBL championship, Illawarra entered 2025/26 without Trey Kell III (to Toyama), Darius Days (to San-en), Lachlan Olbrich (to Chicago) and Hyunjung Lee (to Nagasaki), while Tyler Harvey, William Hickey, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, Mason Peatling, Todd Blanchfield, Daniel Grida and the injured Sam Froling returned. Head coach Justin Tatum added JaVale McGee (via Bayamón), JaQuori McLaughlin (via Jakarta), Jonah Bolden (via Arecibo), Harry Froling (via Melbourne), Biwali Bayles (via Sydney), Johny Narkle (via Geraldton) and Jackson Ball (via Hawke’s Bay).

Illawarra raised its championship banner before opening the season against Tasmania at the WIN Entertainment Centre on September 27, where Antonio (0 points in 0:17) appeared briefly off the bench as the JackJumpers won 91-86. McGee (32 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks) and Harvey (19 points and 6 rebounds) led the Hawks, while Hamilton (21 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) was Tasmania’s best.

Antonio (0.8 points across 6 games) had signed as a nominated injury replacement player on September 17 after spending three seasons with Cairns. The 28-year-old guard had also represented Australia at the 3×3 World Cup and averaged 15.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 three-pointers with East Perth during the NBL1 West season.

Antonio’s best scoring game came against Brisbane on October 11, where he made one three-pointer and finished with 3 points in 6:38 as Illawarra collected its first win of the season with a 116-89 victory. Harvey (22 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists, and 4 steals) and McGee (13 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) led the Hawks, while Prather (28 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals) was Brisbane’s best.

After Antonio’s sixth appearance, development player Narkle (2.1 points across 18 games) was elevated to the main roster in his place for the October 25 game against Perth, ending Antonio’s brief role in the active squad.

McGee (19.3 points, 10 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks across 31 games) and Harvey (16.9 points and 3.6 assists across 31 games) led Illawarra’s offence, while Peterson (15.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists across 26 games) and Hickey (12.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists across 27 games) provided the other major production.

The Hawks missed the postseason and finished eighth with a 13-20 record before closing their title defence with a 103-70 win over Tasmania at MyState Bank Arena.Jonah Antonio currently plays for the Illawarra Hawks and has played 75 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 3.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.3 assists since entering the league in 2022.