BIO: Brad Williams was born in Sydney (NSW) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Sutherland basketball program. Williams was a athletic forward, able to take the ball to the rack and a very reliable defender during his playing career. Williams received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 1992. He spent two years year there and played for the program’s state league team (1992, 1993).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Brad Williams made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings at 18 years of age. He scored two points in his first game.

After three seasons of import duo Dwayne McClain and Ken McClary, Kings coach Bob Turner chose to go in a different direction in 1994. With rumours of McClain’s rise in popularity leading to difficulties in coaching the star, the decision was made not to re-sign McLain and McClary and find younger talent to replace them. Coach Bob Turner signed swingman Mario Donaldson, who he spotted playing with Omaha during the 1993 CBA championship season.

He paired Donaldson with a relatively unknown forward, Leon Trimmingham, who had played at Briar Cliff University and was recommended to Turner by former Hobart coach Dr David Atkins.

The majority of the remaining roster was retained, with the only major loss being Tony De Ambrosis (to Gold Coast), who was replaced with young guns Neil Turner and Brad Williams.

Sydney came out on fire to start the season. With Trimmingham, whose nightly pyrotechnics drew crowds to the Kingdome like moths to a flame, leading the team in scoring and Donaldson’s deadly outside scoring and lockdown defence, Sydney defeated South East Melbourne Magic on opening night and won three games in a row before losing their first game of the season in Perth.

At the halfway mark (8-3), the Kings looked like a title contender, but the lack of experience amongst the roster started to show, and Sydney went 8-7 for the remainder of the year and narrowly scraped into the playoffs in seventh place (16-10).

The Kings would face the second-placed North Melbourne Giants in the first round of the playoffs, entering the series as decided underdogs, especially given that North Melbourne had whipped them in two regular-season meetings. However, in Game One of the series, the Kings had other ideas. In front of a disbelieving Monday night crowd of 9,092, Sydney rocketed out of the blocks, taking advantage of some fatigue from the Giants, who were playing their third road game in four days. But the home team showed no mercy, hitting one long bomb after another, going on a 11-0 run in the first 71 seconds. The Kings were up (43-25), with the Giants struggling to regroup. Sydney continued to fire away from the outside, and by halftime, the game was over. The Kings received a standing ovation as they returned to the changing rooms with a 26 point lead at halftime (77-51).

The second half was a mere formality as the purple and gold cruised to the win, but the biggest story to come out of the game was Sydney’s unbelievable performance from the perimeter, with the team setting a franchise playoff record by knocking down 15 three-pointers from just 18 attempts – a success rate beyond the arc of a absurd 83.3%. It was arguably the greatest three-point shooting exhibition ever by a team in a NBL playoff game.

Greg Hubbard (32 points) did the majority of the damage from outside, going eight of nine from outside in just 28 minutes of court time. He wasn’t the only King on fire that night however, Mario Donaldson (27 points) went three of four from the outside, and co-captain Damian Keogh (18 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds) chipped in with four of five threes and narrowly missed out on recording a triple-double.

Once the series returned to Melbourne, however, the Giants returned to their winning ways, defeating the Kings in game two (112-91) and game three (104-95). North Melbourne would then go on to win the NBL Championship.

Trimmingham (27.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.2 blocks) led the team in points, rebounds and blocks while becoming a fan favourite across the league. Donaldson (22.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals) and Greg Hubbard (18.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists) provided the additional scoring, with rookie Williams also contributing 2.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.

1995
After a great start to the 1994 season, the Kings collapsed during the second half of the year, with the team’s young roster felt to be the cause. Veteran talent Phil Smyth (Adelaide), Justin Withers (Canberra) and import Bruce Bolden (SE Melbourne), who would replace fan favourite Mario Donaldson, would bring the experience required in spades.

The Kings starting lineup had increased from the average age of 28 to 31, which meant although they had added a ton of experience, this roster would only have one or two years to make it count.

