NICKNAME/S: GQ, GQ Smooth, Quey, Puppy

BIO: One of Australia’s most experienced and successful players, Andersen has won 12 league championships (9 European national domestic league championships and 3 EuroLeague championships) abroad and has played in Italy, Russia, Spain, Turkey and France. He has won 14 championships around the world in addition to 103 NBA games for three NBA clubs.

David Emil Andersen grew up in Frankston where he was introduced to basketball at a early age. His mother Mary played netball and basketball and thought it would be a good sport to get all her children involved in. At the age of five, David was playing in the school basketball team at Frankston East Primary with one of his brothers, Stuart. Mary coached the team and because there was only one team at the school, David always played a year above his age. Also, while at primary school David tried his hand at many different sports before deciding to focus on basketball. He had found a game he loved to play, a game where his above average height would be a advantage.

The local representative basketball club was the Frankston Blues. David joined the club when he was 11 years old and in his first year at the club, the under 12 team David played in, won the championship. This was to be one of the first of many successes that David would experience with a team in basketball. David played with the Frankston Blues Junior Program until he was 15 years old and then joined the Frankston Blues Men’s Team.

He played in the 1995 CBA Grand Final, a game that was televised on the ABC TV.

Standing at 197 cm tall, David caught the eye of Gordie McLeod, the head basketball coach at the Australian Institute of Sport.

As a Victorian State player in the Under 16 Australian Junior Championships, David was again spotted by the AIS scouts and was selected to join the Australian Institute of Sport Basketball Development Program in 1996. He spent three years there and played for the program’s SEABL team between 1996-1998). Whilst in Canberra and in conjunction with the AIS, he attended Lake Ginninderra Secondary College.

At the conclusion of his time at the Australian Institute of Sport, not only had grown 15 centimetres in height but also signed his first professional contract to play with the South East Melbourne Magic, allowing him to return home to Melbourne. Before the season began however the club merged with crosstown rival North Melbourne Giants to become the Victoria Titans and his contract voided. At 17 Andersen signed a two-year deal with the Wollongong Hawks.

FAMILY: Andersen is the second youngest of five children. His parents, Mary and Danny raised their four sons and one daughter in Frankston, Victoria.

NBL EXPERIENCE

David Andersen made his NBL debut with the Wollongong Hawks at 18 years of age. He scored nine points in his first game.

Coinciding with the NBL’s move to summer, the Hawks shifted base to the Wollongong Entertainment Centre and swapped their Illawarra prefix to Wollongong. Coming off a 14 win season that saw the Hawks reach the postseason, the Hawks were able to retain almost their entire and add CJ Bruton (via Brisbane) who immediately became Wollongong’s starting point guard and primary offensive weapon. With the addition of Bruton, there was no need for import guard Elliot Hatcher and they replaced him with Theron Wilson. Also, talented big man David Andersen was recruited from the AIS to replace the outgoing Matt Zauner.

Bruton (20.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists) would be given the ‘green light’ as he boosted his scoring from 15.4 points to 20.8 points per game in 46 minutes per game. Clayton Ritter (17.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists 1.1 steals) and Mat Campbell (15.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists) also finished among the team’s high scorers.

The Hawks finished the season winning two more games than the year prior, improving upon their previous record for the third year in a row and finishing in third place (16-10).

A disappointing postseason first saw the Hawks lose to the Victoria Titans in two straight games during the Qualifying Finals, but thanks to the league’s of the ‘lucky loser’ rule, which allowed the highest placed loser from the Qualifying Finals to proceed to the next round. There, a matchup with Adelaide saw Illawarra eliminated in two straight games, ending their season for good this time.

Andersen appeared in 25 games and averaged 6.2 points, 4 rebounds, and 0.6 assists. David played one year of his two year contract with the Hawks before signing with European basketball club Virtus Bologna in Italy.

MELBOURNE UNITED
2016/17
With the league allowing three import players per team this season, Melbourne replaced import duo Stephen Holt and Hakim Warrick with Cedric Jackson, Ramone Moore and Devin Williams and essentially signed a fourth import by adding Tai Wesley (via New Zealand) who was allowed to sign as a local under the asian player rule.

On 16 July 2016, Andersen decided to return to Australia and play out the majority of his career back home. He signed a two-year deal with Melbourne United, replacing Daniel Kickert (to Sydney) and in his first season was selected team captain.

