NICKNAME/S: Spike
BIO: Paul Stanley was born in Butler, Pennsylvania (USA).
Paul Stanley made his NBL debut with the Melbourne Tigers at 22 years of age. He scored 27 points in his first game.
In 1986, Andrew Gaze (36.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists) and new import Paul Stanley (33.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists) combined to average 71 points per game for the Melbourne Tigers. This year marked the first time Gaze would lead the league in scoring, a feat he would repeat every year until 2001. Stanley, managed to score 40 points or more five times, including a 50-point game.
Despite the offensive fire power of Gaze and Stanley, the Tigers still struggled to find wins, managing only six and twenty losses that season. Gaze efforts were rewarded with a spot on the All-NBL First Team, also the first of his career.
HOBART DEVILS
1987
Hobart added high scoring import Paul Stanley (via Melbourne) to the roster, pairing him with Steve Carfino and immediately saw an impact. Stanley (35.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.3 steals per game) led the league in scoring and become the fastest player in NBL history to reach 1,000 career points. His 35.4 points per game is the seventh-best mark in league history for a single year.
He spear-headed a Devils squad that featured good chemistry and a high-powered offense. Carfino (22.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 3.4 steals), Wayne Burden (12.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 steals) and Jerry Dennard (11.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks) rounded out the Devils primary offensive threats, while american coach Dave ‘Doc’ Adkins led Hobart to a 14-win, 12-loss record, the best result ever for the franchise. Stanley was subsequently named to the All-NBL Second Team at the end of the season.
1989
Stanley wasn’t re-signed by Hobart after leading the league in scoring but returned to the Devils the following season.
Amidst financial woes, Hobart attempted a 180 degree turn in 1989. The team had recorded their first winning season in 1987, but backed that up with a tenth place finish and this, combined with the loss of fan favorite players Steve Carfino and Stanley, saw the Devils facing backlash from fans and sponsors alike.
Hobart added Wayne McDaniel (33.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals) to go alongside the reigning NBL MVP Joe Hurst.
The off-court drama resulted in a coaching merry-go-round affair, with the team being coached by three different men in the first five weeks. The Devils ending the year with Tom Maher in the role.
Mid-season injuries saw Hurst (23.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) unable to put up the same numbers as he previously had and a decision was made to bring back high scoring import Stanley (28.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists) for the final 11 games of the season. In August 1989, he became the fastest player in NBL history to reach 2,000 career points.
Turmoil eventually made it’s way to the playing group, with Gordie McLeod retiring at season’s end, amid threats of suing the club.
Hobart finished a disappointing tenth for the second season in a row, only this time with an even worse record (8-16).
1990
In 1990, Stanley (24.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) began the season with the Devils, but only played in the first seven games. Hobart went on to finish with a record of 8-18.
Over 69 games in the NBL, Stanley averaged 32.6 points, which ranks first all time in league history for career points per game with a minimum of 60 games. He also shot 124-for-271 (45.76%) from 3-point range, which ranks second all time in league history for 3-point percentage with a minimum of 100 makes.
Paul Stanley played four seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Melbourne Tigers and the Hobart Devils. He averaged 32.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 69 NBL games.
CAREER RANKINGS:
– 2nd in points per game.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 26 | Hobart | 8-18 (12) | 7 | 270 | 169 | 40 | 22 | 15 | 25 | 7 | 4 | 23 | 19 | 68 | 141 | 48% | 14 | 27 | 52% | 19 | 22 | 86% | 56% | 53% | 31 |
| 1989 | 25 | Hobart | 8-16 (10) | 11 | 462 | 314 | 70 | 27 | 23 | 47 | 11 | 10 | 28 | 29 | 127 | 237 | 54% | 25 | 59 | 42% | 35 | 42 | 83% | 61% | 59% | 39 |
| 1986 | 22 | Melbourne | 6-20 (13) | 25 | 0 | 845 | 145 | 70 | 28 | 117 | 32 | 12 | 75 | 81 | 362 | 718 | 50% | 28 | 59 | 47% | 93 | 110 | 85% | 55% | 52% | 50 |
| 1987 | 23 | Hobart | 14-12 (7) | 26 | 1,202 | 920 | 145 | 58 | 39 | 106 | 61 | 11 | 83 | 65 | 381 | 800 | 48% | 57 | 126 | 45% | 101 | 123 | 82% | 54% | 51% | 47 | Totals | 69 | 1934 | 2248 | 400 | 177 | 105 | 295 | 111 | 37 | 209 | 194 | 938 | 1896 | 49.5% | 124 | 271 | 45.8% | 248 | 297 | 83.5% | 55% | 53% | 50 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 26 | Hobart | 8-18 (12) | 7 | 38.6 | 24.1 | 5.7 | 3.1 | 2.1 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 9.7 | 20.1 | 48% | 2.0 | 3.9 | 52% | 2.7 | 3.1 | 86% | 56% | 53% | 31 |
| 1989 | 25 | Hobart | 8-16 (10) | 11 | 42.0 | 28.5 | 6.4 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 4.3 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 11.5 | 21.5 | 54% | 2.3 | 5.4 | 42% | 3.2 | 3.8 | 83% | 61% | 59% | 39 |
| 1986 | 22 | Melbourne | 6-20 (13) | 25 | 0.0 | 33.8 | 5.8 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 4.7 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 14.5 | 28.7 | 50% | 1.1 | 2.4 | 47% | 3.7 | 4.4 | 85% | 55% | 52% | 50 |
| 1987 | 23 | Hobart | 14-12 (7) | 26 | 46.2 | 35.4 | 5.6 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 4.1 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 14.7 | 30.8 | 48% | 2.2 | 4.8 | 45% | 3.9 | 4.7 | 82% | 54% | 51% | 47 | Total | 69 | 28.0 | 32.6 | 5.8 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 4.3 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 13.6 | 27.5 | 49.5% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 45.8% | 1.8 | 3.9 | 83.5% | 55% | 53% | 50 |
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 50 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
|---|
In 1988, Stanley returned to the USA after a season with Hobart and playedfor the Youngstown Pride in the World Basketball League.
