BIO: Julius Hodge was born in Harlem, New York, and rose to prominence as a high school basketball phenom at St. Raymond High School for Boys in the Bronx, operated by the De La Salle Christian Brothers. Playing for one of New York City’s premier basketball programs, Hodge quickly built a reputation as an explosive, all-around guard competing against elite local and national talent.

During his senior season, Hodge established himself as one of the nation’s elite prospects, averaging 24.5 points, 5 assists, and 4 steals per game while scoring 684 points—setting a new single-season scoring record at the school.

His outstanding performances earned him a slew of national accolades in 2001, including selection to the McDonald’s All-American Team, First-Team Parade All-American honors, and New York State Mr. Basketball. He was also named the New York Daily News Player of the Year and was selected to the New York All-Metro Squad. Sports Illustrated named him their Old Spice Athlete of the Month during the season. Ranked as the top shooting guard in the country by ESPN and the fifth-best player nationally, Hodge emerged as one of the most sought-after recruits in the nation before surprising many in recruiting circles by choosing to play college basketball at North Carolina State University over Syracuse University.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Julius Hodge made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 24 years of age. He scored six points in his first game.

In the 2007 off-season, Adelaide chose not to re-sign Adrian Majstrovich, Brett Wheeler, and Marcus Timmons, while star import Willie Farley was replaced by Mike Chappell. Another significant departure was Nick Horvath (to South Dragons). Key additions included Adam Ballinger (via Wollongong) and veteran guard Brad Davidson (via Singapore), who re-joined the NBL after previous stints with Cairns and Singapore.

Adelaide 36ers coach Joey Wright brought in Ballinger (22.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists across 30 games) to strengthen the frontcourt after receiving a recommendation from NBL legend Cal Bruton, who had originally intended to sign Ballinger for the Hunter Pirates had that team continued beyond the Canberra Cannons’ closure.

Under returning head coach Phil Smyth, the 36ers opened with wins over Wollongong (108–101) and the South Dragons (115–108), but struggled to maintain consistency.

Long-time team captain Brett Maher (16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.2 assists across 18 games) remained central to Adelaide’s plans despite battling injuries and missing 12 games during the season.

A key mid-season decision saw Adelaide reluctantly part ways with injured import Mike Chappell (11.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists across 15 games). To replace him, they signed Julius Hodge (via Italy) on December 21.

Hodge (24.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.5 steals across 12 games) made his debut in a 119–114 road win over the South Dragons, contributing 6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.

Despite initial scepticism, Hodge quickly emerged as a dominant force.

Jacob Holmes later recalled, “He was really average… ten weeks later, ‘This guy is the best player in the league.’”

Adam Ballinger added, “He was a special player… He could not shoot at all, but it didn’t matter… He was a great passer and made other guys better, especially me.”

Phil Smyth described Hodge as a “crowd-pleaser” who brought energy, highlight plays, and engagement, often lifting the arena with big moments and feeding off the atmosphere.

His ability to create mismatches, play with flair, and elevate teammates quickly made him the focal point of Adelaide’s offence.

Hodge earned NBL Player of the Week honours for Round 19 after averaging 27 points, 4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists, highlighted by a 39-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist outing against Cairns.

On February 2, he posted 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists against the Breakers—becoming the first Adelaide player since Robert Rose in 1994 to record a triple-double.

He followed it with two more standout weeks, becoming the first player in league history to win three consecutive Player of the Week awards.

Despite playing only 12 games, he was selected to the All-NBL Third Team.

Ballinger also delivered a standout year, earning All-NBL Second Team honours and finishing fourth in league MVP voting, while claiming the first of four consecutive 36ers club MVP awards.

Other contributors included Brad Davidson (13.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists), Darren Ng (13.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists), and veteran Lanard Copeland (9.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists).

Adelaide’s season closed with wins over Cairns (113–104) and Singapore (126–97), but their 14–16 record saw them fall one win short of the playoffs behind Gold Coast (15–15).

Despite Hodge’s impact lifting the team’s trajectory late in the year, inconsistency across the full season resulted in a ninth-place finish.

The result led to the club replacing Phil Smyth as head coach, promoting longtime assistant Scott Ninnis for the 2008/09 season.

2008/09
Heading into the 2008/09 campaign, Adelaide reshaped its roster, with Lanard Copeland, Axel Dench, and Neil Mottram retiring, while Darren Ng departed to Singapore.

The club added Jacob Holmes (via South Dragons), Brad Hill, Ryan Kersten, and Paora Winitana.

The season began with Adam Ballinger and Mark Tyndale as imports, but Tyndale (13 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists) was released after inconsistent performances.

Adelaide turned again to Julius Hodge (26.3 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists), who returned after a brief NBA stint with the New Jersey Nets.

Negotiations were protracted, with Hodge initially seeking European-level pay before signing on November 15.

Hodge’s second stint began strongly, earning Player of the Week honours in Round 10 (26.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 6 assists) and again in Round 15 following a 31-point performance against Melbourne.

However, his return quickly became unstable.

Reports of missed training, poor punctuality, and a shift toward a more individual-focused approach created tension within the group.

Leadership figures within the team, including Maher and Davidson, attempted to manage the situation internally as concerns grew about team culture and buy-in.

The situation escalated in early January when Hodge failed to appear for a scheduled game against Wollongong amid ongoing payment disputes.

While Hodge believed sitting out was necessary to secure payment, the lack of communication with teammates created confusion and fractured relationships within the squad.

Despite expectations that the issue had been resolved, Hodge never returned to play for Adelaide, leading to the termination of his contract.

The club moved forward with Rod Grizzard (10 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists), who finished the season.