The season started with a narrow 85-86 loss to Bolden’s former team, the Magic, before a up-and-down season, where the Kings defeated a number of the league’s top team’s but failed to close out games against those at the bottom of the ladder. Sydney would start the season with a 3-6 record, which included wins over Perth and North Melbourne, who would finish first and third, respectively, but suffered back-to-back losses to Canberra (who would finish tenth) and lost games to Townsville (finished 12th) and Gold Coast (finished 13th).

Leon Trimmingham (27.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.2 blocks) was named Kings team MVP after leading the team in scoring, rebounds, steals and blocks as Bolden (20.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals) and captain Damian Keogh (14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals) provided the additional scoring power. Sydney finished the season in tenth place with a record of 10-16 and failed to reach the playoffs.

Williams averaged 4.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists for the season.

1996
Sydney went through a period of major change prior to the 1996 season. From 1989 to 1995, the Kings had been coached by Bob Turner and had established themselves as a powerhouse franchise, particularly off the court. Corporate sponsorship through global juggernauts like Coca-Cola and Reebok had assisted in the enormous growth of the brand, resulting in numerous sell-outs at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

But in 1995, the Kings struggled on the floor and failed to make the playoffs. And for a club that every year expected to not only make the playoffs but contend for a championship, that wasn’t good enough.

Bob Turner was replaced as coach by Alan Black, who had taken the Illawarra Hawks to the playoffs in 1993, 1994 and 1995 and was named NBL Coach of the Year in 1993 and 1995. Two foundation members of the Sydney Kings – Mark Dalton and Damian Keogh – were released from the club, as were a number of other players from the unsuccessful 1995 squad.

Black brought Hawks MVP Melvin Thomas along with him to the Kings and signed former Charlotte Hornets guard Tony Bennett as the team’s two imports. 25-year-old Stephen Whitehead (via Melbourne) joined the team, looking for more playing opportunities after serving a ‘apprenticeship’ behind stars Andrew Gaze and Lanard Copeland. But the key addition this year was owner Mike Wrublewski convincing Australia’s Boomers guard Shane Heal to move to Sydney and become the face of the franchise and captain of the team. Wrublewski even had the Kings swap their traditional purple and gold uniforms in favour of a black pin-striped design as a way to signify a new direction for Sydney in the hopes of re-energising a fan base.

Some addition by subtraction saw the Kings release Bennett during the pre-season and replace him with the high-flying excitement machine, Isaac ‘Ice’ Burton, out of Arizona State University. Right from the start, they got the old Kingdome rocking, with Heal dropping 20 points in the fourth quarter of a unforgettable comeback win in the season opener at home against the North Melbourne Giants.

That set the scene for a incredible first two months, with Sydney jumping to a 11-3 record, winning their first eight games at home and leading the NBL standings. In one amazing stretch, the Kings won nine straight games, averaging 120.4 points per game over that span.

Midseason, Williams was selected to play in the Future Forces game, where he impressed, playing against the top Under-25 talent in the NBL.

Those wins included a blowout win over the Gold Coast (131-112), which saw Shane Heal (35 points and 7 assists) and Melvin Thomas (26 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocked shots) putting up big numbers. A nail biter over Perthat home (122-121), where three players scored at least 20 points, and Thomas finished just two assists shy of a triple-double, and win over NSW rival Illawarra (128-106), where Isaac Burton (32 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists) dominated both ends of the court.

Unfortunately, a midseason injury to Heal slowed the team down. Burton, who had started slowly at the offensive end, averaging 17 points per game during his first month with the Kings, faced rumours that he was at risk of being cut from the team due to a lack of scoring. Understanding he was signed to the team primarily as a defensive presence to assist Shane Heal in the backcourt, he had decided to focus on defence and defer to Heal offensively. The rumours led Bruton to fire up on the offensive end. He averaged 27 points per game in May, becoming a instant ‘fan-favourite’, and when Shane returned, the Kings won four of their last five games, taking them to a fifth-place (16-10) and a chance to play in the playoffs.

