Boomers: we’re not taking Patty and Bryce
May 18, 2026
Adam Caporn
- Nationality: AUS
- Date of Birth: 16/03/82
- Place of Birth: Baldivis (WA)
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 190
- Weight (KG): 84
- Junior Assoc: WA - Willetton
- College: Saint Mary's (2001–2003)
NBL CAREER OVERVIEW
NBL DEBUT
6/10/03
Age 21
LAST NBL GAME
18/02/09
Age 26
TEAM HISTORY
- Wollongong2004-06
- Perth2007-09
CHAMPIONSHIPS
None
NICKNAME/S: Capes
BIO: Before joining the AIS, Caporn represented Western Australia at junior level, winning the West Australian Junior Player-of-the-Year Award and helping the state claim two gold medals at the Australian Junior Championships.
In 2000 and 2001, Caporn played basketball for at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) before heading to the United States to play college basketball for Saint Mary’s College of California.
After spending two seasons in the US, Caporn returned to Australia to play for the Wollongong Hawks in the Australian NBL.
Caporn received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 2000. He spent two years year there and played for the program’s state league team (2000, 2001).
NBL EXPERIENCE
Adam Caporn made his NBL debut with the Wollongong Hawks at 21 years of age. He scored four points in his first game.
2005/06
In his third season with the Wollongong Hawks, Caporn established himself as an important reserve, with contemporary reporting describing him as one of the NBL’s leading sixth men.
Although he came off the bench, Caporn later recalled playing around 30 minutes per game and regularly finishing games on the court.
His performances earned him a place in the Boomers training squad for the 2006 Commonwealth Games under Brian Goorjian.
Caporn (8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists across 33 games) helped Wollongong finish third with a 19–13 regular season record.
2006/07
After three seasons with Wollongong, Caporn signed with the Perth Wildcats, representing his home state in the NBL for the first time under coach Scott Fisher.
Caporn experienced some early injury interruptions and was working to improve his shooting as he adjusted to his new role with the Wildcats.
On 25 October 2006, Perth defeated the reigning champion Melbourne Tigers 99–97 in overtime at Challenge Stadium, with Caporn converting two free throws with just over three seconds remaining and the scores tied to secure the victory.
Caporn (9 points, 2 rebounds, and 7 assists) contributed to a win led by Tony Ronaldson (32 points), Shawn Redhage (17 points and 10 assists), and Paul Rogers (14 points and 15 rebounds), while Melbourne’s leading scorers were Dave Thomas (19 points), Rashad Tucker (19 points), and Chris Anstey (15 points).
The win took the Wildcats to the top of the ladder after the opening six rounds, and Fisher praised his team’s composure while looking for further improvement from Caporn and other bench players, including Brad Robbins, Jeff Dowdell, and Justin Brown.
Caporn (7.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists across 17 games) finished his first season with Perth as the Wildcats claimed third place with a 23–10 regular season record.
In the quarterfinal on 17 February 2007, Perth lost 82–78 to Cairns at Challenge Stadium, with Shawn Redhage (24 points), Paul Rogers (18 points), and Peter Crawford (11 points) leading the Wildcats, while Darnell Mee (19 points), Aaron Boodnikoff (15 points), and Martin Cattalini (12 points) led the Taipans.
