With uncertainty around the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) many stars have chosen to play elsewhere this season, and a number of them have decided to spend this season in the NBL while the CBA gets its act together. Under the influence of the epidemic and major changes to the CBA contract, this year, the league…
Read MoreRobbie Heath grew up on the outskirts of Melbourne, in the basketball hotbed of Whittlesea, around 40 minutes from the CDB. Much like Ben Simmons, Dante Exum and even Kyrie Irving, Heath is a product of one of the many US imports who came to Australia in the 1980s and 1990s to play basketball. His…
Read More“I wanna be like Mike” to quote the 1992 Gatorade commercial. This advertising campaign was merely a promotional ploy focused on selling sugary beverages, but it is also an example of how endemic the belief is that Michael Jordan has no equal on a basketball court, and how this myth has been spread throughout society. Michael…
Read MoreDespite losing Rio Olympian Chris Goulding to injury, being unable to hold player selection camp and having only one training session prior to facing an unbeaten Filipino national team, Boomers coach Andrej Lemanis says it’s a challenge the team is ready for. “We haven’t seen each other for three months and that’s a challenge,…
Read MoreEveryone remembers where they were at 2:30 am on August 21st, 2016 when Australia went down horrifically to Spain in the bronze medal Match of the Rio Olympics. The hype train was in full steam after coming second in the group, smashing France and Serbia and coming agonisingly close to downing the USA goliath. So,…
Read MoreHere at Aussie Hoopla, we love two things – Australian basketball and trivia about Australian basketball. As the end of 2016 approaches, it is always nice to look back on the events of the past. So, print this page out or read it off your screen and play with your friends to see…
Read More18-year-old Adam Lulka, who plays for Penrith Panthers and in his final year of high school at The King’s School, Parramatta has been snapped up by the University at Albany. Securing a four-year scholarship, he says he will most likely undertake a psychology degree while playing for the university’s basketball team the Albany Great…
Read MoreWith all the excitement of the Olympics, it wouldn’t be a surprise if you didn’t notice one of Australia’s finest talents outside of that Boomers team recently who has signed to play for a Lithuanian powerhouse in 2017/17. Ben #Madgen from #Australia will be playing in @BCLietkabelis next season. Welcome to #Panevezys, @iMadgen01! pic.twitter.com/XXra8BOaB7…
Read MoreWith the Boomers finishing off their 2016 Rio Olympic Games campaign with heart-wrenching, infuriating fourth place, it’s time to look forward to the next Boomers squad for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Many of the key players who led Australia in capturing the country’s hearts in Brazil will be primed for another go around but it’s…
Read MoreDespite a gut-wrenching loss to Serbia, Australia remains focused on making basketball history – not repeating it. The Boomers cinderella run through the group stages had the nation believing a chance at a gold medal was possible until their semi-final loss to Serbia which NBA small forward Joe Ingles labelled “pathetic”. “We’re all very…
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Former Sydney Kings and Townsville Crocodiles big man Rolan Roberts joins the podcast to reflect on his time in Australia, including joining the Kings mid-season and helping them complete their historic 2005 NBL three-peat. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Host Dan Boyce chats with Roberts about playing under Brian Goorjian, becoming a key interior presence for Sydney, and being part of the Kings team that became the first in NBL history to win three straight championships. The episode also dives into…
READ MOREAt some point over the next 12 months, the Boomers are going to have to make a decision that Australian basketball has managed to avoid for almost two decades. Who exactly is this team built around now? Since 2010, that answer was simple. It was Patty Mills’ team. Mills has been the primary scorer for the Boomers for nearly two decades and few Australian victories have been recorded without a major scoring performance from Patty. But as the Boomers move toward the 2027 FIBA World…
READ MOREA player arriving in the NBL with NBA experience always creates interest. Fans get excited when their team signs a former NBA player, commentators mention it during broadcasts, and every article about that player usually links their NBL performance back to their NBA résumé. Sometimes, we see a big-time college prospect use the NBL as a springboard to the NBA and never return. Other times, established NBA veterans come to Australia looking for a fresh opportunity. And in many cases, local talent develops in the…
READ MOREOver the years, Aussie Hoopla has taken a deep dive into the full list of players who have competed in both the NBL and the NBA. You can see the full list of NBL players who have played in the NBA here: Names from every decade since the 1980s have featured, including NBL legends like Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Lanard Copeland and Rob Rose, alongside a long list of imports who used the NBL as a stepping stone to the world’s biggest stage. But with…
READ MOREFormer Adelaide 36ers star Julius Hodge joins the podcast to reflect on one of the most dominant short stints in NBL history, his journey from the NBA to Australia, and the impact he made during the 2007/08 season. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Host Dan Boyce chats with Hodge about his incredible all-around performances, triple-doubles, and what it was like adjusting to the Australian game mid-season. The episode also dives into his time playing in the NBA and overseas, his perspective…
READ MOREBelow is an up-to-date roster for each NBL team and a list of rumours and potential signings derived from discussions with NBL staff and media. Players listed as contracted come from information supplied by the National Basketball League. * = Denotes import player ** = Naturalised Australian DP = a member of the team's development roster SRP = the previously named Asian player exception denoting an Asian player who qualifies as a local in the NBL. MP = Marquee players listed as known Click here…
READ MORECurrent head coach of the Akita Northern Happinets, Mick Downer joins the podcast to discuss the differences between coaching in Japan and the NBL, his stints with Perth, Cairns, Brisbane and Adelaide over the past 25 years, and his time with the Australian Boomers program. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Host Dan Boyce chats with Downer about what he learnt stepping into the head coaching role in a non-English speaking country, as well as providing updates on NBL talent in Japan…
READ MOREWe wrap up our seven-part deep dive into one of Aussie hoops’ fiercest rivalries — Sydney vs Illawarra — as the modern era turns the heat all the way up and the Freeway Series swings wildly from season to season. Host Dan Boyce picks things up after the Hawks’ rebirth under new ownership and Brian Goorjian — a fresh start that quickly turns into a brutal reality check, including the worst season in franchise history (3–25) — before Illawarra pulls off one of the great…
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