BIO: Derek Moore was born in Sydney (NSW) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Parramatta basketball program.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Derek Moore made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings at 24 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

Sydney underwent a familiar narrative during the 1999/00 season. One that began with compiling a impressive roster on paper to start the season, only to see it fall apart (like a violet crumble) by the end of the year. Expectations were high with the continued development of Sydney underwent a familiar narrative during the 1999/00 season. One that began with compiling a impressive roster on paper to start the season, only to see it fall apart (like a violet crumble) by the end of the year. It started with a coaching change, Brett Brown replacing Bill Tomlinson (the team’s fourth coach in six seasons). Then, with Sydney seemingly stockpiling much of the league’s best young talent, adding Ben Melmeth (Newcastle) and Moore (South Carolina-Aiken University) and to the talented young core of Matthew Nielsen, Aaron Trahair and Scott McGregor, re-signing one of the most dominant big men in NBL history, Acie Earl and poaching the reigning league MVP, Steve Woodberry from the Brisbane Bullets expectations were high.

The Kings started the year with a 98–76 win over Canberra, but it was clear Earl’s fitness wasn’t where it was the previous season. He managed 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists and was released before their next game. Meanwhile, Kevin Brooks who had just led Adelaide to back-to-back championships. Brooks’s signing was unusual, with Adelaide signing him to a contract which the league determined it would not approve, claiming it would put the club over the salary cap considering it also had added Paul Maley to its championship unit only a few weeks earlier. Brooks found himself without a team to play for until the Kings contacted him and signed him as Earl’s replacement.

After a mediocre start to the season (2-2), import Steve Woodberry suffered a season ending injury forcing the Kings to find a replacement for him also. This came in the form of NBA talent Drew Barry who was also the son of NBA legend Rick Barry.

The Kings went 6-5 with Barry (7.6 points, 4 rebounds and 6.3 assists) but with his production not being anywhere near where they expected for a NBA level point guard, he too received the axe and was replaced with Kendrick Johnson.

From here, Johnson (21.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists) led the team in scoring, alongside Brooks (16.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists) and Nielsen (16.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists) and the team finished their season with a record of 11-17. Moore averaged 9.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 0.7 assists as the Kings missed the playoffs for the fourth season in a row.

One of the few bright spots for the Kings roller-coaster season was the development of Derek Moore (9.2 points and 5.1 rebounds) who was named Rookie of the Year at season’s end.

2000/01
In 2000/01, Moore averaged 10.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists, playing a key role in the Kings rotation, helping the team finish in a fifth place (17-11).

2001/02
The 2001/02 season saw Moore average 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 0.5 assists and play a key role in helping the Kings to a eighth place finish in the regular season with a 14-16record.

ADELAIDE 36ERS
2003/04
During the 2003/04 season, Moore averaged 5.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.7 assists and was a part of the 36ers squad which finished in eighth place with a record of 14-19.

TOWNSVILLE CROCODILES
2004/05After spending the previous season with the Adelaide 36ers, American centre Derek Moore joined the Townsville Crocodiles as part of a major roster overhaul ahead of the 2004/05 NBL season. Following a disappointing 2003/04 campaign in which Townsville cycled through multiple imports and failed to establish a consistent core, head coach Ian Stacker reshaped the team’s identity. Key exits included Andrew Goodwin (retired), Peter Crawford (to Perth), and Mike Kelly (to Wollongong). In their place came Robert Brown and Casey Calvary as the new import duo, John Rillie (via West Sydney), rookie sensation Brad Newley, and Moore, who provided a defensive anchor in the frontcourt rotation.

The revamped Crocs climbed to a 19–13 record and finished third on the ladder. Led by a balanced core of John Rillie (18.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists), Casey Calvary (17.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks), Robert Brown (16.9 points, 6.5 rebounds), and breakout rookie Brad Newley (16.0 points, 3.3 rebounds), Townsville became one of the league’s top-performing teams. Veteran Robert Rose (12.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists) and Kelvin Robertson (10.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) rounded out a deep and versatile rotation, while Moore’s presence solidified the second unit’s interior defense.

Moore (8.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks) saw action in 17 games, playing a bench role. His shot-blocking and rim protection gave Townsville a valuable interior presence, especially when paired with the more offensively-minded Calvary. Moore’s ability to change shots and alter the opposition’s game plan was a key reason why the Crocodiles improved dramatically at the defensive end.

Newley’s rise was a major storyline across the league. The teenage guard became the first player in NBL history to win both Rookie of the Year and Best Sixth Man honours in the same season, while also earning All-Star Game MVP with a 35-point explosion in Townsville. That night, Moore’s teammates Brown (31 points for the World All-Stars) and Rillie (23 points for the Aussies) also starred, with Brown winning the Dunk Competition in front of 5,078 fans at the Townsville Entertainment Centre.

Moore’s contributions were most evident in the playoffs. In the Elimination Final, the Crocs defeated the Melbourne Tigers 112–100 behind a strong team performance. Moore provided interior resistance that helped neutralize Melbourne’s bigs, allowing Townsville to control the paint. In the semi-finals, Townsville lost Game 1 to Illawarra 100–84 on the road, then narrowly fell 109–105 in Game 2 at home to exit the postseason. Although he played limited minutes behind Calvary, Moore’s defensive presence remained crucial in key stretches throughout both series.

Though he didn’t receive the accolades of his higher-profile teammates, Moore’s (2.5 blocks per game) were among the league’s best, and his presence off the bench was essential to the Crocs’ surge back into playoff contention. He gave Townsville the interior depth they had lacked the previous year and brought stability to a frontcourt rotation that helped anchor one of the strongest defensive teams in the NBL that season.

Derek Moore played five seasons across three NBL teams. This included the Sydney Kings, Adelaide 36ers and Townsville Crocodiles. He averaged 9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 103 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 43rd in blocks per game.

Dan Boyce (837 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.