Adam Caporn played six seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Perth Wildcats and the Wollongong Hawks. He averaged 5.2 points, 2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 160 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09 | 27 | Perth | 17-13 (4) | 21 | 349 | 72 | 37 | 36 | 6 | 31 | 5 | 1 | 24 | 55 | 21 | 63 | 33% | 15 | 46 | 33% | 15 | 19 | 79% | 50% | 45% | 9 |
| 2007-08 | 26 | Perth | 18-12 (4) | 17 | 193 | 52 | 28 | 12 | 5 | 23 | 6 | 5 | 16 | 33 | 18 | 53 | 34% | 8 | 31 | 26% | 8 | 12 | 67% | 45% | 42% | 11 |
| 2006-07 | 25 | Perth | 23-10 (3) | 17 | 471 | 135 | 44 | 57 | 14 | 30 | 18 | 0 | 38 | 61 | 48 | 119 | 40% | 22 | 61 | 36% | 17 | 29 | 59% | 51% | 50% | 17 |
| 2005-06 | 23 | Wollongong | 19-13 (3) | 33 | 935 | 273 | 94 | 141 | 18 | 76 | 42 | 11 | 65 | 93 | 93 | 201 | 46% | 47 | 111 | 42% | 40 | 52 | 77% | 61% | 58% | 23 |
| 2004-05 | 23 | Wollongong | 20-12 (2) | 37 | 557 | 181 | 71 | 59 | 18 | 53 | 13 | 7 | 53 | 75 | 68 | 168 | 40% | 17 | 59 | 29% | 28 | 48 | 58% | 48% | 46% | 15 |
| 2003-04 | 22 | Wollongong | 25-8 (2) | 35 | 354 | 122 | 38 | 41 | 7 | 31 | 15 | 5 | 19 | 53 | 46 | 107 | 43% | 13 | 46 | 28% | 17 | 26 | 65% | 52% | 49% | 21 | Totals | 160 | 2859 | 835 | 312 | 346 | 68 | 244 | 99 | 29 | 215 | 370 | 294 | 711 | 41.4% | 122 | 354 | 34.5% | 125 | 186 | 67.2% | 53% | 50% | 23 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09 | 27 | Perth | 17-13 (4) | 21 | 16.6 | 3.4 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 33% | 0.7 | 2.2 | 33% | 0.7 | 0.9 | 79% | 50% | 45% | 9 |
| 2007-08 | 26 | Perth | 18-12 (4) | 17 | 11.4 | 3.1 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 34% | 0.5 | 1.8 | 26% | 0.5 | 0.7 | 67% | 45% | 42% | 11 |
| 2006-07 | 25 | Perth | 23-10 (3) | 17 | 27.7 | 7.9 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 2.2 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 7.0 | 40% | 1.3 | 3.6 | 36% | 1.0 | 1.7 | 59% | 51% | 50% | 17 |
| 2005-06 | 23 | Wollongong | 19-13 (3) | 33 | 28.3 | 8.3 | 2.8 | 4.3 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 6.1 | 46% | 1.4 | 3.4 | 42% | 1.2 | 1.6 | 77% | 61% | 58% | 23 |
| 2004-05 | 23 | Wollongong | 20-12 (2) | 37 | 15.1 | 4.9 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 4.5 | 40% | 0.5 | 1.6 | 29% | 0.8 | 1.3 | 58% | 48% | 46% | 15 |
| 2003-04 | 22 | Wollongong | 25-8 (2) | 35 | 10.1 | 3.5 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 43% | 0.4 | 1.3 | 28% | 0.5 | 0.7 | 65% | 52% | 49% | 21 | Total | 160 | 17.9 | 5.2 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 4.4 | 41.4% | 0.8 | 2.2 | 34.5% | 0.8 | 1.2 | 67.2% | 53% | 50% | 23 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 23 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- AIS (2000–2001), Mandurah (2003), Willetton (2007), Rockingham (2008), East Perth (2009)
Caporn joined the Australian Institute of Sport for the 2000 AIS basketball program, appearing on the men’s roster in a group coached by Frank Arsego with Martin Clarke on the men’s staff.
Caporn continued with the Australian Institute of Sport in 2001 and served as team captain during his second AIS year.
Whilst playing with the Perth Wildcats, Caporn spent the 2003 sseason playing in the SBL state league for Mandurah. He appeared in five games and averaged 18.0 points per game.
Caporn moved into SBL coaching with Willetton in the 2007 season as an assistant coach.
Caporn played for Rockingham in the 2008 State Basketball League season. The Flames finished second on the men’s ladder at 21–5, he led the men’s competition in free throw percentage and was named to the SBL Men’s All Star Second Team before Rockingham lost its quarter-final series to Lakeside.