Andersen made his debut for United in their season opener on 7 October, scoring nine points in a loss to New Zealand (76–71). On 6 November, he scored a season-high 23 points in a loss to Illawarra (82–73). On 12 December, he was ruled out for six weeks with a knee injury.

In coach Dean Demopoulos second season, United started poorly (3-7) and Jackson (10.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.4 steals) quickly being shown the door due to a poor attitude and failing to buy into the team’s defensive principals.

Casper Ware arrived as his replacement shortly after, immediately changing the squad’s direction.

Around this time, Chris Goulding (17.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 steals), who missed six games with ankle issues, began to find his form, and David Barlow (5.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists), returned from a calf injury that had seen him unable to take the court at all for the past two years.

Behind Ware (22.1 points, 4.5 assists, and 1.3 steals) and a healthy roster, United turned things around, winning 10 of their last 18 games.

With the team still capable of reaching the playoffs, Devin Williams (3.2 points and 4.0 rebounds), who surprisingly lasted 16 games before being cut after media and fans pointed out his lack of production and called for an import change for most of the season. With a third of the season remaining, Josh Boone (10.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks) arrived and quickly went to work cleaning up Ware and Goulding’s missed shots and finished as the league’s best rebounder. Minute for minute, there was no more effective player than Josh Boone, who finished as Melbourne’s best player in several advanced metrics, including PER, ORtg, DRtg, eFG%, TRB%, and BLK%.

While he avoided the same fate Jackson suffered, Ramone Moore (10.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists) didn’t deliver the type of impact expected of an import either.

Injuries and offensive meltdowns were the storylines this season. Tai Wesley (8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) and Majok Majok (5.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks) were the only two players to compete in all 28 games for United, and coupled with the import turnover, only six players suited up for at least 75% of games. Combine this with the fact that Melbourne finished with the second-worst true shooting percentage in the league and was just 2-5 in games decided by five points.

Ware earned a place in the All-NBL First Team despite playing 18 games, and this combined with United’s strong finish many fans were excited about what the future could bring. This was shown by the almost-capacity crowd of 9,545 showing up at Melbourne’s last home game despite the team having nothing to play for.

In Demopoulos’ second year as head coach, he would struggle managing player relationships, and by the end of the season, it was public knowledge his relationship with certain players wasn’t ‘civil’. A divide between the veterans of the team and the ever-competitive Demopoulos would result in seeing United unable to replicate the success from the previous season, finishing in sixth-place finish (13-15) and both parties moving on at the end of the season.

After recovering from injury Andersen played in France during the NBL offseason.

2017/18
2017 saw the beginning of the ‘Dean Vickerman’ era with the Sydney assistant coach replacing Dean Demopoulos, who had struggled to fit in with the playing group during his tenure. Vickerman signed on for two seasons and shortly after, the team re-signed David Barlow and imports Josh Boone and Casper Ware. Vickerman brought with him forward Craig Moller (via Sydney) as a replacement for the departing Todd Blanchfield (to Illawarra) and added Casey Prather (via Perth) as the team’s third import.

Melbourne won their season opener against Adelaide (99–97) with Prather (20 points) leading the team offensively. Despite United’s hot start, they would win only five of their first ten games.

On December 16, Prather went down with a dislocated elbow in the second quarter of Melbourne’s win over Illawarra (84–78) and was subsequently ruled out for a minimum of eight weeks. While United looked for a injury replacement, development player Felix Von Hofe was elevated into the team until they signed former NBA talent Carrick Felix. Felix joined the team in December and with his addition, the team sparked a strong run home, finishing 15-3 for the remainder of the season.

Andersen would average 5.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game, while Melbourne would finish in first place and face fourth-seed New Zealand in the semifinals. In game one, Prather (15 points) led the team in scoring despite starting on the bench and led United to a 11-point win (88–77). Prather (12 points) then helped Melbourne win game two in overtime (88–86) and progress to the Grand Final. On the opposite side of the bracket, the Adelaide 36ers eliminated the reigning champions Perth in two games as well.

The opening game saw Casper Ware (20 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) come out on fire in the first half, before leaving the game with a hip injury. United sharp-shooter Chris Goulding would then step up with a impressive shooting display (26 points) to give Melbourne the victory (107-96) at Hisense Arena. Daniel Johnson (18 points) led the 36ers in scoring alongside Mitch Creek (14 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists).

