BIO: Craig Adams was born in Melbourne (VIC) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Traralgon basketball program.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Craig Adams made his NBL debut with the Brisbane Bullets at 22 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

Brisbane entered the season with a new-look squad, ready to rebound from their dismal eighth-placed finish in ’89, which saw the Bullets miss the playoffs for the first time under coach Brian Kerle. Only three of the 13 players who wore a Bullets singlet the previous year returned – Leroy Loggins, Robert Sibley, and Greg Fox.

Those exiting included captain Larry Sengstock and Ron Radliff, who had been with the team for eight and seven seasons, respectively, leaving to join the new Queensland expansion team, the Gold Coast Cougars and second-year guard Rodger Smith, joining them. John Dorge (to Geelong), Darren Perry (to Eastside), and Dan Clausen (to Adelaide) all headed elsewhere. Greg Giddings, Shane Edwards and import Winston Crite were not offered a contract to return, and Danny Morseu retired.

Loggins, who was used with mixed success in the off-guard spot the previous season, reverted to his more familiar and preferred small forward position. Moore and Sibley headed up a frontline that also included comeback player Chris McGraw and young Melbourne pair Paul Rees and Craig Adams, with locals Steve McLeod and Chris Clarkson making up the 12-man list. In a flash, the Bullets went from the oldest team in the league, a average age of 26.5 years, to probably the youngest at 23.1 years.

Together with new imports Derek Rucker (33.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 2.6 steals) and Andre Moore (26.9 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals), the Bullets improved to finish in third place after recording 18 wins and 8 losses. They would even reach the grand final once again, a rematch of the 1987 Grand Final, where they faced the Perth Wildcats. This time around the Bullets lost game one in Perth, 112–106, before levelling the series in Game two in front of the largest crowd the NBL had seen at the time. 13,221 fans filled the Brisbane Entertainment Centre to see the Bullets defeat Perth 106–90. This would stand the highest ever grand final crowd for a game played outside of Melbourne until game two of the 2012/13 Grand Final series between the Wildcat’s and New Zealand Breakers in Perth. The attendance record remains the eighth largest for a NBL Grand Final game. Game three was held in front of a near-equal crowd of (13,159), but this time, the Bullets would fall short, losing 86–109 as Perth won their first NBL championship. Additionally, Brian Kerle received the Coach of the Year award for the second time, while the Bullets would make history by having three players Derek Rucker (33.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 2.6 steals), Leroy Loggins (33.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 2.6 steals) and Andre Moore (33.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 2.6 steals) all named to the All-NBL First Team (something which has still never been replicated). Rucker, additionally, won the league’s MVP award, becoming the second Bullets player to do so.

Adams finished the year by averaging 1.1 points, 1 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game also.

SOUTH MELBOURNE SAINTS
1991
In 1991, Adams averaged 5.6 points and 5.6 rebounds, as the Saints finished the regular season with a 9-17 record.

ILLAWARRA HAWKS
1992
Adams averaged 1.4 points, 2 rebounds, and 0.5 assists with the Hawks who finished in eighth place with a 13-11 record.

1993
During the 1993 season, Adams averaged 3.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists and helped the Hawks finish with a record of 15-11 to end the regular season in sixth place.

1994
In 1994, Adams averaged 3.6 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists and was a part of a Hawks squad which finished in tenth place with a record of 13-13.

NEWCASTLE FALCONS
1995
In 1995, Adams averaged 2.8 points and 2.6 rebounds, and helped guide the Falcons to a eighth place finish in the regular season with a 17-9 record.

HOBART DEVILS
1996
Adams averaged 3 points and 2.2 rebounds in 1996, his last season in the NBL. A year where the Devils finished the regular season with a 8-18 record.

Craig Adams played seven seasons across five NBL teams. This included the Brisbane Bullets, Newcastle Falcons, Illawarra Hawks and Hobart Devils. He averaged 3.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 173 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.