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July 12, 2021
John Mooney
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 20/03/98
- Place of Birth: Altamonte Springs, Florida (USA)
- Position: FRD
- Height (CM): 206
- Weight (KG): 111
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: Notre Dame (2016–2020)
- NBL DEBUT: 24/01/21
- AGE AT DEBUT: 22
- LAST NBL GAME: 25/06/21
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 23
- NBL History: Perth 2021
- Championships: 0
- None
NICKNAME/S: Mr. Double-Double, Moon-man, Moondog
BIO: John Mooney was born in Altamonte Springs, Florida (USA) and attended Lake Brantley High School, where he emerged as one of the top big men in the state. In his senior year, he dominated with averages of 24.8 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks per game, earning First Team All-State honors.
Mooney is the son of Margaret and Kevin Mooney, a builder and former Division II golfer at Spring Hill College. He grew up alongside two older siblings, Brendan and Caitlin. His competitive journey began early—playing AAU basketball with Nike Team Florida from the eighth grade, where he teamed up with Bryan Donovan, son of Florida Gators coach Billy Donovan.
Originally committed to play under Donovan at the University of Florida, Mooney reopened his recruitment when Donovan left for the NBA to coach the Oklahoma City Thunder. After considering programs including Indiana, Kansas, Georgia Tech, Alabama, and Florida State, Mooney ultimately chose Notre Dame. His father sought Donovan’s advice, which led to Notre Dame coach Mike Brey scouting Mooney and securing his commitment following an official visit.
FAMILY: Mooney is the son of Margaret and Kevin Mooney, a builder/contractor for an appliance company who played Division II golf at Spring Hill College. He has two older siblings, Brendan and Caitlin. Mooney began playing for Nike Team Florida in AAU play alongside Florida coach Billy Donovan’s son Bryan in eighth grade.
NBL EXPERIENCE
John Mooney made his NBL debut with the Perth Wildcats at 22 years of age. He scored 13 points in his first game.
On August 14, 2020, John Mooney signed a one-year deal with the Perth Wildcats during a turbulent year in which the NBL season was twice delayed due to COVID-19. As part of the league’s response to ongoing travel restrictions, Perth and other teams were forced to relocate and play eight games in Melbourne in an attempt to complete fixtures within a controlled environment.
The Wildcats struggled early in the season and found themselves in 7th place after the first five rounds. However, a strong showing during the NBL Cup mid-season tournament helped them regain momentum and re-establish themselves as title contenders.
Mooney made an immediate impact in his NBL debut on January 24, 2021, recording a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds in an 88–76 win over South East Melbourne—setting a club record for the most rebounds by a Wildcat in their first game and becoming the first to open with a double-double since 2007.
Led by league MVP Bryce Cotton and Mooney (16.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists), Perth surged up the standings and finished the regular season in second place. Mooney went on to post 27 double-doubles in 42 games—the second-most by a Wildcat in a single season. His average of 11.4 rebounds per game ranks eighth in Perth history, and his total of 480 rebounds stands as the third-highest single-season mark in NBL history.
Their championship hopes suffered a major setback when Cotton sustained a season-ending injury in the final round. Nevertheless, the Wildcats showed resilience and overcame Illawarra in a gritty semi-final series to reach the Grand Final.
Perth then faced a red-hot Melbourne United squad that had finished the regular season atop the ladder. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Games 1 and 2 were played in Perth. United survived a late surge to claim Game 1 by three points before dominating Game 2 behind Chris Goulding’s 21-point performance.
Injuries to Mitch Norton left Perth’s backcourt shorthanded. Despite veteran Kevin White delivering the best three-game stretch of his career, the Wildcats looked fatigued following their semi-final battle. Melbourne completed a clean sweep with a 3–0 Grand Final series win.
Game 3 was held at John Cain Arena in front of a sold-out, COVID-capped crowd of 5,000. Melbourne closed out the title with an 81–76 victory, led by Jock Landale’s standout performance of 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. Landale was named Finals MVP as United secured their sixth NBL championship—and second under the United branding.
At season’s end, Mooney was named the Wildcats Club MVP in recognition of his outstanding and record-setting debut campaign in the NBL.
John Mooney played one season in the NBL. He averaged 16.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 42 NBL games.
CAREER RANKINGS:
– 33rd in rebounds per game.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 23 | Perth | 25-11 (2) | 42 | 1,373.4 | 710 | 479 | 121 | 143 | 336 | 48 | 28 | 67 | 86 | 290 | 547 | 53% | 29 | 64 | 45% | 101 | 138 | 73% | 58% | 56% | 30 | Totals | 42 | 1373 | 710 | 479 | 121 | 143 | 336 | 48 | 28 | 67 | 86 | 290 | 547 | 53.0% | 29 | 64 | 45.3% | 101 | 138 | 73.2% | 58% | 56% | 30 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 23 | Perth | 25-11 (2) | 42 | 32.7 | 16.9 | 11.4 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 8.0 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 6.9 | 13.0 | 53% | 0.7 | 1.5 | 45% | 2.4 | 3.3 | 73% | 58% | 56% | 30 | Total | 42 | 32.7 | 16.9 | 11.4 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 8.0 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 6.9 | 13.0 | 53.0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 45.3% | 0.7 | 1.5 | 73.2% | 58% | 56% | 30 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 30 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
|---|
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Japan - Chiba (2021-2026)
After one standout season in Australia’s NBL, John Mooney took his talents to Japan, signing with the Chiba Jets Funabashi of the B.League on July 15, 2021, joining a core that included Yuki Togashi as the Jets entered the 2021–22 season in Japan’s top-tier competition.