With Burton (24.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.1 steals) and Heal (23.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists) forming a deadly combination in the backcourt, Melvin Thomas (20.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.9 blocks) and Bruce Bolden (16.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks) were a unstoppable tandem down low, adding toughness, rebounding and a deadly ability to knock down the midrange jumper.

Alongside the team’s stars, Williams increased his production to 4.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists, rounding out a incredibly fun roster to watch.

Sydney (16-10) faced off against Canberra (16-10) in the Quarter-finals behind import duo Robert Rose and Darnell Mee. On the back of a season-high scoring night, Stephen Whitehead (24 points and 5 rebounds) surprised everyone in game one, winning by 24 points in the opening game (113-89). The Cannons would get a huge boost from their supporting cast in game two, with Jamie Pearlman (29 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists), David Close (25 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Ray Borner (21 points, 8 rebounds and 2 steals) as well as Mee (29 points, 7 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks) all scoring over 20 points. Rose (11 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists) finished just shy of a triple-double with Canberra defeating Sydney by 47 points (146-99). The deciding game saw the stars of the series come out firing, with Canberra’s Rose (23 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Mee (20 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists) going head-to-head with Sydney’s Heal (21 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Burton (25 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 steals) but it was the team’s supporting casts the made the difference. Outside of Heal and Bruton, the Kings managed to score a mere 43 points, while the Cannons remaining roster tallied 58 points, with Borner (18 points and 7 rebounds), Blakemore (17 points and 6 rebounds), and Pearlman (17 points and 3 assists) all having big games. Canberra closed out the series with the win (101-89) and headed into a semi final against Melbourne.

While the Kings were unable to progress past the first round of the playoffs, it was still a season to remember. Sydney averaged 108.8 points per game in the regular season – the most points scored per game in a regular season in franchise history – and also set team records that have never been broken for regular season field goal percentage (51.6%) and three-point percentage (41.2%).

Burton led the entire league in three-point percentage, was third in the NBL in steals and would go on to become the first Sydney King to win NBL Defensive Player of the Year. Heal would finish among the league’s best when he earned selection in the All-NBL Second Team.

After their 1996 elimination, the Kings would not make the NBL playoffs again until 2001, when they made it to the first round before being eliminated by the Townsville Crocodiles.

1997
A year into the Kings rebuilding around Boomers guard Shane Heal, a incredible 1996 Olympic campaign saw him sign a contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, leaving Sydney with a huge hole to fill. The decision was made to sign up-and-coming guard Aaron Trahair, who had shown a lot of promise playing in Perth despite being stuck behind legendary guard Ricky Grace. The Kings also added Cameron Dickinson (via Townsville) to help cover the perimeter shooting lost by Heal’s departure.

With Hobart, Geelong, and Gold Coast exiting the league after the 1996 season and the talent from those rosters distributed among the league’s remaining team’s, the 1997 season was one of the most competitive in NBL history. This, combined with the unexpected loss of Shane Heal, saw the Kings struggle, losing three of their first four games. Much of the responsibility would be thrown onto import Isaac Burton (20.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 3.0 steals), who led both the team in scoring and the league in steals for the second year in a row. His all-around brilliance was on full display when he recorded a near quadruple-double when Burton recorded 44 points, nine rebounds, eight assists & seven steals, hitting 15 of 22 from the field in a 123-107 win over the Illawarra Hawks.

Melvin Thomas (18.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals) led the team in rebounds in his second year in Sydney. 26-year-old Stephen Whitehead would blossom into the team’s third-leading scorer (12.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists), a young Matthew Nielsen (9.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 27 minutes per game), who had been a training player with the Kings since 1995, claimed Rookie of the Year honours, while Williams (averaged 3.2 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.5 assists) again struggled for playing time under coach Alan Black.

Sydney would lose their last three games (12-18) and finish second-last (tenth) on the ladder.

1998
After a single season in the NBA, Heal returned to the Kings in 1998. With two years remaining on his NBA deal, Heal left Minnesota, citing the lack of playing time behind Stephon Marbury, disliking the cold weather and suffering a calf injury the week before the opening round, which would require him to earn his way back into the rotation and returned to Australia.

