NICKNAME/S: Wild Kyle

BIO: Kyle Adnam was born and raised in Melbourne, Victoria and played junior basketball for the Mt. Evelyn Meteors. In 2013, Adnam played in the Victorian Youth Championship (VYC) for the Kilsyth Cobras, a season which culminated in him scoring 37 points in the VYC Grand Final, to lead the Cobras to victory. He subsequently earned VYC All-Star Five honours and was named the league MVP. In 24 games for the Cobras in 2013, he averaged 17.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.1 assist and 1.4 steals per game.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Kyle Adnam made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 20 years of age. He scored two points in his first game.

In August 2013, Adnam was selected to train with the Adelaide 36ers during the NBL Preseason. The following month, he was named a 36ers’ development player for the 2013/14 NBL season. He appeared in three games for the 36ers in 2013/14, scoring a total of four points.

WOLLONGONG HAWKS
2014/15
Adnam’s Youth Player of the Year effort in the SEABL earned him a development player spot on the Wollongong Hawks squad for the 2014/15 NBL season. He appeared in six games for the Hawks in 2014/15, scoring a total of eight points.

MELBOURNE UNITED
2015/16
On 18 September 2015, Adnam signed with Melbourne United as a development player for the 2015/16 NBL season. On 12 February 2016, in the team’s second last game of the season, with three starters resting in preparation for the finals, Adnam scored a team-high 16 points in 28 minutes off the bench in a 100–63 loss to the New Zealand Breakers in Auckland. United finished on top of the ladder during the regular season with a 18–10 record. However, in their semi-final series against the fourth-seeded New Zealand Breakers, United were swept 2–0 to bow out of the playoffs. Adnam appeared in eight games for United in 2015/16, averaging 2.3 points per game.

2016/17
Kyle Adnam re-joined Melbourne United as a development player for the 2016/17 NBL season. This year, with the league allowing three import players per team, Melbourne replaced import duo Stephen Holt and Hakim Warrick with Cedric Jackson, Ramone Moore, and Devin Williams. They essentially signed a fourth import by adding Tai Wesley (via New Zealand), who was able to sign as a local under the Asian player rule. Additionally, they swapped one Boomers big man for another, with David Anderson (via Europe) replacing Daniel Kickert (to Sydney).

In coach Dean Demopoulos’ second season, United got off to a slow start (3-7), with Jackson (10.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.4 steals) being shown the door early due to a poor attitude and a failure to buy into the team’s defensive principles.

Casper Ware arrived as Jackson’s replacement, immediately altering the team’s fortunes.

Around this time, Chris Goulding (17.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 steals), who had missed six games with ankle problems, began to regain form, while David Barlow (5.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) made his return from a calf injury that had sidelined him for two years.

Behind Ware (22.1 points, 4.5 assists, and 1.3 steals) and a healthier roster, United turned things around, winning 10 of their last 18 games.

With the playoffs still within reach, Devin Williams (3.2 points and 4.0 rebounds) lasted 16 games before being released, as both media and fans called for an import change due to his lack of production. With a third of the season remaining, Josh Boone (10.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks) joined the team and made an immediate impact, cleaning up missed shots from Ware and Goulding and finishing as the league’s leading rebounder. Boone also ranked as Melbourne’s top performer in several advanced metrics, including PER, ORtg, DRtg, eFG%, TRB%, and BLK%.

While Ramone Moore (10.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists) avoided Jackson’s fate, he failed to make the desired impact as an import.

Injuries and offensive struggles defined United’s season. Tai Wesley (8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) and Majok Majok (5.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks) were the only two players to compete in all 28 games. Due to import turnover and injury issues, just six players suited up for at least 75% of the games. Melbourne also finished with the second-worst true shooting percentage in the league and posted a 2-5 record in games decided by five points or fewer.

On 4 November 2016, Adnam scored a team-high 19 points off the bench in an overtime loss to New Zealand (98–92). He played in 20 games, averaging 3.6 points and 1.2 assists in 9 minutes per game.

Ware earned a spot in the All-NBL First Team, despite playing just 18 games. United’s strong finish left fans optimistic about the future, as evidenced by the near-capacity crowd of 9,545 that turned out for Melbourne’s final home game, even though the team had nothing to play for.

In Demopoulos’ second year as head coach, his struggles managing player relationships became well-known, with tensions between him and the team’s veterans becoming public by season’s end. The divide between the veterans and Demopoulos, known for his competitive nature, ultimately contributed to United’s inability to replicate the previous season’s success. They finished in sixth place (13-15), and both parties parted ways at the season’s conclusion.

2017/18
On 7 April 2017, after spending time as a development player with Adelaide (2014), Illawarra (2015) and Melbourne (2016/17), Adnam was finally offered a spot on Melbourne United’s full-time NBL roster in 2018.

Adnam re-signed with Melbourne United on a two-year contract and in a statement game scored a career-high 23 points with six three-pointers in a 99–79 win over the Adelaide 36ers in United’s second game of the season, 14 October 2017.