Brett Maher (12.5 points, 3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists) led the team in his final season, while Ballinger (20.4 points, 7.9 rebounds) again earned All-NBL Second Team honours.

Luke Schenscher (16.9 points, 10.8 rebounds) returned from the NBA to anchor the frontcourt, and Aaron Bruce (9.7 points, 5.1 assists) won Rookie of the Year.

Adelaide finished 15–15, securing sixth place before being eliminated by the New Zealand Breakers in a 131–101 loss.

The season marked the retirement of Brett Maher, ending a 526-game career.

MELBOURNE TIGERS
2009/10
The Melbourne Tigers entered the 2009/10 NBL season with a restructured roster and uncertain future, nearly withdrawing from the competition due to financial concerns before ultimately committing to the campaign. Longtime coach Al Westover remained at the helm, guiding a team that had undergone significant offseason upheaval. Star forward David Barlow departed for Europe, while Melbourne opted not to re-sign import Ebi Ere, who had been instrumental in their recent success. In a bold strategy, the Tigers initially pursued an all-Australian roster, leading to the recruitment of Mark Worthington (via South Dragons), Luke Kendall (via Sydney Kings), and Ben Knight. The returning core featured veterans Chris Anstey, Sam Mackinnon, Nathan Crosswell, and Daryl Corletto, while development players Tim Lang and Ryan Bathie were elevated to bolster the rotation.

Melbourne’s campaign began without an import and got off to a sluggish start, opening the season 1–3 and dropping to 4–11 by late November. Injuries quickly derailed the team’s plans—Chris Anstey missed the first month due to hip surgery and played only 16 games all season, averaging (9.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists). Ben Knight (4.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists) played just four games before rupturing a quad tendon in his right knee. Nathan Crosswell (8.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists) fractured his finger and missed half the season, while Kendall (12.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists) was sidelined for 17 games.

In need of a spark, the Tigers signed former NBL MVP Julius Hodge in November, a player who had previously dominated the league during his Adelaide stint with averages of (24.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 5.9 assists) and multiple Player of the Week honours. Hodge (17.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks across 19 games) debuted with 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists in a 98–91 loss to Townsville. He helped steady Melbourne’s offense in the absence of Crosswell but struggled in the point guard role.

On December 5, Hodge returned to Adelaide to face his former club and led the Tigers to an 87–84 victory, but post-game celebrations turned ugly when Hodge stomped on Brett Maher’s signature at centre court.

After initially stomping on Maher’s signature, Hodge returned to repeat the act multiple times as the crowd reaction intensified, with team officials and players forced to physically intervene and remove him from centre court.

The incident incited crowd fury and nearly led to a riot, with Hodge requiring a police escort off the court and out of the building.

The moment became one of the most controversial in modern NBL history and further added to Hodge’s unpredictable reputation.

NBL General Manager Chuck Harmison labelled Hodge’s actions “ill-conceived and juvenile,” but ruled they did not warrant suspension as no physical harm had occurred.

Despite widespread condemnation, the Tigers’ management and senior players—including Anstey and Worthington—publicly apologised to Maher and the 36ers.

Melbourne’s fortunes briefly improved, highlighted by a Boxing Day win over the Hawks (90–88) and a New Year’s victory over Cairns (87–64). Worthington (16.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.8 blocks) led the charge and appeared in all 28 games. Daniel Johnson stepped up in Anstey’s absence and won the NBL Most Improved Player award, lifting his production from 2.7 points and 1.9 rebounds to (10.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 0.5 assists). The Tigers strung together a late-season three-game win streak and held faint playoff hopes with nine games to go.

However, those hopes were dashed with four straight losses to close out the year, including defeats to playoff contenders. Melbourne finished in sixth place with an 11–17 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2004. It marked a steep fall from grace following four straight Grand Final appearances. The team’s inconsistency, injury setbacks, and failed import experiment ultimately left them well short of expectations.

The season also signalled the end of an era. Longtime stars Chris Anstey and Sam Mackinnon (8.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists across 27 games) announced their retirements together at season’s end. Anstey, a former league MVP and cornerstone of the Tigers’ championship runs, posted his lowest numbers since his 1996 breakout year with the Magic. Mackinnon bowed out after a distinguished career that included multiple All-NBL selections and international honours. Kendall, who had returned to Melbourne hoping to revitalise his NBL career, saw his role fade due to injuries and rotation instability and was not re-signed.

Other notable contributors included Daryl Corletto (9.8 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.9 assists across 28 games), Tommy Greer (7.6 points and 5.5 rebounds), and import Michael Rose (6.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.0 steals), who appeared in eight games as an injury replacement player.

In 2010, revelations emerged that Hodge’s 2007–08 recruitment by the Adelaide 36ers—prior to his time in Melbourne—was partially financed by stolen funds. Adelaide man Christopher Fuss had embezzled $160,000 from Flinders University and used $50,000 of it to fund Hodge’s contract and buy into the club’s ownership group. The Tigers and Hodge were not implicated in wrongdoing, but the case drew fresh scrutiny to Hodge’s controversial time in the league. Fuss was sentenced in July 2011 to nine years in prison for stealing $27 million in total from the university.

Ultimately, the 2009/10 campaign was a year of upheaval for the Melbourne Tigers. Despite flashes of brilliance from Worthington and Hodge—who remained one of the league’s most productive and polarising imports during this period—and the emergence of Daniel Johnson as a future franchise centrepiece, the club’s attempt to rebuild on the fly failed to deliver postseason results.

Julius Hodge played three seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Adelaide 36ers and the Melbourne Tigers. He averaged 21.6 points, 7 rebounds, and 5.9 assists in 40 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 27th in assists per game.