During the 2021–22 season with Chiba, Mooney helped the Jets finish first in the regular season, win the Eastern Conference title, and advance to the B.League quarterfinals while establishing himself as a primary interior presence in B.League play.
Mooney re-signed with Chiba for the 2022–23 season and again played a major role as the Jets repeated as regular season and conference champions, and across 61 B.League games he totaled 899 points, 722 rebounds, 144 assists, 70 steals, and 60 blocks, which equated to 14.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, before the club reached the B.League Grand Final and won the 2023 Emperor’s Cup during the same campaign.
Mooney returned for a third season in 2023–24 as Chiba finished third in the league and again reached the semifinals, and the Jets also defended their Emperor’s Cup title and won the East Asia Super League championship, with Mooney starring alongside Xavier Cooks and Chris Smith while being named to the EASL Best Five after averaging 21.7 points and 15.3 rebounds per game across six EASL games and recording a 16-point, 16-rebound double-double in the EASL title game against the Seoul SK Knights.
In 2024–25, Mooney helped guide Chiba to a second-place regular season finish and another semifinal appearance, and while the Jets exited the Emperor’s Cup in the quarterfinals he appeared in 43 B.League games and averaged 12.0 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per contest, finishing as the team’s leading rebounder during the league season.
In May 2025, Mooney re-signed with Chiba for a fifth straight year, committing to the 2025–26 campaign as a continuing frontcourt cornerstone for the Jets in the B.League.
COLLEGE
John Mooney played four seasons at the University of Notre Dame from 2016–17 to 2019–20, developing from a limited-minute freshman into one of the ACC’s most consistent double-double big men under head coach Mike Brey, finishing his career with 112 games played, 1,134 points, and 894 rebounds.
After limited minutes as a freshman behind Bonzie Colson, Mooney began showing signs of promise as a sophomore in 2017–18, improving into a rotation forward who averaged 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game before producing a late-season breakout that included a 15-point, 11-rebound performance against Virginia Tech for his first career double-double.
Mooney’s junior season in 2018–19 became his major leap, as he earned Third Team All-ACC honours while finishing as the ACC’s leading rebounder at 11.2 rebounds per game and recording 19 double-doubles, including 13 in conference play, the most by an ACC player in league games since Tim Duncan’s 1996–97 season.
During 2018–19, he averaged 14.1 points and 11.2 rebounds across 33 games, ranked among the national leaders in rebounding, and produced a signature all-around line of 20 points, 18 rebounds, and five assists against Clemson on March 6, 2019, alongside other major outputs such as 27 points and 12 rebounds versus Boston College.
Mooney finished the 2018–19 season with 348 total rebounds, one of Notre Dame’s top single-season totals in the Mike Brey era, and his year-over-year jump was emphasised by Notre Dame noting his scoring rise from 5.6 points per game in 2017–18 to 14.1 in 2018–19 while his rebounding climbed from 3.9 to 11.2.
As a senior in 2019–20, Mooney cemented his status as one of college basketball’s premier rebounders and interior scorers, earning First Team All-ACC recognition and becoming a national pace-setter for double-doubles while averaging 16.2 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game across 31 contests.
He led the NCAA with 25 double-doubles, became the first ACC player to post consecutive seasons with 13 or more double-doubles in conference play, and produced 45 total double-doubles across his final two seasons, the most in Division I over that two-year stretch.
Mooney’s senior year included multiple defining single-game events, including a stretch where he recorded 12 consecutive double-doubles to break Notre Dame’s school record for consecutive double-doubles, and he delivered a noted comeback performance against Syracuse that featured 28 points and 14 rebounds, including the go-ahead basket in the final minute.
Across 2019–20, his honours extended beyond All-ACC, as he was named NABC All-District First Team, earned USBWA All-District selection, and was a top-10 finalist for the Karl Malone Award, while also landing on major watch lists during the season including the USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy Watch List.
Mooney collected multiple weekly and event awards during his senior season, including ACC Player of the Week and Lute Olson National Player of the Week recognition tied to his early-season production, and he was named Most Valuable Player of the Men Against Breast Cancer Invitational after averaging 15.8 points and 14.3 rebounds per game across the event.
By the end of his Notre Dame career, Mooney had positioned himself among the program’s modern-era rebounding benchmarks, finishing with 894 rebounds and two straight seasons as an ACC rebounding leader while becoming a defining frontcourt presence for Notre Dame across 2018–19 and 2019–20.
AWARDS
- 1x All-NBL First Team- First-team All-ACC (2020)
-
Third-team All-ACC (2019)
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