Paul Stanley played four seasons of college basketball for the Waynesburg University Yellow Jackets from 1981–82 through 1984–85, finishing his career with 1,916 points in 111 games (17.3 points per game) while making 763 field goals and 365 free throws.
He led Waynesburg in scoring as a sophomore in 1982–83, when he totaled 475 points across 29 games (16.4 points per game), and he again topped the team as a senior in 1984–85 with 608 points in 28 games (21.7 points per game).
During his senior season, Stanley produced a 38-point game against Westminster, which remains listed among the program’s top single-game scoring performances, and he graduated in 1985 having set the school’s career scoring mark at the time with 1,916 points.
Across his four-year stretch at Waynesburg, Stanley was a four-year starter and a two-year captain, earned two NAIA District 18 All-Star selections, helped the Yellow Jackets win two NAIA District 18 championships, and was recognized on the Pittsburgh Press Small College First Team and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Small College “First Five.”
- 1x All-NBL Second Team
Whilst we try to source as much information as we can for every player who has ever played in the NBL some information on a player profile may be missing. If you have additional information on a player you'd like us to add to a profile, please send it to us using the enquiry form below.
Submissions are then sent to info@aussiehoopla.com
Over the past three NBL seasons, clubs have spent almost $97 million assembling their rosters, but how much of that money has translated into wins, and which teams have delivered the best value for money? These figures represent cash spend, not salary cap spend. Cash spending includes player salaries and additional costs such as agent fees, bonuses, import related expenses and luxury tax, rather than simply the amounts counted against the league's salary cap. How much have NBL teams spent over the past three seasons?…
READ MORELarry Bird believed players began tuning out coaches after three years. Pat Riley reportedly put the limit at five, while Steve Kerr admitted his Golden State players were tired of hearing him in his fourth season. Now Justin Tatum is in his fourth season with Illawarra, and the Hawks have gone from NBL champions to the bottom of the ladder. Could they be experiencing the same problem? Justin Tatum transformed Illawarra from one of the NBL's worst teams into champions. But ahead of today's clash…
READ MOREIn 2002, the Melbourne Tigers were fighting for survival when they identified an opportunity to attract supporters from their biggest rivals. Their plan to honour Brian Goorjian was blocked by the Victoria Giants, potentially changing the course of Melbourne basketball history. In 2002, the Melbourne Tigers devised a plan that could have changed the future of their club. The Tigers were emerging from financial administration, crowds were falling and the club had been forced to abandon its home at Vodafone Arena, now known as John…
READ MOREA new funding proposal, a crucial November meeting and renewed interest from the NBL could finally provide a pathway for professional basketball to return to the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast's long-running push to return to the NBL has reached another critical stage, with Mayor Tom Tate preparing to meet Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie in November to discuss the future of the proposed $1 billion Gold Coast Arena. After years of negotiations, changing timelines and funding setbacks, the city's hopes of securing an NBL…
READ MOREFour-time NBL champion and 1994 Grand Final MVP Paul Rees joins the podcast to reflect on his journey from small-town basketball to a 17-season NBL career with the Brisbane Bullets, North Melbourne Giants and Adelaide 36ers. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Host Dan Boyce chats with Rees about winning championships with North Melbourne and Adelaide, playing under Brett Brown and Phil Smyth, representing Australia at the 1994 World Championship, and battling Brian Goorjian and some of the NBL’s best teams throughout…
READ MOREJensen Bradtke wearing his father Mark’s famous No. 50 should be one of the great stories of NBL27. Instead, it has again exposed a question Melbourne United has never properly answered: when does Melbourne Tigers history belong to United, and when doesn’t it? Seeing BRADTKE and No. 50 together on a Melbourne basketball jersey again should be nothing other than a celebration. Jensen Bradtke is beginning his first season with Melbourne United, wearing the same number his father Mark wore through one of the great…
READ MOREEvery NBL pre-season, there is plenty of attention on players around the league who could take the next step in their professional basketball journey. A breakout can happen in different ways. For some players, it’s getting more opportunity. For an established player, it can mean building on what they have already achieved and elevating their game to another level. For others, it may simply take a new home where their skills can be maximised. Below are four players who I think are ready to break…
READ MOREFormer Sydney Kings and Canberra Cannons import Mario Donaldson joins the podcast to revisit his time in the NBL, including competing in the famous 1994 NBL Dunk Contest, the highs and lows of his seasons in Sydney and Canberra, and the success he found playing around the world. Host Dan Boyce chats with Donaldson about arriving in Sydney in 1994 and playing alongside Leon Trimmingham, helping the Kings return to the playoffs and establishing himself as one of the league’s best outside shooters. Visit dunk.com.au…
READ MORE