BIO: Kay grew up in Tamworth, New South Wales, and at aged 17, he moved to Sydney to attend Newington College, where he was selected to the Australian under 19s team.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Nicholas Kay made his NBL debut with the Townsville Crocodiles at 23 years of age. He scored six points in his first game.

Front office changes and financial limitations saw the Crocodiles struggling to gain clarity on their future in the competition, resulting in player recruitment becoming extremely challenging for Townsville. The first impact of this saw Todd Blanchfield, who earned the NBL Most Improved Player the season prior, relocate to Melbourne and sign with the re-branded Melbourne United. Coach Shawn Dennis would sign Nicholas Kay, who was returning home after four years at Metro State College of Denver and then rounded out the rest of the roster by signing players happy to play for near league minimum contracts, mostly young talent unable to latch on with other team’s or veteran players other team’s had given up on. Luke Schenscher (via Adelaide), Corey Maynard and Mitchell Young (both via Cairns) were clear examples of that.

NBL MVP Brian Conklin was re-signed and appointed team captain and paired with incoming import Jordair Jett.

The season began with two consecutive losses to Melbourne United (84-99) at home and New Zealand (81-89) in New Zealand. But then, in surprising fashion, Townsville, who had won a total of three away games the previous season, defeated Sydney (80-77) and Perth (66-63) on their home floor in back-to-back rounds.

Townsville’s season quickly turned sour after that, highlighted by their 31-point defeat at the hands of Melbourne in late October and having the worst record in the league (2-9) after the first few months of the season. Then, when the team faced the Perth Wildcats at home, Conklin was involved in a ugly on-court incident involving Perth Wildcats guard Damian Martin Martin. During the fourth quarter of the Crocodiles win over the Wildcat’s (89–77), Conklin’s errant elbow collided with and broke Martin’s jaw. Despite a call from Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze for Conklin to be suspended for at least six weeks, the NBL cleared Conklin of any wrongdoing. A similar situation arose during a brutal loss to Adelaide (65-89) less than two weeks after the Martin encounter, where Conklin (21 points and 12 rebounds) was in the spotlight again for another elbow incident, this time for striking 36ers forward Mitch Creek in a similar manner. He subsequently received a three-match suspension, with two of those games suspended for the rest of the season.

By the end of November, sitting at the bottom of the ladder (4–10), Townsville terminated Conklin’s contract due to what the club claimed was a number of ‘sub-par performances’. Conklin (13.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game) later took to social media to share his version of the truth, which pointed the finger at Townsville wanting to reduce costs as the reason for his release. The Crocs would bring in a former college teammate of Patty Mills, Omar Samhan (13 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.1 blocks), as Conklin’s replacement a week later.

Schenscher (4.1 points and 3.1 rebounds) also struggled with injuries and with nine games remaining, Townsville chose to add Harry Froling (1.6 points and 0.8 rebounds), a member of Townsville’s junior program, as an injury replacement player for him.

While Jett (15.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.1 steals) struggled in the team’s early games, he would explode during the second half of the season, leading the team in scoring with Mirko Djeric (5.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists) delivering his best season to date. With Townsville now firmly focused as a team, their work was rewarded in the second half of the season, winning half of their remaining games (7-7). This included a upset victory over Adelaide will go down in Townsville history as perhaps the most exciting finish to a game. The win showcased the fighting qualities instilled in the Crocs and even in the most unlikely circumstances, a team must play to the final buzzer.

Despite again finishing with a winning record at home (8-6) but only three road wins for the season, Townsville would finish second last on the ladder (11-17) with Jett being awarded the Kevin Sugars Medal (club MVP).

Despite the hardships Townsville was viewed as overachievers for the most part and coach Shawn Dennis was rewarded by the league with the NBL’s coach of the year trophy. The Croc’s cleaned up on awards night with Nicholas Kay (10.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) also winning Rookie of the Year and Clint Steindl (12.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists) earning Most Improved Player.

Although Townsville had a verbal commitment from the league they would be able to continue playing with their support, the inability to raise enough money from the community saw their eventual demise. Kay and Mitchell Norton (8.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists) both signed deals with Illawarra and while Young found a spot with Brisbane. Unable to find deals in Australia, Steindl and Djeric both ventured overseas, Luke Schenscher retired and coach Shawn Dennis would end up coaching in the Japanese national league.

ILLAWARRA HAWKS
2016/17
The Hawks would face a tough off-season in 2017, first losing Kevin Lisch to NSW rival Sydney who offered a very large contract to Kevin Lisch far above what the Hawks could afford. Then losing veteran Kirk Penney who would return to play for the New Zealand Breakers.

With the demise of the Townsville Crocodiles following the 2015/16 season, Norton and teammate Nick Kay immediately became free agents, both heavily sought after by a number of rival NBL clubs.

Despite receiving a number of higher financial offers, the prospect of playing under head coach Rob Beveridge resulted in both signing two-year deals to play with the Hawks.