In game two, Adelaide came out firing behind Majok Deng (18 points), Mitch Creek (17 points) and Ramone Moore (17 points) and tied the series with a 15-point win (110-95). Melbourne were led by Casey Prather (20 points), who had re-joined the team just prior to the Grand Final series, and Chris Goulding (19 points).

The 36ers win came at a cost, with import Josh Childress (13 points and 8 rebounds) going down with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter that would remove him from the remaining Grand Final games.

The series returned to Melbourne for game three, where tensions exploded at the end of the first half, Adelaide’s Nathan Sobey clashing heads with Casey Prather after the United import hit a three-pointer on the stroke of halftime. The Adelaide guard was called for a disqualifying foul and ejected from the match. There was further drama at the end of the game with players from both teams needing to be separated after the final buzzer. The incident also resulted in 36ers head coach Joey Wright being fined handsomely for questioning the integrity of the referees.

When the smoke settled, Melbourne had squeaked out a narrow victory (101-98) after Adelaide’s Majok Deng missed a game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds. Casper Ware (25 points), Prather (23 points) and Chris Goulding (15 points), who hit three clutch triples to take control of the game, were among United’s best.

Game four saw Adelaide swingman Nathan Sobey (16 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists), who was ejected in game three for his part in the halftime melee, lead the way for the 36ers in the first half with the scoreboard reading 55-31 at the halfway mark. Again the home team was victorious, Adelaide getting a comfortable win over Melbourne United (90-81). Johnson (29 points and 10 rebounds) and Prather (23 points) top scoring for their respective sides.

In the deciding game five, Goulding, Ware (both 23 points) and Prather (19 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 steals) came to play and Melbourne defeated Adelaide (100-82) in front of a sold-out crowd at Hisense Arena, winning their first title since rebranding from the Tigers. Shannon Shorter (20 points) led Adelaide in scoring, while Chris Goulding was named Finals MVP after averaging 16.6 points and 3.6 rebounds over the five-game series. With the win, Prather collected his third NBL championship to become the first player in NBL history to win three straight titles in his first three seasons in the league. At 37 years old, Andersen became the oldest player to win his first NBL championship.

ILLAWARRA HAWKS
2018/19
After falling short of making the playoffs by only a few games in 2018, the Hawks lost several key players: Demitrius Conger (to Serbia), Rotnei Clarke (to Greece), Nicholas Kay (to Perth), Delvon Johnson (to Slovakia), and Cody Ellis and Rhys Martin, who both retired. The team retained AJ Ogilvy, Tim Coenraad, Nic Pozoglo and team captain Kevin Whiteu and strengthened their roster by adding Jordair Jett (via NZNBL), Brian Conklin (via France), Cedric Jackson (via USA), and rookies Emmett Naar and Daniel Grida.

After Andersen was not offered a contract to return to Melbourne, he chose to return to the Hawks, where he began his NBL career. On 4 June 2018, Andersen signed with Illawarra, returning to the franchise for a second stint, a full twenty years after his first. During the NBL off-season, Andersen again played in France.

Illawarra began the season with a dramatic quadruple-overtime thriller, narrowly losing to Melbourne (122–123). They followed this with a heavy loss to Perth (101–61) but rebounded with a road win against Cairns (104–93). A brief two-game win streak in October saw the Hawks secure victories against Brisbane (86–78) and Adelaide (120–109), but inconsistency plagued the team. A four-game losing streak in November, including defeats to Perth (90–81), Sydney (81–90), and Adelaide (104–79), contributed to their struggle to break into the top four. Despite flashes of potential, the Hawks couldn’t maintain consistency and missed the playoffs with a 12-16 record.

David Andersen (8.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.7 assists) provided veteran leadership and key contributions for the Hawks throughout the season. Despite his age, Andersen remained a valuable part of the rotation, delivering solid performances, including a standout 21 points and 3 rebounds against Perth (23 Dec 2018), an 18 points and 4 rebounds effort against Melbourne (8 Nov 2018), and a 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists game against Brisbane (31 Dec 2018).

Alongside Andersen, Illawarra’s key players included Brian Conklin (14.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 0.8 steals), Todd Blanchfield (13.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.1 steals), and Jordair Jett (11.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 steals). AJ Ogilvy (9.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.1 blocks) also played a crucial role on both ends of the court.

