Scottie Wilbekin was an integral part of the Cairns Taipans success this year. Narrowly losing to the New Zealand Breakers in the championship game, he averaged 15 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists and guided the team to a #1 spot during the regular season. He alsobecame the first player in club history to win both team MVP…
Read MoreTodd Lichti knew it was only a matter of time before someone surpassed him as Stanford basketball’s career scoring leader. Turns out it took 26 years. “It was always going to be broken at some point,” said Lichti, 48. “In jest, I just sometimes say I babysat it for a while.” Lichti, a 6-foot-4 shooting…
Read MoreSomewhere between the behind-the-back-dribble driving one-handed dunk and the seeing-eye, full-court outlet pass, it occurred to me as I watched Ben Simmons at the Alario Center on Thursday night: Two of the 10 best basketball players in the world under the age of 25 will be playing along the I-10 corridor in 2015. Ben Simmons…
Read MoreDante Exum, Ben Simmons and even Jonah Bolden are second generation Australian basketballers who are now making an impact in the US, but another second generation basketballer is doing the same under much less spotlight, 18 year old Xavier Cooks. The talented 6’8′ swingman had a number of schools courting him which included Santa Barbara,…
Read MoreJack Purchase, son of Melbourne Tigers Legend Nigel Purchase, has committed to playing with the Auburn Tigers in 2014. The Carey Grammar student who was also pursued heavily by TAC Cup team Northern Knights in the hopes he would choose football over basketball committed to the Tigers only five days after officially visiting Auburn. As of…
Read MoreDarcy Malone and Nicholas Duncan, two members of the Silver Medal winning 2012 Australian Junior Men’s team have both signed letters of intent this week to play with Division I basketball programs at Louisiana State (LSU) and Boise State University respectively. Canberra’s Darcy Malone measures in at 213cm and currently for the Canberra Gunners. He made…
Read MoreThe St Mary’s Gaels have grown into one of the most powerful mid-major programs in college basketball thanks to their Australian pipeline of basketball players which has included Adam Capron, Daniel Kickert, Patty Mills and Matthew Dellavedova but before any Aussie had stepped into the gym in Moraga, California the University of New Mexico had…
Read MoreThere are over 80 Division 1 Australian athletes in the USA on college basketball scholarships with double that amount playing at different levels. Although challenging it can be at times living in a different continent Australian player’s have adjusted to life in America. Generally, they have thrived in the Mecca of basketball by achieving great feats on…
Read MoreIt has been proven over time that by going to play college basketball Australian athletes have developed their skills, received more lucrative professional contracts, and achieved more representative positions than player’s that have not. Player’s such as Andrew Gaze, Luc Longley, Andrew Bogut, Patty Mills, and up and coming players such as Matthew Dellevedova, Ryan…
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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?…
READ MORELarry 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…
READ MOREIn 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…
READ MOREA 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…
READ MOREFour-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…
READ MOREJensen 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…
READ MOREEvery 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…
READ MOREFormer 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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