Aussies Abroad

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…

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The 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…

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Sydney 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…

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43 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…

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Australian 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…

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Dan Boyce 0 Aussies Abroad, Uncategorized 1672 Views

This 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…

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With 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…

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NBL 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…

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Dan Boyce 0 Aussies Abroad, Uncategorized 854 Views

It’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…

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He’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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Luke Rogan 0 August 7, 2018 5828 Views
  • Which NBL Teams Spent the Most?

    Over the past three NBL seasons, clubs have spent almost $97 million assembling their rosters, but how much of that money has translated into wins, and which teams have delivered the best value for money? These figures represent cash spend, not salary cap spend. Cash spending includes player salaries and additional costs such as agent fees, bonuses, import related expenses and luxury tax, rather than simply the amounts counted against the league's salary cap. How much have NBL teams spent over the past three seasons?…

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  • ARE THE HAWKS “TIRED” OF TATUM’S VOICE?

    Larry Bird believed players began tuning out coaches after three years. Pat Riley reportedly put the limit at five, while Steve Kerr admitted his Golden State players were tired of hearing him in his fourth season. Now Justin Tatum is in his fourth season with Illawarra, and the Hawks have gone from NBL champions to the bottom of the ladder. Could they be experiencing the same problem? Justin Tatum transformed Illawarra from one of the NBL's worst teams into champions. But ahead of today's clash…

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  • COULD BRIAN GOORJIAN HAVE SAVED THE MELBOURNE TIGERS?

    In 2002, the Melbourne Tigers were fighting for survival when they identified an opportunity to attract supporters from their biggest rivals. Their plan to honour Brian Goorjian was blocked by the Victoria Giants, potentially changing the course of Melbourne basketball history. In 2002, the Melbourne Tigers devised a plan that could have changed the future of their club. The Tigers were emerging from financial administration, crowds were falling and the club had been forced to abandon its home at Vodafone Arena, now known as John…

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  • GOLD COAST NBL EXPANSION SET TO BECOME A REALITY?

    A new funding proposal, a crucial November meeting and renewed interest from the NBL could finally provide a pathway for professional basketball to return to the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast's long-running push to return to the NBL has reached another critical stage, with Mayor Tom Tate preparing to meet Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie in November to discuss the future of the proposed $1 billion Gold Coast Arena. After years of negotiations, changing timelines and funding setbacks, the city's hopes of securing an NBL…

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  • Paul Rees on NBL titles, battles with Brian Goorjian and small town success

    Four-time NBL champion and 1994 Grand Final MVP Paul Rees joins the podcast to reflect on his journey from small-town basketball to a 17-season NBL career with the Brisbane Bullets, North Melbourne Giants and Adelaide 36ers. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Host Dan Boyce chats with Rees about winning championships with North Melbourne and Adelaide, playing under Brett Brown and Phil Smyth, representing Australia at the 1994 World Championship, and battling Brian Goorjian and some of the NBL’s best teams throughout…

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  • MELBOURNE UNITED NEEDS TO DECIDE: Are they the Tigers or not?

    Jensen Bradtke wearing his father Mark’s famous No. 50 should be one of the great stories of NBL27. Instead, it has again exposed a question Melbourne United has never properly answered: when does Melbourne Tigers history belong to United, and when doesn’t it? Seeing BRADTKE and No. 50 together on a Melbourne basketball jersey again should be nothing other than a celebration. Jensen Bradtke is beginning his first season with Melbourne United, wearing the same number his father Mark wore through one of the great…

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  • The Next Step: Breakout player candidates for NBL27

    Every NBL pre-season, there is plenty of attention on players around the league who could take the next step in their professional basketball journey. A breakout can happen in different ways. For some players, it’s getting more opportunity. For an established player, it can mean building on what they have already achieved and elevating their game to another level. For others, it may simply take a new home where their skills can be maximised. Below are four players who I think are ready to break…

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  • Mario Donaldson on THAT 1994 NBL Dunk Contest and his time playing with Sydney & Canberra

    Former Sydney Kings and Canberra Cannons import Mario Donaldson joins the podcast to revisit his time in the NBL, including competing in the famous 1994 NBL Dunk Contest, the highs and lows of his seasons in Sydney and Canberra, and the success he found playing around the world. Host Dan Boyce chats with Donaldson about arriving in Sydney in 1994 and playing alongside Leon Trimmingham, helping the Kings return to the playoffs and establishing himself as one of the league’s best outside shooters. Visit dunk.com.au…

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