BIO: Rashard Kelly was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia (USA)

NBL EXPERIENCE

Rashard Kelly made his NBL debut with the Tasmania JackJumpers at 27 years of age. He scored nine points in his first game.

The JackJumpers entered their second season with most of their roster intact, with the only significant departures being import players Josh Adams, their leading scorer, and MiKyle McIntosh. Head coach Scott Roth moved quickly to address these gaps, recruiting Milton Doyle to replace Adams and bringing in Rashard Kelly to take McIntosh’s spot.

Tasmania faced early challenges, with Will Magnay (5.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.0 blocks) recovering from a foot injury and captain Clint Steindl (4.6 points, 1.7 rebounds, 0.6 assists) sidelined due to a knee injury sustained while playing for Australia at the FIBA Asia Cup. This left the team shorthanded and contributed to a shaky start, as losses to South East Melbourne (79-84), Cairns (84-106), and New Zealand (65-71) left the JackJumpers tied for last with Brisbane after three games.

Tasmania earned their first win of the season in an overtime battle against Brisbane (90-86), with Milton Doyle (32 points, 4 assists) delivering a standout performance. This victory ignited a four-game winning streak that propelled the JackJumpers into the top six and firmly within playoff contention, a position they maintained for the remainder of the season.

Throughout the regular season, Milton Doyle (17.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.7 steals) emerged as the team’s leading scorer, and Rashard Kelly (12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists) provided consistent support in both scoring and rebounding. Jack McVeigh (14.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists) delivered his best season yet, increasing his scoring output for the fifth consecutive year and earning the distinction of being the team’s top local player.

The JackJumpers finished the regular season in fourth place with a 16-12 record, securing a spot in the inaugural NBL play-in tournament. However, they suffered a major setback when point guard and team leader Josh Magette (10.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.0 steals) sustained a severe injury in the final regular-season game against the Hawks, requiring surgery on a broken cheekbone and fractured eye socket. This left the JackJumpers without their floor general for the postseason.

Rashard Kelly (12 points, 6 rebounds) stepped up along with Sean MacDonald (6 points, 2 rebounds) and Isaac White (5 points, 2 rebounds) to help fill the void left by Magette. In the play-in qualifier, Tasmania defeated Cairns (87-79) to advance to the semifinals, where they faced second-seeded New Zealand.

In Game One of the semifinals, Tasmania struggled offensively, posting their third-lowest score of the season in a 68-88 loss. Kelly (12 points) and Doyle (10 points) were the only players to reach double figures. In Game Two, Doyle (23 points, 5 assists) delivered a stellar performance to lead the JackJumpers to a crucial 89-78 home victory and even the series.

However, in Game Three, New Zealand proved too strong on their home floor, defeating Tasmania 92-77 to advance to the NBL Championship Series. Kelly (15 points, 8 rebounds) and Doyle (14 points, 4 assists) fought valiantly, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Breakers.

Kelly’s standout performance of the season came in a thrilling 92-89 victory over Illawarra, where he recorded 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.

Rashard Kelly played one season in the NBL. He averaged 12 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 31 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (829 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.