BIO: Alex Starling was born in Miami, Florida where he grew up in Richmond Heights and attended Leewood Elementary and Richmond Heights Middle School.

Starling attended Miami Killian Senior High School. As a senior in 2006/07, he was named First Team All-Dade, Second Team All State, First Team All-District and Killian High School Male Athlete of the Year. He averaged 20.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

Starling, initially arrived in Australia in 2011 to pursue a career in Australian Rules Football following a four-year collegiate basketball career in the NCAA, but returned to basketball in 2014 following stints with the Sydney Swans in the AFL and Frankston Dolphins in the VFL.

After signing a two-year, $180,000 contract with Sydney, his AFL career was cut short due to a lingering stress fracture in one of his legs saw him part ways with the Swans.

In December 2013, Starling moved to Melbourne to join the Frankston Football Club of the Victorian Football League (VFL). After the deal fell through over the summer, he moved to Adelaide in January 2014 to train with the Port Adelaide Magpies of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL); their parent organisation, the Port Adelaide Football Club of the AFL, was considering Starling for a international rookie spot. After several months training with Port, the club committed its international rookie spot to Irishman Daniel Flynn and wanted Starling to prove himself via the Magpies. Starling turned the offer down and instead turned his attention back to basketball, a move which would see him land a contract with the Adelaide 3ers in the NBL.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Alex Starling made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 34 years of age. He scored two points in his first game.

On May 23, 2023, Alex Starling officially became an Australian citizen and signed with the Adelaide 36ers for the 2023/24 NBL season.

“Alex has been dominating at the local level for several years, and now he has the opportunity to take the next step,” Adelaide head coach CJ Bruton said after signing Starling.

“Everyone speaks highly of Alex—he’s a proven winner, plays both ends of the floor at a high level, and it’s fantastic that he’s become an Australian citizen. His energy and athleticism will make us a better team.”

After a disappointing second season under Bruton, the 36ers made several roster changes. Despite imports Robert Franks and Antonius Cleveland both being contracted for another season, they were allowed to exit their deals and pursue opportunities overseas.

Other departures included Anthony Drmic (to Tasmania), Ian Clark (to Melbourne), and Kai Sotto (to Japan). However, perhaps the most significant loss for 36ers fans was the decision not to re-sign long-time big man Daniel Johnson, who had been with the club for 13 years.

To bolster their lineup, the 36ers brought back former players Jason Cadee (via Brisbane), Isaac Humphries (via Melbourne), and import Jacob Wiley, adding much-needed leadership to the squad. Along with Starling, new arrivals included Trentyn Flowers from the Next Stars program, and imports Trey Kell (via South East Melbourne) and Jamaal Franklin.

Franklin’s stint with the club was short-lived, as he was released during the NBL Blitz tournament. In a similar fashion to the previous season, Adelaide started slowly (1-4) before signing DJ Vasiljevic, who had initially left Sydney to join the Washington Wizards in the NBA but was released just before the NBL season.

Vasiljevic (19.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists) provided immediate firepower, but Adelaide’s struggles continued. A crushing defeat to Tasmania, where the 36ers shot just 29 per cent from the field and 2-11 from beyond the arc, resulted in Bruton being dismissed. With the team sitting at 4-9, assistant coach Scott Ninnis took over, guiding the team to an impressive 5-1 record in January, reviving Adelaide’s playoff hopes.

By the end of the season, Adelaide ranked second in the league for rebounding (43.5 per game) but were the worst three-point shooting team (29.9 per cent). Trey Kell (17.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.1 steals) and Isaac Humphries (15.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks) both delivered career-best seasons, while Wiley (10.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists) led the team in rebounding.

Ultimately, despite their resurgence, Adelaide finished just shy of the Play-In Tournament, with a 12-16 record. Starling (3.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.4 blocks across 25 games) contributed as a key rotation player.

Starling had several standout performances during the season, including a 10-point game on 4th February 2024 against Tasmania, where he shot 80 per cent from the field and added 3 rebounds and 3 steals in just 16 minutes. Another solid showing came on 20th January 2024 against Illawarra, where he scored 8 points and added 5 assists in 18 minutes of play. One of his most well-rounded games came earlier in the season on 11th November 2023, also against Tasmania, where he posted 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 block in 14 minutes.

2024/25
Starling re-signed with the Adelaide 36ers for a second season in 2024, but after just six games, he was released to make room for the team to retain its import players. Jarell Martin, returning from injury, and Montrezl Harrell, who had been signed as Martin’s replacement during his recovery, both remained on the roster following Martin’s return, leading to Starling’s departure.

Alex Starling currently plays for the Adelaide 36ers and has played 29 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 3.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.5 assists since entering the league in 2023.

CURRENT CONTRACT:

Adelaide 36ers – 1 Year Deal (2024-25)

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.