NICKNAME/S: Waxy

BIO: Born and raised in Launceston, Tasmania, Walker attended West Launceston Primary School, Riverside High School and Launceston College. Walker received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 2004. He spent one year there and played for the program’s state league team.

FAMILY: Walker is the son of Robert and Sharyn, and has a sister named Ashleigh.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Lucas Walker made his NBL debut with the Melbourne Tigers at 25 years of age. He scored six points in his first game.

In his rookie season with the Melbourne Tigers, Lucas Walker averaged 5.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists. Despite his contributions, the Tigers struggled to find their rhythm, finishing seventh in the regular season with a 10-18 record and missing the playoffs.

2011/12
During the 2011/12 NBL season, the Melbourne Tigers benefited from an NBA lockout, signing NBA free agent and Australian Boomers guard Patrick Mills, marking the first time an active NBA player joined the NBL.

Mills’ signing came late, as the Tigers had already filled their roster, including adding Ayinde Ubaka, Ron Dorsey, and Daniel Dillon from the Cairns Taipans, resulting in significant changes to Cairns’ lineup. To make room for Mills, the Tigers released long-time guard Daryl Corletto, who subsequently signed with the New Zealand Breakers.

In his nine-game stint with Melbourne, Mills averaged 19 points and 5 assists before departing to play in China. After Mills’ exit, Myron Allen was brought in as a replacement, but the team struggled to maintain a consistent performance, finishing the season in sixth place with an 11-17 record.

In his second year in the league, Lucas Walker averaged 5.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.8 assists, contributing to the team’s efforts, although the Tigers ultimately failed to reach the playoffs for the third consecutive season. Tommy Greer took on the role of team captain, while Cam Tragardh led the Tigers in scoring with an average of 16.3 points per game, earning the club’s MVP honors for the season.

2012/13
In the 2012/13 season, Lucas Walker contributed an average of 7.5 points and 5.1 rebounds, helping the Melbourne Tigers to a regular-season record of 12-16, which tied them with the Sydney Kings for fourth place. According to the NBL’s tiebreaker system, based on head-to-head results and points percentage, the Kings edged out the Tigers with a slight +2 points percentage margin. This tie-breaker ultimately dropped Melbourne to fifth place, causing them to narrowly miss the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

2013/14
In the 2013/14 season, Walker posted improved averages of 8.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. His efforts were instrumental in helping the Tigers secure a third-place finish with a 15-13 record. Melbourne’s season ended in the semifinals, where they fell to Adelaide in a hard-fought series (1–2). Walker’s performance highlighted his growing presence as a key contributor for the Tigers.

2014/15 – TIGERS BECOME UNITED
On 20 May 2014, the Melbourne Tigers were rebranded as Melbourne United. This shift was aimed at moving away from the Tigers’ long association with a junior program that had drawn criticism within the Victorian basketball community for being perceived as overly dominant and poaching young talent from other programs. The new name, intended to symbolize a connection with the entire Victorian basketball community, was introduced under the ownership of Larry Kestelman.

Head coach Chris Anstey was retained, along with Tigers legend Daryl Corletto, who returned after three years with the New Zealand Breakers. Melbourne also brought in Australian Boomers’ David Barlow, who had been playing in Europe, and signed veteran Daniel Kickert, as long-time captain Tommy Greer retired. The team’s core from the Tigers, including Lucas Walker, Mark Worthington, and Nate Tomlinson, were chosen to share captaincy responsibilities this season. United also added import players Jordan McRae and Stephen Dennis to round out the roster.

The last-minute release of Adam Ballinger, who had signed a two-year deal the previous season, added some drama to the lineup changes. With other NBL teams having completed their rosters, Ballinger found himself in a difficult position but was later signed by Illawarra, where he completed the season with the Hawks.

United’s first season under the new banner began with a challenging loss to Cairns (89–61), which led to Chris Anstey’s resignation and the promotion of assistant coach Darryl McDonald to head coach. Walker finished the season averaging 5.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.6 assists as United closed the season in fifth place (13–15), narrowly missing out on a playoff spot.