Despite the talent on the roster, Illawarra hovered between sixth and seventh place for most of the season and couldn’t find enough consistency to make a playoff push, finishing with a 12-16 record in one of the most competitive seasons in NBL history.

During the NBL off-season, Andersen again played in France.

ILLAWARRA HAWKS
2018/19
After finishing fifth with a 12-16 record and missing the playoffs the previous season, Illawarra reshaped its roster under coach Rob Beveridge. Oscar Forman (retired), Nick Kay (to Perth), Mitch Norton (to Perth), Demitrius Conger (to France), Rotnei Clarke, Delvon Johnson, Cody Ellis (free agent) and Rhys Martin (free agent) departed. AJ Ogilvy, Tim Coenraad, Nic Pozoglou and captain Kevin White returned, while Todd Blanchfield (via Sydney), Jordair Jett (via Townsville Heat), Brian Conklin (via France), Cedric Jackson (via USA), Emmett Naar, Daniel Grida and Marshall Nelson were added.

On July 16, 2016, David Andersen (via ASVEL) had returned to Australia on a two-year deal with Melbourne United, replacing Daniel Kickert (to Sydney) and serving as captain during his first season. After completing the deal and helping United defeat Adelaide in five games to win the 2017/18 championship, he was not offered another contract by Melbourne. On June 4, 2018, he returned to Illawarra (via Melbourne), where he had begun his NBL career and won Rookie of the Year twenty years earlier. Beveridge said, “David is a flat out winner everywhere he goes.”

Illawarra opened the season against defending champion Melbourne at WIN Entertainment Centre on October 12, where the former United forward (11 points and 5 rebounds) came off the bench and hit consecutive baskets early in the fourth overtime to put the Hawks four points ahead before Melbourne recovered to win 123-122 after four overtimes. Josh Boone (24 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks) led United in a game that became one of the longest in NBL history.

Andersen (8.3 points and 3.5 rebounds across 28 games) appeared in every game for Illawarra and provided experience and scoring from the frontcourt while primarily coming off the bench.

His first major performance against his former club came at WIN Entertainment Centre on November 8, where Andersen (18 points and 4 rebounds) shot 7-of-10 from the field in only 18 minutes and led Illawarra to an 87-81 victory over defending champion Melbourne. Mitch McCarron (18 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Casper Ware (18 points and 4 assists) led United as the Hawks ended Melbourne’s three-game winning streak and gave Beveridge a victory in his 100th game as Illawarra coach.

A knee injury provided a scare in Brisbane on November 22, with Andersen (0 points in 11 minutes) leaving early in the fourth quarter as Illawarra lost 104-85. Lamar Patterson (24 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists) led Brisbane, but the injury did not result in Andersen missing a game and he returned three days later.

That return came against Adelaide on November 25, where Andersen (9 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 block) was ejected during the third quarter following an incident with Nathan Sobey as Illawarra defeated the 36ers 120-109. He was subsequently charged with unduly rough play, with the contact judged intentional, high and low impact, and accepted an early guilty plea that resulted in a $1000 fine rather than a one-game suspension, allowing him to maintain his perfect attendance for the season.

His season-high scoring game came against Perth at WIN Entertainment Centre on December 23, where Andersen (21 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 block) shot 8-of-13 from the field and led Illawarra to an 81-77 victory over the league-leading Wildcats. Bryce Cotton (21 points) led Perth as the Hawks collected one of their biggest wins of the season.

Andersen’s best all-around game came in Brisbane on December 31, finishing with 15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal, although the Bullets defeated Illawarra 100-74. Cameron Gliddon (15 points and 5 rebounds) was among six Brisbane players to score in double figures as the Hawks fell to 6-9.

Conklin (14.4 points and 5.1 rebounds) led Illawarra in scoring, while Blanchfield (13.5 points and 4.2 rebounds) was named the Hawks’ club MVP. Jett (11.8 points and 1.5 steals), Ogilvy (9.4 points and 6.6 rebounds), Coenraad (8.7 points and 4 rebounds), Jackson (7.9 points and 3.8 assists) and Grida (5.1 points) were the other major contributors as Illawarra struggled to maintain enough consistency to reach the playoffs.