Since Heal’s departure in 1996, the team had undergone a number of changes. Bill Tomlinson replaced coach Alan Black, imports Melvin Thomas and Isaac Burton were replaced by Matt Nover, a former NCAA Final Four centre better known as ‘Ricky Roe’ from the movie Blue Chips and a 19-year-old forward named Stephen Jackson, who became the youngest import signing in NBL history.

Jackson had been the leading scorer in the 1996 McDonald’s All-American Game on a team that included future NBA All-Stars Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O’Neal and Richard Hamilton. He’d been headed to the University of Arizona but was ruled academically ineligible, throwing him into the ’97 NBA Draft (while the Wildcat’s won the NCAA title without him), where Phoenix selected him in the second round. He failed to make the Suns roster and, instead, chose to play his first year as a pro in Australia.

The Kings had built themselves around a young core of Aussie talent, which included Aaron Trahair, Matthew Nielsen, Stephen Whitehead and Scott McGregor.

Nover (7.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 0.9 assists) and Jackson (6.0 points, 0.5 rebounds, and 1 assist) got off to rocky starts, combing for a total of 36 points across the team’s first three games. Jackson, who would later average 20+ points per game across numerous seasons in the NBA, had become the first import in NBL history to go scoreless in his debut game. Nonetheless, the Kings were rolling, with wins over Canberra, Newcastle and Melbourne firing them to a undefeated start.

In Round 3, the team travelled to Adelaide looking to keep their steak alive when, late in the third quarter, disaster struck for Jackson. Attempting to block 36ers’ star Kevin Brooks, Jackson landed awkwardly, broke his foot and would miss the remainder of the season.

In round 6, even with Aaron Trahair dropping 40 points on 13 of 16 shooting, the Kings lost to Wollongong (99-108) and shortly after released Nover. Former King Dave Simmons, who had been released by Newcastle, and former Sacramento King’s big man Evers Burns were signed as import replacements.

After six games, Simmons (6.5 points and 6.3 rebounds) was released as the Kings made room to sign former North Carolina State point guard Kelsey Weems and allow Shane Heal and Aaron Trahair to play more minutes at shooting guard.

Through the multiple import changes and roster juggling, the Kings dropped ten of their next twelve games, missed the playoffs and finished in the tenth spot (12-18). Heal (20.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists) would lead the team in scoring while rising star Nielsen continued to improve, boosting his numbers from 9.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 27 minutes per game to 16.4 points and 8.3 rebounds in 34 minutes per game. During their short NBL stints, Weems (20.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals) filled the stat sheet during his 12 games, while Burns (16.5 points and 9.4 rebounds) on the other hand, wasn’t quite the player he was in the NBA. Jackson went on to play 858 NBA games, winning a championship with San Antonio in 2003.

Williams finished the season averaging 2.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game.

CANBERRA CANNONS
2000/01
After failing to be re-signed by Sydney, Williams spent two seasons playing in Asia and the state leagues before getting a second crack at the NBL, this time with the Canberra Cannons. Although the Cannons finished with a dismal record of 3 wins and 25 losses, Williams (13.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists 1.1 steals) delivered the best numbers of his NBL career. Coach Cal Bruton juggled numerous imports coming in and out of the team while Jayson Wells (21.2 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.2 steals) would fill the stat sheet for the Cannons each night, leading the team in scoring, rebounds and steals.

2001/02
After a season playing in Europe, CJ Bruton signed a deal with play with Canberra, aiming to help his father and head coach Calvin turn the team around after a woeful season where the Cannons managed only three wins for the season. Coach Bruton also added players George Banks (via Perth), Brendan Mann (via Brisbane) and rookie big man Cameron Rigby to the roster.

Banks (23.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.0 assists) would lead the team in scoring while Bruton (19.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists) led the team in assists. Canberra finished the season with 12 wins and 18 losses and failed to reach the playoffs. Williams finished the season with averages of 10.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists.