Beveridge would replace Lisch with returning Hawk and former NBL MVP Rotnei Clarke, pair him with Marvelle Harris as the team’s second import and was able to retain his core group of Oscar Forman, Tim Coenraad, Rhys Martin and Kevin White.

With all the new faces, the Hawks struggled to start the season and after first four rounds they sat at the bottom of the ladder.

Behind a strong finish to the season from the high-scoring Clarke (17 points per game) the Hawks squeezed into the top four by one game and Norton finished the regular season averaging 8.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists.

The Hawks faced the Adelaide in the semifinals, the 36ers had finished the season on top of the NBL Ladder and took game one easily, 93-78, behind Jerome Randle’s 26 points and 4 assists. In a major upset, the Hawks would go on to win games two (100–94) and three (106-98) ending the 36ers season in premature fashion. Rotnei Clark led the team in scoring with 20 points in the deciding game.

There they would face off against Beveridge’s former team, the Perth Wildcats, who would sweep the Hawks in three straight games and win their eighth NBL Championship.

Rotnei Clarke, the Hawks leading scorer, struggled against the Wildcats, with defensive player of the year Damian Martin limiting him to just eight shots in game one. On the other hand, Perth’s leading scorer Bryce Cotton couldn’t be stopped, etching his name in the record books after exploding for 45 points in game three and taking home the NBL Finals MVP award.

2017/18
In his second year with the Hawks Kay would average 11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists as the team narrowly missed out on making the playoffs. Illawarra finishing fifth in 2017/18 with a record of 12-16.

PERTH WILDCATS
2018/19
On 20 April 2018, Kay signed a three-year deal with Perth. The Wildcats were super active this offseason, adding both Kay and Mitch Norton (both via Illawarra), two-time champion Tom Jervis (via Brisbane), and new import Terrico White (via Korea). Perth allso managed to re-sign star Bryce Cotton (three-year deal). These signings led to the exits of Lucas Walker, Jarrod Kenny, and Dexter Kernich-Drew, who all signed with Cairns. Perth’s final roster move was elevating four-year development player Rhys Vague to the full-time roster.

The team travelled to the United States for two pre-season games against NBA teams Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets. They suffered a heavy (130–72) loss to the Jazz in their first match, which coach Trevor Gleeson cited as the catalyst for the season’s success. In their second game, they narrowly lost (96–88) to the Denver Nuggets, gaining valuable experience that set the tone for the season.

Perth started the season strongly, boasting a (10–1) record. However, the team’s momentum was disrupted when captain Damian Martin (5.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.6 steals) suffered a right calf tear, sidelining him for six games. Compounding the issue, Angus Brandt (8.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists) also faced setbacks, missing three games in November due to an ankle injury sustained while playing for the Australian Boomers. As a result, Perth’s form took a downturn, and by mid-January, the Wildcats had lost eight of their next ten games, bringing their record to (12–9).

During this time, the Wildcats faced increasing external pressure, urging them to make changes to their roster and add a third import. Instead, the organisation and coaches backed the existing playing group, which returned to form as the roster regained health. Perth bounced back with three straight wins over Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney, which saw them return to the top of the ladder with two rounds to go, finishing first at the end of the regular season (18–10).

Kay (14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.2 steals) delivered the best season of his career, earning a spot on the All-NBL First Team. His standout performances included 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists against Melbourne United on 16 February 2019, 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists against the Sydney Kings on 28 October 2018, and 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists against the Cairns Taipans on 7 November 2018.

Perth was led offensively by Bryce Cotton (21.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.4 steals), finishing as the league’s leading scorer and an All-NBL First Team selection, alongside Terrico White (17.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists), who battled through numerous injuries during the regular season.

Perth went on to face Brisbane in the semi-finals, where Terrico White (24 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist), Bryce Cotton (19 points, 2 rebounds, and 10 assists), and Nicholas Kay (18 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assists) led the team to a Game 1 win (89–59). Cameron Gliddon (18 points and 4 rebounds) finished as Brisbane’s top scorer. In Game 2 (84–79), Terrico White (24 points and 3 rebounds) led Perth in scoring, Bryce Cotton (19 points and 10 assists) recorded his first career double-double, and Kay (16 points and 15 rebounds) also made a solid contribution. Despite strong efforts from Lamar Patterson (19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals) and Matthew Hodgson (15 points and 2 blocks), Brisbane couldn’t stop Perth from advancing to the Grand Final to face Melbourne.

Once into the Grand Final series, Perth faced reigning champions Melbourne United. In Game 1 of the Grand Final series (81-71), Perth secured a hard-fought victory despite Bryce Cotton (10 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists) being shut down offensively by Melbourne’s defence. The Wildcats’ win was powered by performances from Terrico White (19 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Nicholas Kay (14 points and 7 rebounds), who continued to provide solid play in the paint. Melbourne’s offence was led by Casper Ware (19 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Chris Goulding (15 points and 2 assists).