Andersen did not exit Illawarra following the season. On February 24, he returned to France (to Strasbourg) for the remainder of the French season before re-signing with the Hawks on July 15 for 2019/20, continuing his second stint with the club.

Illawarra finished the season in Wellington on February 14, where Andersen (5 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) made his 28th appearance as New Zealand defeated the Hawks 130-96. Shawn Long (21 points and 8 rebounds) led the Breakers as Illawarra finished seventh with a 12-16 record.

2019/20
After finishing seventh with a 12-16 record and missing the playoffs the previous season, Illawarra entered the new campaign under first-year head coach Matt Flinn. Kevin White (to Adelaide), Brian Conklin, Jordair Jett and Cedric Jackson departed, while the Hawks added former NBA guard Aaron Brooks, Next Star LaMelo Ball, Josh Boone (via Melbourne), Sunday Dech (via Perth) and Sam Froling (via Creighton) around returning players Todd Blanchfield, AJ Ogilvy, Tim Coenraad, Emmett Naar and Daniel Grida. After spending the off-season with SIG Strasbourg in France, the veteran four-time Olympian re-signed with Illawarra on July 15 and was reunited with former Houston teammate Brooks.

Illawarra opened the season at home against Brisbane on October 6, where Andersen (4 points and 1 assist) made both of his field goal attempts in just over four minutes off the bench as the Hawks lost 90-81. Brooks (23 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Ogilvy (13 points and 5 rebounds) led Illawarra, while Lamar Patterson (25 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) was Brisbane’s best.

Andersen (6.6 points across 16 games) filled a reduced veteran role in his second season since returning to Illawarra, averaging 12.4 minutes while shooting 47 per cent from the field and 41 per cent from three. He appeared in 16 of Illawarra’s 28 games and moved in and out of the lineup through the second half of the season, with no injury reported as the cause of those absences.

Andersen reached his 100th NBL game in Perth on October 11, producing one of his best performances of the season with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks in 14 minutes. Ball (15 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals) and Boone (10 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 steals) provided support, but Bryce Cotton (28 points, 7 assists, and 4 steals), Terrico White (19 points and 6 rebounds) and Dario Hunt (16 points and 9 rebounds) led Perth to a 103-76 victory.

On October 24, Illawarra travelled to New Zealand for Ball’s first meeting with fellow Next Star RJ Hampton in what became the most-watched game in NBL history at the time, attracting 1.9 million views globally on Facebook. Andersen (11 points and 5 rebounds) was one of Illawarra’s leading scorers alongside Brooks (19 points), while Ball (10 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) struggled as Sek Henry (21 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) led New Zealand to a 103-72 victory.

Three days later Illawarra’s season changed when Brooks (17.9 points and 4.1 assists across 7 games) tore his Achilles against Perth and was ruled out for the remainder of the season, ultimately ending his playing career. Ball (17 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1.7 steals across 12 games) was pushed into a larger role following Brooks’ injury.

Andersen’s best game of the season came in Cairns on November 9, where he wound back the clock and made 8-of-11 shots to finish with 17 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal as Illawarra defeated the Taipans 101-91. Ball (24 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals) and Dech (21 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists) led the Hawks, while Boone (15 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks) provided further support and Mirko Djeric (19 points and 5 rebounds) was Cairns’ leading scorer.

A week later, Andersen (4 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist) started in front of an NBL record crowd of 17,514 at Qudos Bank Arena as Illawarra pushed league-leading Sydney before falling 92-87. Blanchfield (22 points and 6 rebounds) and Ball (16 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists) led the Hawks, while Jae’Sean Tate (24 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals) was Sydney’s best.

Andersen delivered his second-highest scoring game against New Zealand on November 30, making 6-of-10 shots to finish with 15 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist as Illawarra lost 91-79. Ball (25 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists) recorded his second consecutive triple-double and Dech (11 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals) provided support, while Henry (25 points and 3 steals) and Finn Delany (20 points and 10 rebounds) led New Zealand. It proved to be Ball’s final game for Illawarra after he bruised his foot during practice the following week and was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Darington Hobson (5.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.3 steals across 13 games) was added in December as Illawarra attempted to cover the losses of Brooks and Ball, while Billy Preston (6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds across 3 games) was later added before being released after three appearances following multiple missed practices.

