NICKNAME/S: The Professor

BIO: Benny Lewis was born in St. Louis, Missouri (USA).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Benny Lewis made his NBL debut with the Illawarra Hawks at 26 years of age. He scored 24 points in his first game.

The biggest off-season move by the Hawks in 1981 was the decision to move into their new home venue, Beaton Park Stadium, commonly known as ‘The Snakepit.’

Joey Farrugia, who coached the team during the Hawks’ inaugural season, was reappointed as head coach. The team saw Kevin Becker, Ted Holcomb, and Bob Kubbinga leave, while new imports Michael Jones and Benny Lewis were added. Local talent, 17-year-old rookie Tim Morrissey, also joined the roster, tipped by many to be a future star in the league. Returning players Ray Hannett, Jim Slacke, and captain Gordie McLeod filled out the team’s starting five.

The Hawks’ biggest game in 1981 was perhaps before the season even started when they defeated European powerhouse Partizan in an exhibition game. Riding off a strong preseason, the Hawks’ season began poorly with a 20-point loss to Newcastle (73-93). Although they managed to bounce back with a win against the City of Sydney (92-80), the Hawks struggled to maintain momentum, dropping four straight games between Rounds 3 and 5, including their worst loss of the season to West Adelaide (66-104).

The Hawks were led by Michael Jones (30.5 points), one of the first legitimate big men in the league. Jones’s scoring ability had never been seen from a centre before, as he led the league in scoring and free throw percentage (87.6%) before being voted as the league’s Most Valuable Player.

Their best win came in Round 12 when they upset West Adelaide (108-91), a team that finished the season in the top three. While the Hawks were formidable in their new home (8-3), their away form was disappointing, managing only one win out of ten road games.

Benny Lewis (20.5 points), Jim Slacke (12.7 points), Ray Hannett (8.4 points), and Gordie McLeod (7.5 points) delivered solid seasons, but the Hawks’ inconsistent form, particularly in away games, saw them miss out on a postseason berth.

Illawarra closed the season strongly with a victory over Bankstown (98-86), but despite a few notable wins, their inconsistencies, particularly on the road, resulted in them finishing eighth during the regular season (9-13).

COBURG GIANTS
1982
In 1982, Lewis averaged 23.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists as the Giants finished in fourth place (18-8).

1983
In 1983, Lewis averaged 20.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists, playing a key role in the Giants’ rotation, helping the team finish in sixth place (13-9).

1984
The 1984 season saw Lewis average 31.3 points, 5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists, playing a key role in helping the Giants to a third-place finish in the regular season with an 18-6 record.

1985
During the 1985 season, the Giants were led by Benny Lewis (24 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 2.4 steals) and Ray Borner (22.1 points and 11.3 rebounds), who was selected as the league’s Most Valuable Player, becoming the first Australian-born player to ever win the award. Other key contributors included Chuck Harmison (16.6 points, 9.8 rebounds), Wayne Carroll (16.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists), and Peter Blight (15.8 points, 5.4 rebounds), all of whom played pivotal roles in the Giants’ success.

Under the guidance of head coach Owen Hughan, the Giants demonstrated consistency throughout the season, finishing the regular season in fifth place with an 18-8 record, securing their spot in the playoffs. However, they ultimately fell short in the Elimination Final against the Canberra Cannons (87–110).

The 1985 season was not a particularly enjoyable one for the Giants who after being eliminated by Canberra were defeated in the Victorian State Championships by rival club Nunawading. This led to a off-seasonexodus saw the team’s three tallest players Ray Borner, Chuck Harmison and Steve Davis leave the club to play with Illawarra, Bankstown and Nunawading respectively, which then prompted Lewis to look for better oppoutunities, resulting in him switching clubs to play with the St Kilda Saints in 1986.

Lewis small stature made it tough find playing oppoutunities once he reached 28 years of age with most NBL clubs looking to sign import big man. A number of NBL clubs encouraged him to become a naturalised player but Lewis felt the $100,000 cost to his family due to being required not return to the USA for five years wasn’t worth doing for “a extra one or two seasons”.

1985

1986
After spending a season with the Saints, Lewis returned to Giants who after missing the playoffs in 1986, the Giants moved home venues from Coburg to the inner city where they would play at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, more commonly known as ‘The Glasshouse’. Thanks to a influx of finances the team then rebranded to the North Melbourne Giants and appointed a new head coach in Bruce Palmer, recruited star import Scott Fisher and saw former star Benny Lewis return as the team’s second import.

Lewis added 18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists alongside Fisher (25.1 points and 11.0 rebounds), and together they helped guide the Giants back into the playoffs. North Melbourne finished in sixth place at the end of the regular season (15-11) and then went on to lose to Illawarra (97–105) in the Elimination Finals.

Benny Lewis played ten seasons across five NBL teams. This included the Illawarra Hawks, Coburg Giants, North Melbourne Giants and Westside Melbourne Saints. He averaged 23.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 250 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 33rd in total points
– 44th in total steals

Dan Boyce (837 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.