ADELAIDE 36ERS
2015/16
In the 2015/16 season, Lucas Walker joined the Adelaide 36ers as a free agent. He quickly established himself as a regular starter, starting in 24 of the team’s 28 games. Over the season, Walker averaged 5.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, providing solid rebounding and energy in the frontcourt. The 36ers concluded the season in fifth place with a balanced 14-14 record, narrowly missing out on a playoff berth.

PERTH WILDCATS
2016/17
With Adelaide opting to replace Lucas Walker with a third import (Eric Jacobsen), Walker began the pre-season trialing with the Brisbane Bullets. After missing out on a contract, he returned to Melbourne, training with Melbourne United while waiting for an NBL opportunity. A week later, the Perth Wildcats offered him a two-month injury replacement deal to cover for star rebounder Matthew Knight, who suffered a shoulder injury late in the pre-season.

Lucas Walker trained with his new teammates for the first time this morning. pic.twitter.com/p8JjsetckU

— Perth Wildcats (@PerthWildcats) September 12, 2016

The Wildcats’ 2016 off-season featured major changes, with three players from the 2016 championship team—Nathan Jawai, Tom Jervis, and Jermaine Beal—moving on. Head coach Trevor Gleeson brought in replacements Angus Brandt, Jameel McKay, and Jaron Johnson to pursue back-to-back championships, which the club hadn’t achieved since 1991.

After joining Perth, Walker saw the Wildcats start the season strong with a 4–1 record. But after a knock to the head in an early game, Damian Martin was sidelined with a jaw fracture. He returned briefly before sustaining a grade three MCL tear in his left knee against Adelaide (5 Nov 2016), ruling him out for up to 12 weeks.

The Wildcats’ form nosedived, and by December, they sat at the bottom of the ladder (7–9), with Martin, Knight, and Jarrod Kenny all on the injured list. During this stretch, Jaron Johnson bore much of the blame for the Wildcats’ performance, leading to his release and replacement with sharpshooter Andre Ingram. In a dramatic twist, Ingram left the team after two games due to mental health concerns, prompting the Wildcats to bring Johnson back temporarily. Shortly afterward, Shawn Redhage announced his retirement, adding another layer of transition to the roster.

After Knight was cleared to play, Walker was removed from the active 11-man playing roster on 20 October 2016 but remained an integral part of the team. Despite being sidelined, he attended every training session, contributed to team morale, and engaged in extensive community outreach, becoming a valued member of the Wildcats’ organization.

In December, former NBA guard Bryce Cotton joined the Wildcats, replacing Jaron Johnson, while Casey Prather continued his offensive dominance, highlighted by a career-high 39 points in a 92–89 win over Melbourne. Prather maintained his strong form, including a 29-point game against Sydney and a 26-point, 11-assist outing against Melbourne in early February. With Cotton’s arrival and Damian Martin’s return in January, the Wildcats rallied, winning eight of their final twelve games to finish third with a 15–13 record. Bench players, including Walker, also contributed during crucial games to secure a playoff spot.

The Wildcats then defeated Cairns in the semifinals and swept Illawarra 3–0 in the Grand Final series, clinching their second straight championship. Prather earned All-NBL First Team honors and was runner-up in MVP voting, while Cotton’s 45-point game in the Grand Final’s deciding game set a record. His series average of 27.7 points was the highest in two decades, and head coach Trevor Gleeson became the first Wildcats coach to lead the team to consecutive titles since 1991.

Although Walker didn’t return to the court, he was celebrated as an invaluable team member and was awarded the Coaches’ Award at the Wildcats’ MVP Ball. His efforts off the court and dedication to training kept him close to the team’s success.

Redhage also retired as one of the Wildcats’ all-time greats, finishing his career with 393 NBL games (380 with the Wildcats) and recording 5,819 points and 2,153 rebounds.

2017/18
The Wildcats re-signed Grand Final MVP Bryce Cotton for the 2017/18 season but lost two-time club MVP Casey Prather, who pursued NBA opportunities before signing with Melbourne United. Perth initially replaced Prather with Devondrick Walker, but after he suffered a pre-season foot injury, he was replaced by JP Tokoto before playing a regular season game. Derek Cooke Jr. also joined the roster, taking the place of the outgoing Jameel McKay, and Lucas Walker moved from a training role to a full-time roster spot in place of the retired Shawn Redhage.

