NICKNAME/S: The Professor

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

FAMILY: Benny’s son Bennie Lewis also played 97 games in the NBL. Benny Lewis Jr.’s father, Bennie Lewis Sr., was a standout player at Lincoln High School in East St. Louis in the mid-1950s, playing under coach Ed “Tree” Harris.

He returned to Lincoln as head coach in 1971 and became known as “Boss” in the East St. Louis basketball community. He led the school to four Illinois state championships during the 1980s.

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 30 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”.

ST. KILDA SAINTS
1986
Lewis joined St. Kilda for the 1986 season after leaving Coburg. He averaged 32.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists across 21 games as the Saints finished 14th with a 5–21 record.

NORTH MELBOURNE GIANTS
1987
After a season with St. Kilda, Lewis returned to the Giants, who had missed the playoffs in 1986. The Giants moved home venues from Coburg to the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, commonly known as ‘The Glasshouse’. With increased finances, the team rebranded as North Melbourne, appointed Bruce Palmer as head coach, recruited star import Scott Fisher and welcomed back former star Lewis as its second import.

Lewis averaged 18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists alongside Fisher (25.1 points and 11.0 rebounds), helping the Giants return to the playoffs. North Melbourne finished sixth in the regular season with a 15–11 record before losing to Illawarra 105–97 in the Elimination Final.

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 23.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 250 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:

– 34th in total points
– 45th in total steals