In a shocking turn reversal of events, Australian’s have decided to colonise the British! Well… not quite, but it’s certainly a shock to see five former NBL players decide to play in the British Basketball League as an alternative to signing with a team in Australia. It all started when Josh Wilcher (who…
Read MoreChima Moneke may not be as well know as some other young basketball talents like Dante Exum, Ben Simmons and Thon Maker but this doesn’t mean he won’t stand beside these stars while the Australian national anthem plays at a future international tournament. Chima has walked a very unique path thus far. Beginning in Nigeria, travelling half-way across…
Read MoreJordan McRae recently spoke on Tennessee Radio about his time playing in Australia and his goal to make it onto an NBA roster this year. The 24 year old shooting guard played four years for the University of Tennessee and was drafted 58th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 NBA Draft. Soon after McRae was…
Read MoreLast month Australian giant Thon Maker had every college coach in the NCAA drooling when he announced to the world he would leave high school early to attend college. The upcoming months the Mike Krzyzewski’s and and John Calipari’s of the world try their best to develop a relationship with the young star in attempts to wear blue and white…
Read MoreThe hype and the expectations surrounding Ben Simmons seem almost unfair to put on the shoulders of an 18-year old. The comparisons to guys like Kobe and LeBron. The tweet from Shaquille O’Neal proclaiming that “LSU just signed the best player in the world” when Simmons signed with the Tigers in November. The dozen or…
Read MoreThe Australian men’s team has become much stronger and Australia, who have never won a medal in international basketball competition, are hoping current NBA players like Andrew Bogut, Patty Mills and Aron Baynes can take the national team further than it ever has before. But if Australia is to have success in Rio and…
Read MoreFlash-back to the 2012 London Olympics and the basketball world was transfixed on how Team-USA would win their next gold-medal. Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony led the way as they walked easily towards their goal of being the best basketball nation in the world. One of the sub-plots to transpire was the emergence of Australian…
Read MoreAndrej Lemanis has named his first Australian Boomers squad this week to take on China in the Sino-Australia Challenge. I have written in regards to weak Boomers squads in the past but this takes the cake. Three of the starting five for Adelaide who came dead last in the National League is picked. Daniel Johnson…
Read MoreIn November 2009 Saint Mary’s Men’s basketball team had recently been defeated by San Diego State in the schools most successful NIT tournament performance to date. St Mary’s had finished with 28-7 record (10-4 in their conference) and after a tumultuous season which included Patty Mills missing 9 games with a broken wrist (St Mary’s…
Read MoreAfter his break out performance during the London Olympics its seems Joe Ingles hasn’t been forgotten among NBA teams. This week Joe Ingles and Australian Boomers teammate Nathan Jawai have taken Spanish team Barcelona to a 4-1 record and the team now sits in third place in their division as the Euroleague reduces itself down to its Top 16. …
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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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