Walker delivered one of his best NBL seasons, averaging 8.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. On 8 December 2017, he recorded 12 points and 16 rebounds (including a league-record 12 offensive rebounds in the 40-minute era) in an 88–79 win over Adelaide.

Amidst early-season head injuries, Matthew Knight announced he would retire at season’s end but eventually retired in November following a series of concussions. Perth started strong with a 10–3 record but dropped to 13–9 by mid-January due to injuries. They finished third with a 16–12 record.

Ahead of the finals, Damian Martin earned his sixth Best Defensive Player award, and Cotton claimed MVP honors, becoming only the third Wildcat to win the award after Paul Rogers (2000) and Kevin Lisch (2012). Cotton also earned All-NBL First Team selection, and Tokoto was named to the All-NBL Second Team.

In the semifinals, second-seeded Adelaide handed the Wildcats one of their heaviest postseason defeats (109–74) in Game 1. Perth fought back in Game 2 but fell short by one point (88–89), ending their season.

CAIRNS TAIPANS
2018/19
After winning gold with the Boomers at the Commonwealth Games, Walker signed with the Cairns Taipans for the 2018/19 season. Cairns embarked on a rebuild under new coach Mike Kelly, who replaced Aaron Fearne after eight seasons. The Taipans lost key players Cameron Gliddon, Mitchell McCarron, Jarrad Weeks, and Stephen Weigh to other teams or retirement.

To fill the roster, Kelly added free agent Rob Loe and an import trio of Melo Trimble, Devon Hall, and DJ Newbill, while retaining veterans Nathan Jawai, Alex Loughton, and Jarrod Kenny.

Cairns started with an 88–70 win over Brisbane but soon struggled, enduring a six-game losing streak. Later, they scored notable victories over Perth (81-79) and Brisbane (109-80) but ended with a franchise-worst record (6-22) due to inconsistent performances at home (3-11) and away (3-11).

Walker averaged 6.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists as a key rotation player. His best games included a 16-point, 9-rebound outing against New Zealand (24 Jan 2019), a 12-point, 6-rebound performance against Perth (31 Dec 2018), and an 11-point, 3-rebound, 2-assist, 3-steal game against Adelaide (23 Nov 2018).

SYDNEY KINGS
2019/20
Lucas Walker joined the Sydney Kings for the 2019/20 season, but the team quickly faced a major setback when veteran guard Kevin Lisch fractured his left ankle in Round 2. Initially ruled out for two months, Lisch returned in Round 10, only to be sidelined again due to recurring ankle issues. He finally rejoined the lineup on February 1 against the Perth Wildcats, contributing in the final three games of the regular season as the Kings secured a first-place finish with a 20–8 record. Walker averaged 1.5 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.1 assists over the season in limited minutes.

Sydney advanced through the semifinals, defeating Melbourne (2-1), setting up a Grand Final showdown with Perth. In Game One, the Kings narrowly lost a nail-biter (86-88) with Lisch leading the scoring effort (17 points). Ahead of Game Two in Perth, the decision was made to hold the remainder of the series without fans due to escalating COVID-19 concerns. Without the usual crowd energy, the Kings managed to even the series (1-1), fueled by Jae’Sean Tate’s efficient 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting and Andrew Bogut’s double-double (24 points, 14 rebounds) in one of his strongest performances of the season.

In Game Three, Perth’s Nick Kay (30 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists) set a career-high scoring effort with seven three-pointers, while Bryce Cotton delivered an all-around performance (31 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists) to lead the Wildcats to a commanding 111–96 win, putting them up 2-1 in the series.

Before Game Four, the Kings withdrew from the series due to mounting concerns over COVID-19 and the impact of impending travel restrictions on players based overseas. After a week of consideration, the league awarded Perth the championship due to their 2-1 lead, securing their tenth title. Cotton, who averaged 30.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists over the three games, was named Grand Final MVP, marking the first time a Wildcats player won both the league MVP, Grand Final MVP, and a championship in the same season.

Lucas Walker announced his retirement from the NBL on February 1, 2021, concluding his professional career after impactful stints with several teams across the league.

Lucas Walker played ten seasons across five NBL teams. This included the Melbourne Tigers, Melbourne United, Cairns Taipans, Perth Wildcats, Adelaide 36ers and Sydney Kings. He averaged 6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 240 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (815 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.