Caporn coached East Perth in the 2009 State Basketball League season, taking over as head coach of the club’s men’s SBL team. East Perth finished 12th on the men’s ladder with an 8–18 record.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
-
Turkey
- Selçuk Üniversitesi2003–2004
Spain
- CB Cornellà2004–2005
Germany
- Eisbären Bremerhaven2005–2006
Caporn joined Selçuk Üniversitesi for the 2003–04 Turkish Basketball League season, playing his first professional season in Turkey after completing his collegiate career.
Caporns existing career history lists a 2004–05 stint with CB Cornellà. Contemporary Spanish league records place Cornellà in LEB-2 that season, the third national division later renamed LEB Plata. Cornellà finished ninth with a 14–16 league record. An earlier biography attributed games against CAI Zaragoza and Bàsquet Inca to this stint, but those opponent fixtures cannot be corroborated from the 2004–05 LEB-2 schedule and are therefore not treated as established Caporn appearances. A complete individual game log and player averages for this reported Cornellà stint have not yet been independently verified; the club and year are retained in FU pending a fuller roster check.
Caporns career history also lists an association with Eisbären Bremerhaven for 2005–06. The club had already won promotion from the second division in 2004–05 and competed in Germanys top-tier Basketball Bundesliga in 2005–06, finishing fourth in the regular season and reaching the semifinals. The previous description of a 2005–06 second-division promotion campaign was therefore incorrect. An independent official BBL appearance record for Caporn personally has not been located; his club association is retained provisionally without inventing playing time, league games or averages.
Caporn then moved to New Zealand for the 2006 NZNBL season with the West Sydney Razorbacks’ affiliated import placement arrangement.
COLLEGE
Caporn played college basketball at Saint Mary’s College of California during the 2001-02 season before returning for the 2002-03 season under head coach Randy Bennett.
Saint Mary’s finished 9-20 overall (3-11 in WCC play) in 2001-02, which was Bennett’s first season leading the program.
In 2001-02, Caporn appeared in 29 games and started all 29, averaging 27.2 minutes per game and scoring 185 points (6.4 points per game).
He shot 65-for-155 from the field (41.9%), made 23-of-64 three-pointers (35.9%), and went 32-of-46 at the free throw line (69.6%).
Across those 29 games he totaled 58 rebounds (4 offensive, 54 defensive) for 2.0 rebounds per game, along with 58 assists (2.0 per game), 47 steals, 4 blocks, 82 turnovers, and 790 total minutes played.
His listed season high was 16 points in a game in 2001-02.
In that 2001-02 season, he led the West Coast Conference in steals at 1.7 per game.
Saint Mary’s improved to 15-15 overall (6-8 in WCC play) in 2002-03 and made a run to the WCC Tournament final, beating Santa Clara and Pepperdine before falling to Gonzaga in the title game.
In 2002-03, Caporn played 30 games and made 29 starts, lifting his workload to 31.0 minutes per game while totaling 191 points again at 6.4 points per game.
He shot 64-for-181 from the field (35.4%), hit 33-of-96 from three (34.4%), and made 30-of-47 free throws (63.8%).
Across those 30 games he recorded 70 rebounds (5 offensive, 65 defensive) for 2.3 rebounds per game, plus 66 assists (2.2 per game), 38 steals, 14 blocks, 66 turnovers, and 931 total minutes played.
His listed season high was 19 points in a game in 2002-03.
He averaged 6.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists as a sophomore and was a team captain in his final season at Saint Mary’s.
Across his two-year Saint Mary’s career, his 1.44 steals-per-game finished among the top-10 career marks in program history.
AWARDS
- West Australian Junior Player-of-the-Year Award (year not confirmed)
COACHING HISTORY
Caporn first moved into coaching while still playing, serving as an assistant coach with the Willetton Tigers during the 2007 State Basketball League season. From 2007 to 2009 he also provided junior individual instruction in Western Australia and individual coaching for NBL and SBL players. After returning to the court as a player in 2008, Caporn took over as head coach of the East Perth Eagles for the 2009 SBL season, with East Perth finishing 12th on the men's ladder with an 8–18 record.