Blanchfield (13.3 points and 3.9 rebounds across 28 games) became Illawarra’s leading scorer and won the Hawks’ MVP award for the second consecutive season. Dech (9.2 points and 3.7 rebounds across 27 games), Ogilvy (8.5 points and 6.3 rebounds across 26 games), Boone (8.2 points and 5.8 rebounds across 24 games), Coenraad (8.1 points across 28 games), Froling (6 points and 3.4 rebounds across 17 games), Naar (5.6 points and 3.6 assists across 25 games) and Angus Glover (5.2 points across 27 games) were the Hawks’ other major contributors, with Froling missing 11 games due to an ankle injury. Ball was named NBL Rookie of the Year.

“I don’t look at it as a failure of a season, it was quite enjoyable,” Andersen said after the season.

Following the season, Illawarra entered voluntary administration before creditors voted to liquidate the company which had held the Hawks’ licence. Andersen was not offered a contract for the following season.

Andersen’s final game of the season came against Sydney at Qudos Bank Arena on February 14, where he finished with 3 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists in 12 minutes as Illawarra lost 98-82. Dech (26 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Glover (15 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists) led the Hawks, while Tate (19 points and 5 rebounds) and Casper Ware (19 points and 3 assists) led Sydney as Illawarra finished ninth with a 5-23 record and ten consecutive losses.

MELBOURNE UNITED
2020/21
David Andersen began the 2020/21 NBL season outside the league after not returning to Illawarra following the previous campaign. The veteran appeared to have reached the end of his NBL career and remained in playing shape with the Frankston Blues in NBL1 while Melbourne United built a roster around a mixture of established stars and new additions. United had parted ways with Casey Prather, added Jack White and Yudai Baba, retained Chris Goulding, David Barlow, Mason Peatling and Sam McDaniel and signed Scotty Hopson as its lone import. Australian Boomers big man Jock Landale completed the roster shortly before the season after COVID-related travel restrictions prevented his planned move to Lithuania.

Andersen’s path back to United was created by a serious injury to White. The rookie had already missed approximately a month after fracturing and dislocating a finger in February before returning to the lineup late in March. In just his second game back, against Cairns on 2 April, White ruptured his Achilles and was ruled out for the remainder of the season with an expected rehabilitation period of approximately 12 months.

On 8 May, Melbourne brought the then 40-year-old Andersen back to the club for the remainder of NBL21 as White’s injury replacement. Head coach Dean Vickerman viewed the former EuroLeague and Boomers star as someone who could provide minutes when required while adding championship experience and leadership to a team pursuing the title. Andersen suited up immediately that evening against South East Melbourne, playing just over three minutes and recording an assist as United defeated the Phoenix 93-82.

Used almost exclusively as veteran depth, Andersen appeared six times and averaged 1.3 points per game. There is no verified injury that kept him out of other games after joining Melbourne; his limited court time reflected the role for which he had been recruited, with Mason Peatling, Barlow and Jo Lual-Acuil absorbing most of the additional frontcourt minutes created by White’s absence.

Andersen’s most productive outing came against his former club Illawarra on 18 May. He played seven minutes and scored four points on 2/3 shooting as Melbourne produced a dominant offensive performance to defeat the Hawks 102-87. The four points were his season-high and represented half of the eight points he scored during his brief return to the NBL.

Melbourne finished the regular season first with a 28-8 record before facing South East Melbourne in the semi-finals. Andersen made his sixth and final appearance of the season in Game 1 on 11 June, playing three minutes as United dominated the Phoenix 96-78 at Qudos Bank Arena. Because of Victoria’s COVID lockdown, all three games of the series remained in Sydney. South East Melbourne responded to win Game 2, but United recovered from a 32-15 deficit in the deciding game to win 84-74 behind Jock Landale’s 27 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

Western Australia’s border restrictions then forced Melbourne to begin the Grand Final series with two games in Perth despite finishing above the Wildcats. United won both games before returning home for Game 3, where 5,000 spectators at John Cain Arena watched Melbourne complete a 3-0 sweep with an 81-76 victory. Landale posted 15 points and nine rebounds and was named Grand Final MVP. Andersen did not play in the Grand Final series, but the championship gave him a second title with Melbourne United after also being part of the club’s 2017/18 championship team.David Andersen played six seasons across three NBL teams. This included the Wollongong Hawks, Illawarra Hawks and Melbourne United. He averaged 6.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 120 NBL games.

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