Wayne Larkins
July 23, 2020
Nelson Larkins
- Nationality: AUS
- Date of Birth: 15/02/96
- Place of Birth:
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 180
- Weight (KG): 91
- Junior Assoc:
- College: None
- NBL DEBUT: 23/10/14
- AGE AT DEBUT: 18
- LAST NBL GAME: 17/11/18
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 22
- NBL History: Adelaide 2015-19
- Championships: 0
- None
FAMILY: Nelson Larkins is the son of Wayne Larkins who played 347 games in the NBL.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Nelson Larkins made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 18 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.
The 36ers’ backcourt adjustments saw the exits of Gary Ervin (to Wollongong), Jason Cadee (to Sydney), and Rhys Carter (to Europe), with new additions Jamar Wilson and Daequon Montreal bringing extra scoring options. Brock Motum was also signed to become the focal point of the offense.
Wilson led the team in scoring (20 points, 5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) and earned Player of the Week honours twice, while Motum (17.5 points, 7.1 rebounds) led the team in rebounds. Creek delivered a breakout season, increasing his scoring to 11.2 points per game. Nelson Larkins, in limited minutes, contributed 0.8 points and 0.3 rebounds across 4 games but did not appear in any playoff matches.
The 36ers finished the season in third place (17-11) before being eliminated in the semifinals by eventual champions New Zealand. Wilson’s standout performances earned him the Mark Davis Trophy and All-NBL Second Team honours.
2015/16
The 36ers refreshed their backcourt with Kenyon McNeail and Ebi Ere. After Motum’s departure to Europe, the team added Lucas Walker and Nathan Sobey. Jerome Randle joined mid-season, quickly making an impact by becoming the league’s leading scorer (23.0 points, 5.2 assists) and winning the NBL Australia Post Fan’s MVP award.
Larkins, again limited in minutes, did not record any stats in his appearances, contributing mainly in training and support roles. The 36ers finished fifth (14-14), narrowly missing the playoffs despite Randle’s stellar individual performances, which earned him All-NBL First Team honours.
2016/17
With Jerome Randle returning and the addition of young talents Anthony Drmic, Majok Deng, and high school standout Terrance Ferguson, Adelaide exceeded expectations, finishing the regular season first with a 17-11 record. Larkins, still in a support role, made brief appearances and did not record notable stats.
The 36ers faced Illawarra in the semifinals, winning the first game convincingly but falling in games two and three, ending their season prematurely. Randle’s MVP-caliber season saw him win NBL MVP, while Sobey’s breakout earned him the Most Improved Player award and a spot on the All-NBL Second Team.
2017/18
Adelaide retained its Australian core and added Shannon Shorter to replace Randle. Larkins averaged 1 point, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.3 assists in minimal minutes, primarily supporting the team in training and morale.
In the playoffs, the 36ers advanced past Perth but ultimately fell to Melbourne in a five-game grand final series.
Nelson Larkins played four seasons the Adelaide 36ers..
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 22 | Adelaide | 18-10 (2) | 11 | 35.1 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 13 | 31% | 1 | 8 | 13% | 2 | 4 | 50% | 37% | 35% | 7 |
| 2016-17 | 21 | Adelaide | 17-11 (1) | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0 |
| 2015-16 | 20 | Adelaide | 14-14 (5) | 2 | 0.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0 |
| 2014-15 | 19 | Adelaide | 17-11 (3) | 4 | 2.0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 50% | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 75% | 0% | 3 | Totals | 20 | 41 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 16 | 31.3% | 2 | 10 | 20.0% | 2 | 4 | 50.0% | 39% | 38% | 7 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 22 | Adelaide | 18-10 (2) | 11 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 31% | 0.1 | 0.7 | 13% | 0.2 | 0.4 | 50% | 37% | 35% | 7 |
| 2016-17 | 21 | Adelaide | 17-11 (1) | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0 |
| 2015-16 | 20 | Adelaide | 14-14 (5) | 2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0 |
| 2014-15 | 19 | Adelaide | 17-11 (3) | 4 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 50% | 0.3 | 0.3 | 100% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 75% | 0% | 3 | Total | 20 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 31.3% | 0.0 | 20.0% | 0.1 | 0.5 | 50.0% | 39% | 38% | 7 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Mackay (2018), South West Metro (2019), Bendigo (2021), Red City (2022–2023)<
Nelson Larkins joined Mackay for the 2018 QBL season, playing as a point guard and appearing in 20 games. He averaged 14.4 points in 25.8 minutes per game, with Mackay reaching the QBL semi-finals after a quarter-final win over Rockhampton.
He joined South West Metro for the 2019 QBL season, moving into the Pirates backcourt after his Mackay stint. South West Metro entered the season after an 8–10 finish the previous year and added Larkins as part of a roster that also included Henry Pwono, Jarett Croff and Max Kerle.
Larkins joined Bendigo for the 2021 NBL1 South season, appearing in 15 games and scoring 134 points while shooting 45.2 percent from the field, 53.4 percent on two-point attempts and 34.8 percent from three-point range. His season included 23 points, five rebounds and three assists in an 85–80 overtime win against Ballarat, followed by 10 points, six rebounds, seven assists and two steals against Melbourne.
He joined Red City for the 2022 NBL1 North season, averaging 14.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.7 made threes per game. He opened the season with 20 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals, later scored 30 points against Mackay, and finished as Red City’s team leader in assists and steals.
Larkins remained with Red City for the 2023 NBL1 North season, re-signing as a backcourt leader and continuing with a roster that included Mitch Poulain, Kane Bishop, Alec Godinet, Gareth Lyle, Sam Haughton, Robert McCowan and Jayden Hodgson.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Finland - Porvoon Tarmo (2018–2019), Torpan Pojat Juniorit Helsinki (2020–2021) | Georgia - BC Rustavi (2020) | Ireland - Portlaoise Panthers (2021–2022) | Luxembourg - Mambra Mamer (2023–2024), Basket Esch (2024)
Larkins joined Porvoon Tarmo for the 2018–19 Finnish 1st Division season, playing six games and averaging 24.3 points.
Larkins signed with BC Rustavi on February 9, 2020 for the Georgian Super Liga season, playing two games and averaging 3.5 points, 0.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists.
He joined Torpan Pojat Juniorit Helsinki for the 2020–21 Finnish season after leaving BC Rustavi.
Larkins joined Portlaoise Panthers for the 2021–22 Irish National League season, averaging 22 points and a league-leading 9 assists while ranking sixth in league scoring.
He scored 25 points for Portlaoise Panthers in an 83–92 loss to IT Carlow Basketball on October 15, 2021.
Larkins joined Mambra Mamer for the 2023–24 Luxembourg LBBL season, averaging 22.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists across seven games.
He scored 31 points for Mambra Mamer in a 105–92 win over Kordall Steelers on September 24, 2023. Larkins moved to Basket Esch on January 1, 2024 during the 2023–24 Luxembourg LBBL season, recording 21 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals in one game.
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