A 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…
Read More“The NBL is the second best league in the world” It’s a comment we’ve heard from numerous Australian basketball personalities, most employed by the NBL, but is it really? It’s a hard statement to measure, especially when you have to consider things like style of play, player salaries, local talent, and rules related to import…
Read MoreThanks! Here’s your article, corrected with improved grammar, flow, and structure—while keeping the tone, quotes, and HTML fully intact: — The NBL has cemented itself as a genuine incubator for NBA-level talent in recent years. With that credibility has come fresh attention, as more international stars join the league and global fans tune in. This…
Read MoreKai Sotto is a burgeoning superstar, poised to be a cultural icon for the Philippines in the same way Yao Ming is for 1.4 billion Chinese today. A great hope and trailblazer for an influential hoops market. Born and raised in the Philippines, 19-year-old Kai stands at a giant 7ft 2 (2.18m) and will follow…
Read MoreThe Phoenix Suns have reached the NBA Finals for the first time in 28 years. This year, unlike any other before it, the Suns has what they believe is their competitive advantage – emotional intelligence. Jeff Bower, the team’s Senior VP of Basketball Operations has credited a program developed by Sydney based company Genos International…
Read MoreThe Curry “Flow” 8 is the first signature shoe released under the new “Curry” brand and they get off to a good start! Although the “Curry” sub-brand has a long way to go before it matches the “Jordan” sub-brand time will tell but the first release for the brand is a great way to kick…
Read MoreAdam Gibson is set to join an elite club, the 450 Club. The South East Melbourne Phoenix co-captain will play his 450th NBL game on Sunday in Brisbane, something only 28 men have ever done before. “A lot. It was kinda like football back in the early days. A lot more contact and that was…
Read MoreIn the heat of the game, the decision to make a change – or to stay the course – is one instance when coaches can impact the outcome of the game in real-time. Whether it is a change in the coverage of an action, how an individual player is defended, or where to attack offensively,…
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 MoreWith the NBA refusing to allow players under 19 years of age to be eligible to play in the league and college basketball rife with allegations of fraud and corruption, the NBL has decided to provide an interesting alternative for high school players aspiring to reach the NBA. As part of the NBL’s “Next…
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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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