In November 2010, Caporn returned to Saint Mary's College of California, where he had played from 2001 to 2003, as an assistant coach under Randy Bennett. He spent four seasons on the Gaels' staff from 2010 to 2014, working across floor coaching, scouting and recruiting. In 2011, Caporn also served as an assistant coach with the Australian team at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China.
In April 2014, Basketball Australia appointed Caporn to the Centre of Excellence men's program and as head coach of the Australian Emus. He went on to lead the Centre of Excellence for seven seasons from 2014 to 2021, with his role focused on developing Australia's emerging talent. Players developed during his time at the CoE included future NBA and Boomers players Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels.
With the Emus, Caporn led Australia through the 2014 FIBA Oceania U18 Championship campaign that qualified the team for the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship. At the 2015 U19 World Championship in Greece, Australia finished seventh after defeating Spain 103–72 in the classification game. Caporn remained head coach of the U19 national program through 2016, when Australia finished runners-up at the FIBA Oceania U18 Championship after a 57–51 loss to New Zealand in the final.
Caporn joined the Australian Boomers coaching staff as an assistant in 2017 under Andrej Lemanis. He was part of the staff when Australia won the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup and the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medal, then helped the Boomers to fourth place at the 2019 FIBA World Cup after Australia lost the semi-final to Spain in double overtime.
In February 2021, Caporn received an opportunity to coach the senior Boomers as head coach for a FIBA Asia Cup qualifier against New Zealand in Cairns. With a young Australian roster, the Boomers defeated the Tall Blacks 81–52, with Dyson Daniels scoring 23 points and Reyne Smith adding 22.
Caporn remained on Brian Goorjian's Boomers staff for the Tokyo Olympics. Australia defeated Slovenia in the bronze-medal game to win the first Olympic men's basketball medal in the country's history. He later continued as a Boomers assistant at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Australia was eliminated by Serbia in overtime in the quarter-finals.
In July 2021, Caporn left the Centre of Excellence after seven seasons to become head coach of the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn's NBA G League affiliate. Long Island finished the 2021/22 regular season 18–15 and secured the second playoff berth in franchise history as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. Caporn was named NBA G League Coach of the Month for February after the Nets went 8–2 during the month. Long Island's season ended with a 133–116 first-round playoff loss to the Delaware Blue Coats.
Caporn was promoted into the NBA in July 2022 when the Brooklyn Nets named him an assistant coach. He spent two seasons on Brooklyn's NBA staff from 2022 to 2024 and also held responsibilities in player development, including being listed as Assistant Coach/Director of Player Development during the 2023/24 season.
In July 2024, Caporn joined Brian Keefe's Washington Wizards staff as an assistant coach. He remained on Washington's coaching staff through the 2025/26 season and into 2026/27 while continuing his responsibilities with the Australian national program.
On 12 March 2025, Basketball Australia appointed Caporn as the 10th head coach in Boomers history, succeeding Brian Goorjian. Dean Vickerman was appointed Associate Head Coach to take charge during international windows that conflict with Caporn's NBA commitments.
Caporn's first major tournament as Boomers head coach was the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah. Australia went undefeated at 6–0 and completed a third consecutive Asia Cup championship, defeating China 90–89 in the gold-medal game after trailing by as many as 15 points. The victory extended Australia's unbeaten Asia Cup record since joining FIBA Asia to 18–0.
With Caporn remaining in-season with Washington, Vickerman assumed the on-court head-coaching duties for Australia's opening 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifying window against New Zealand in November and December 2025. Caporn returned to lead the Boomers in Perth during the July 2026 qualifying window, where Australia defeated Guam 124–52 and the Philippines 92–49 to improve to 6–0 in World Cup qualification.
Caporn returned to Washington for NBA preseason ahead of the August 2026 World Cup qualifying window, with Jacob Chance filling the Boomers head-coaching role in his absence. Caporn remained the Boomers' head coach and a Washington Wizards assistant entering the 2026/27 season.
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