This year’s NBL uniforms have been released, and even though they haven’t re-invented the wheel here, it seems there are enough improvements to make fans appreciate them. As all uniforms are not created equally, here are the pros and cons of what you’ll see later this year. Adelaide 36ers Pros The new…
Read MoreThe year 2000 was the beginning of the new millennium, but it was also the year that professional basketball ceased to exist inside the walls of Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. In 2000, the 15,200 seat stadium was home to Andrew Gaze and the 5th seed Melbourne Tigers as well as the 4th seed Victoria…
Read MoreSydney Kings General Manager Jeff Van Groningen joined the Aussie Hoopla podcast to explain the process behind signing the first player under the NBL Next Stars initiative. The Next Stars program is controlled by the NBL, not its teams, and will contract overseas players for development in Australia prior to entering the NBA draft. Key…
Read More43 Points 84% From The Field 24 Rebounds (11 Offensive) Amazing numbers for sure, but even moreso is the fact they were delivered in a championship game. Who was it you ask? Wilt the Stilt? Lauren Jackson? Jordan? No… all good answers, but this scoring outburst came from Bendigo Braves…
Read MoreAustralian Indigenous Basketball (AIB) has announced a 12 player roster to represent the 2018 Apunipima Australian Indigenous Men’s National Team (All Stars) in what will be the fifth Annual Trans-Tasman Basketball Series. The AIB aims to advance and promote the sport of basketball whilst encouraging reconciliation between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people and on top…
Read MoreThis morning the NBL announced that Channel 9 will be it’s new broadcast partner for the next three years beginning with the upcoming 2018/2019 Season. The deal described as a “revenue sharing arrangement” both parties “will work together to commercialise the advertising inventory and broadcast monetisation of all matches across the regular season and…
Read MoreWith the rise of Australian talent in the college basketball system we’ve seen a significant rise in touring colleges over the past few years. In recent months St Mary’s (California), Loyola Marymount and Drexler universities have all faced off against aussie talent. The University of Hawaii team is another touring Australia, a team which…
Read MoreNBL basketball returned to Brisbane in 2015 with much fanfare as the league finally had a team in every capital city. But after two seasons at the bottom of the NBL ladder, Boomers coach Andrej Lemanis struggling to find success at national level, and former Chicago Bulls Forward Cam Bairstow still a long way from…
Read MoreIt’s that wondrous time of year again, where the NBL releases the schedule for the upcoming season and people all over the country and making (and breaking) plans to see the best basketball in the land. But why make one plan when you can make the ultimate plan! Your mission, if you choose to…
Read MoreHe’s played with Deandre Ayton, Dante Exum and Lauri Markkanen but he’s not known by too many in his homeland. 23-year-old Keanu Pinder from Derby, Western Australia is another name on the ever-expanding watchlist of young Australian talent. Son of former NBL player, Kendal Pinder, Keanu walked the classic path of both footy and basketball,…
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Two-time NBL champion and five-time NBL Best Defensive Player Darnell Mee returns to the podcast to revisit the unfinished stories from one of the greatest careers in Australian basketball, including Adelaide’s heartbreaking 2001 playoff exit, his decision to leave the 36ers and the fight to keep the Cairns Taipans alive. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Host Dan Boyce chats with Mee about watching his son Micale build his own basketball career in Australia, the chemistry behind Adelaide’s back-to-back championships, becoming teammates…
READ MOREJunior basketball development is where the Australian basketball journey begins. Before players represent Australia or reach the NBL, most first learn the game through their local basketball association. While hundreds of rookies have entered the NBL over the years, the same junior basketball programs regularly appear in their backgrounds. Some associations have developed significantly more NBL talent than others, establishing themselves as important pathways into professional basketball. Until now, a complete record of the junior association responsible for developing every player to have competed in…
READ MORETwo-time NBL champion Matt Garrison joins the podcast to reflect on winning back-to-back championships with two different teams, helping the Wollongong Hawks claim their first NBL title in 2001 before joining the Adelaide 36ers and winning it all again in 2002. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Host Dan Boyce chats with Garrison about arriving in Wollongong as a mid-season import, adjusting from being a high-scoring starter to an important role off the bench, and being part of the Hawks team that…
READ MOREIn 1984, the NBL introduced the three-point line, forever altering the geometry of Australian basketball. Since then, the league has seen traditional snipers, stretch bigs and volume scorers completely revolutionise how offenses operate and defenses scramble. But as the modern game places a premium on spacing and perimeter shooting, a critical question arises: Who are the most efficient and devastating shooters in the 40-year history of the NBL? To cut through the noise, we have to look beyond raw percentages. By combining historical spreadsheet data…
READ MOREPerth Wildcats head coach John Rillie joins the podcast to discuss the pressure that comes with coaching one of the NBL’s most successful clubs, the challenge of moving forward after Bryce Cotton’s departure, and what Perth needs to build its next championship contender. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Host Dan Boyce chats with Rillie about taking over the Wildcats after the club missed the finals for the first time since 1986, the expectations of the Red Army, and how Perth’s three…
READ MOREFormer Sydney Kings and Townsville Crocodiles big man Rolan Roberts joins the podcast to reflect on his time in Australia, including joining the Kings mid-season and helping them complete their historic 2005 NBL three-peat. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Host Dan Boyce chats with Roberts about playing under Brian Goorjian, becoming a key interior presence for Sydney, and being part of the Kings team that became the first in NBL history to win three straight championships. The episode also dives into…
READ MOREAt some point over the next 12 months, the Boomers are going to have to make a decision that Australian basketball has managed to avoid for almost two decades. Who exactly is this team built around now? Since 2010, that answer was simple. It was Patty Mills’ team. Mills has been the primary scorer for the Boomers for nearly two decades and few Australian victories have been recorded without a major scoring performance from Patty. But as the Boomers move toward the 2027 FIBA World…
READ MOREA player arriving in the NBL with NBA experience always creates interest. Fans get excited when their team signs a former NBA player, commentators mention it during broadcasts, and every article about that player usually links their NBL performance back to their NBA résumé. Sometimes, we see a big-time college prospect use the NBL as a springboard to the NBA and never return. Other times, established NBA veterans come to Australia looking for a fresh opportunity. And in many cases, local talent develops in the…
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