With 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…
Read MoreThe first thing that I notice when I sit down with Isaac Humphries is his 7 foot frame towering over me. He barely fits into the chair at the café table where we sit for our interview. Unfortunately there aren’t any other chairs available, but he doesn’t look perturbed – I get the impression that…
Read MoreA top 10 list of greatest scoring performances in NBL history.
Read MoreWhen Kevin Lisch drained a jump shot over the outstretched arms of Mitch McCarron with 0.3 seconds to go to beat the Taipans in early November, the Kings were flying. Sitting at 6-2 on the season and firmly entrenched at the top of the NBL ladder, experts and fans alike were proclaiming that the championship…
Read MoreTo create all-time #NBLrank, the Aussie Hoopla writing team have all voted on the greatest players to play at each position as well as a few select other criteria. Each Aussie Hoopla writer has made their decisions, but now we want to hear from YOU! Our top five point guards in NBL history. Our top five…
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 More“I Wanna be like Mike” to quote the 1992 Gatorade commercial. The advertisement campaign I refer to was merely a promotional ploy focused on selling orange beverages, but it is also an example of how endemic the belief that Michael Jordan’s has no equal on a basketball court and how this myth has been spread…
Read MoreThere is no NBL all-star weekend this year. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, there has only been 1 NBL All-Star game since 2008. But why? The last time the fans were asked if they wanted an All-Star game 90% of fans wanted to see the All-Star game back, So why is…
Read MoreWith less than six weeks until the season begins, it appears broadcasters are the ones playing #Hardball with the NBL. On August 6th, Larry Kestelman – the white knight of prophecy for the NBL – unveiled the first stages of his long awaited resurgence plan for the league; these included a new logo – which…
Read More
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…
READ MORE