2002/03
Although Canberra entered 2002 struggling to stay afloat financially, the team added imports Mike Chappell (via Wollongong) and Reginald Poole (via Europe) to the roster and hoped a competitive team would draw enough fans to cover their costs.

With Chappell (21.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) leading the team in scoring, alongside Dave Thomas (18.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.4 steals), CJ Bruton (15.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.1 steals) and Poole (14.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.7 steals, and 2.2 blocks) the Cannons started the season on fire. The part of the plan that involved building a successful team worked with Canberra winning seven of their first nine games, but by December, Cannon’s ownership couldn’t afford to keep paying the bills, and the team was forced into voluntary administration just three months into the season. Back-up big man Pero Vasiljevic (5.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists) and Thomas, who had both just signed two-year deals with the Cannons, exited the club to find alternative employment. A few games later, Bruton and Chappell both requested their release and signed elsewhere also.

Veterans Matthew Shanahan (14.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists) and Willie Simmons (6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks) were added mid-season to help cover the loss of their starting lineup but it wasn’t nearly enough.

In a combined attempt to raise enough money to keep the team in the league and add a few bodies to the roster, a number of NBL legends made cameo appearances with Cannons throughout the last half of the season. 41-year-old Butch Hays suited up for four games for the Cannons, and Perth Wildcats’ legend James Crawford also came out of retirement for one game. The Cannons season ended with the club going 4-17 across their remaining games, and at the end of 2003, Canberra’s licence was moved to Newcastle, where it operated as the Hunter Pirates. Williams played in 30 games for the Cannons and average 12.7 points, 2.0 assists and a career high 6.9 rebounds per game.

NEW ZEALAND/CAIRNS/WEST SYDNEY
2003/04
Brad Williams made NBL history in 2003/04, becoming the first player to suit up for three different teams in a single season. He began the year with the New Zealand Breakers during their inaugural campaign, playing 11 games before being released alongside Casey Frank to make way for import Mike Chappell. Two months later, he landed with the Cairns Taipans, where he appeared in seven games before being released once again. However, Williams’ season took a turn when he returned home to Sydney and found stability with the West Sydney Razorbacks, joining the team for the final 14 games of the regular season and playing a crucial role off the bench in their deep playoff run.

The Razorbacks had entered the 2003/04 season with a bold new direction, opting to field an all-Australian lineup for the first time in the modern NBL era. Led by stars John Rillie, Sam MacKinnon, and Simon Dwight, West Sydney built one of the strongest rosters in franchise history. Despite a rocky start, they responded with a dominant 10-game winning streak, solidifying themselves as legitimate contenders.

Williams joined the team in the second half of the season, providing much-needed depth in the frontcourt. With Scott McGregor suffering a season-ending injury in February, Williams’ role became even more significant, as he was called upon to back up Dwight, MacKinnon, and Russell Hinder. In his 14 games with the Razorbacks, Williams averaged 5.6 points and 4.1 rebounds, offering a strong interior presence and valuable minutes off the bench.

West Sydney carried its momentum into the postseason, eliminating Cairns (110-88) before sweeping Wollongong in the semifinals to reach the club’s second-ever NBL Grand Final. While the spotlight remained on the team’s core stars, Williams played his role effectively, providing rebounding and defensive versatility in limited minutes.

The Grand Final series against the Sydney Kings was a historic best-of-five showdown. Williams contributed key minutes in the physical Game 3, helping West Sydney secure a dramatic 82-80 overtime victory and move within one win of their first championship. In Game 5, he once again provided depth as the Razorbacks fought hard but ultimately fell 90-79.

Williams would then retire from the NBL, finishing his career on a high note, reaching the NBL Grand Final.

Brad Williams played eleven seasons across five NBL teams. This included the Sydney Kings, Canberra Cannons, West Sydney Razorbacks, New Zealand Breakers and Cairns Taipans. He averaged 7.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 232 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (832 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.