Game 2 of the Grand Final series (92-74) saw Melbourne bounce back with a balanced offensive effort led by Casper Ware (14 points and 2 assists), Chris Goulding (14 points and 2 rebounds), DJ Kennedy (12 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists), and David Barlow (11 points and 4 rebounds), allowing United to even the series. Despite Kay’s (13 points and 9 rebounds) best efforts, and strong performances from Bryce Cotton (19 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Terrico White (17 points and 4 rebounds), Perth couldn’t keep pace as United proved too strong on the night.

The loss prompted coach Trevor Gleeson to make several adjustments, which led to Perth dominating Game 3 (95-67). Terrico White (31 points and 7 rebounds) and Bryce Cotton (27 points, 4 rebounds, and 10 assists) were unstoppable, combining for 58 points and nearly outscoring Melbourne by themselves, while Kay (11 points and 12 rebounds) continued to contribute valuable minutes. For Melbourne, DJ Kennedy (13 points and 10 rebounds) and David Barlow (13 points and 5 rebounds) were the only bright spots.

In the deciding Game 4 (97-84), Perth clinched the title with another strong showing from Bryce Cotton (28 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals) and Terrico White (20 points and 8 rebounds), with Kay (12 points and 8 rebounds) playing a key role in the victory. Despite the best efforts from Casper Ware (18 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Chris Goulding (15 points and 4 assists), Melbourne fell well short.

Terrico White, who had faced criticism earlier in the season, was named Grand Final MVP after averaging 21.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists over the four-game series.

2019/20
The Wildcats’ first move of the 2019 off-season was re-signing four-time championship-winning coach Trevor Gleeson (three-year deal) as well as five-time championship-winning duo Damian Martin and Jesse Wagstaff and import Terrico White. In total, six members of the championship-winning squad would return, with Wani Swaka Lo Buluk being elevated from development player to the full roster and replace the retiring Greg Hire. The team also added Dario Hunt and Majok Majok to replace exiting big men Tom Jervis and Angus Brandt (to Europe).

Perth started the season in dominant fashion (5–1), but by round 10, had taken a step backwards (8-5) following back-to-back losses. The Wildcats regrouped behind four straight wins and closed out December with a 13–6 record. In December, Damian Martin played his 300th game for the Wildcats, then suffered a left heel injury, which saw him miss the entire month of January. After losing back-to-back games to start 2020, Gleeson and the Wildcat’s decided to release Dario Hunt (8.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) and replace him with seven-year NBA veteran Miles Plumlee (9.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks).

The addition of Plumlee gave Perth the inside presence they needed, showcased in a Perth win over New Zealand (80–79), when he recorded 23 points and 18 rebounds, becoming the first Wildcat to record 20+ points and 15+ rebounds in a game since 2007.

With seven games remaining and Plumlee required to play all seven to qualify for the postseason, the Wildcat’s won six of seven games to secure a 34th consecutive finals appearance with a second-place finish (19–9). Fresh off his World Cup experience playing for the Australian Boomers, Nick Kay (15.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.1 steals) continued his FIBA form and earned a spot on the All-NBL First Team for a second year in a row. Bryce Cotton (22.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists) etched himself into the history books, becoming the first import to lead the league in scoring three years in a row.

in the semifinals, Perth defeated Cairns (2–1) to advance to their 15th NBL Grand Final where thanks to a big games from Cotton (32 points) and Kay (14 points and 6 rebounds) they claimed game one (88–86) in front of 11,647 rabid Kings fans.

As the team’s prepared for game two in Perth, it was decided that the remaining games would all take place with no fans in the building. Without a single fan in the building, the Kings evened the series (1-1) thanks to Jae’Sean Tate (21 points) nailing seven of his nine shots and Andrew Bogut (24 points and 14 rebounds) having one of his best games of the season.

In game three of the grand final series against the Sydney Kings, Kay (30 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists) delivered a career high scoring effort, including seven three-pointers alongside Cotton (31 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists) to propel Perth to a game three victory (111–96).

Prior to game four, the Sydney Kings chose to withdraw from the series due to uncertainties of the coronavirus and travel restrictions. With multiple Kings players based overseas, many were concerned the restrictions would prevent any return home. After a week spent deliberating, it was decided Perth would be awarded the championship due to holding a 2-1 lead at the time, securing their tenth title. After averaging 30.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists over the three games, Cotton was named Grand Final MVP for the second time in four years, becoming the first player in Wildcats history to be named league MVP, Grand Final MVP and win a championship all in the same season.

On 4 May 2020, Kay opted out of the final year of his contract with the Wildcats to pursue international opportunities after the NBL implemented salary cuts due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nicholas Kay played five seasons across three NBL teams. This included the Townsville Crocodiles, Illawarra Hawks and Perth Wildcats. He averaged 12.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 154 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (811 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.