Melbourne United dominated the NBL in 2017/18 and after finishing on top of the ladder with a 20-8 record the eliminated New Zealand in two straight games in the semifinals before claiming the NBL championship against the Adelaide 36ers in five games. Adnam averaged 3.5 points per game and played in all 30 games for the season.

SYDNEY KINGS
2018/19
Sydney entered the 2018/19 season with high expectations after making several key signings, including Andrew Bogut, who returned to Australia after 14 seasons in the NBA, where he won an NBA championship in 2015 with Golden State.

The Kings were the first team to utilize the NBL’s newly established Next Stars program, signing highly regarded prospect Brian Bowen, a McDonald’s All-American, who opted to play in the NBL to prepare for the NBA Draft. Other key additions included Jerome Randle, David Wear (via Spain), Deng Deng (via Big V – McKinnon), Tom Wilson (via Melbourne), and Kyle Adnam (via Melbourne).

Despite being contracted for another year, Adnam parted ways with Melbourne United on May 15, 2018, to seek greater opportunities. Reports indicated that while Adnam was welcome to stay, he was likely to see limited minutes. The following day, on May 16, 2018, Adnam signed with the Sydney Kings for the 2018/19 NBL season.

The Kings also participated in the NBLxNBA series, facing the Los Angeles Clippers in a preseason game in Hawaii. Brad Newley (8 points), Kevin Lisch (16 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists), and Jerome Randle (25 points) led the Kings in scoring. However, despite a strong showing, the Kings fell short, losing (110-91) to the Clippers. The game remained close at times, with Sydney closing the gap to within a point on two occasions, but they ultimately couldn’t match the Clippers’ speed and size.

Kyle Adnam (3.9 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) brought energy off the bench, providing quickness and a change of pace in his limited minutes. Known for his aggressive style, Adnam frequently injected momentum into the game, pressuring opposing defenses. His standout performances included scoring 13 points and dishing 3 assists in a narrow loss (95-93) to Melbourne on November 24, 2018, recording 11 points and 2 assists in a win (86-78) over Brisbane on February 10, 2019, and contributing 10 points in a win (89-84) over Illawarra on January 26, 2019.

Alongside Adnam, the Kings were led by Kevin Lisch (14.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists), Jerome Randle (17.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists), and Andrew Bogut (11.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.7 blocks), who anchored the team’s defense and was named both the NBL’s Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year.

Midway through the season, the Kings added Ray Turner (1.7 points, 0.7 rebounds) from Bendigo in the state league to provide additional frontcourt depth, particularly to cover injuries to Bogut.

In the playoffs, Sydney faced Melbourne United in the semifinals. In Game 1 (95-73), Adnam contributed 3 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist off the bench, but the Kings struggled against Melbourne’s depth, with Casper Ware (22 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists) and DJ Kennedy (20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists) leading the charge. Kevin Lisch (13 points) and Jerome Randle (13 points) were the top scorers for Sydney, but it wasn’t enough.

In Game 2 (90-76), Adnam delivered his best playoff performance, scoring an equal team-high 13 points and adding 1 assist off the bench. Ray Turner also contributed (12 points, 3 rebounds), while Kevin Lisch posted (13 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists). Andrew Bogut bounced back with a double-double, delivering (10 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists) after a quieter Game 1. Despite these efforts, Melbourne’s Casper Ware (30 points, 5 rebounds) and Chris Goulding (23 points, 4 rebounds) were too strong, ending Sydney’s playoff run.

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX
2019/20
On 24 April 2019, Kyle Adnam signed a two-year deal with the league’s newest franchise, the South East Melbourne Phoenix. The Phoenix, under the leadership of their first head coach, Simon Mitchell, quickly built a competitive roster, signing Boomers and fringe NBA talent Mitch Creek as their marquee player. Key additions included Ben Madgen (via Europe), Adam Gibson (via Adelaide), and Adnam (via Melbourne), with imports John Roberson, Tai Wesley (via Melbourne), and Devondrick Walker (via the state league) later rounding out the squad.

The Phoenix’s first-ever game saw them take on cross-town rivals Melbourne United in a highly anticipated matchup dubbed ‘The Throwdown’. In a thrilling contest, South East Melbourne triumphed by three points (91-88), fueled by their 12 of 23 shooting from beyond the arc. This high-tempo perimeter game would set the tone for the Phoenix’s season, as they finished the year leading the league in points per game (95.4 ppg).

However, the win came at a cost, with Tai Wesley sustaining a hamstring injury after scoring eight points in the game’s first five minutes. Wesley’s injury sidelined him for ten weeks, and import Jaye Crockett (8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.0 steals) was brought in as an injury replacement during his absence.

Following their Round 1 victory, the Phoenix continued their strong start, defeating the Bullets (113-93) and the Hawks (106-102) at home to kick off their inaugural season with a perfect 3-0 record. Despite their early success, the Phoenix faced their first major challenge in Round 4 with an away game against Perth. Despite a slow start from Perth’s Bryce Cotton (16 points) and Terrico White (17 points), the Wildcats handed South East Melbourne their first loss (79-110), ending their season-opening winning streak.

Following the heavy loss in Perth, victories became increasingly hard to come by. The Phoenix suffered defeats to the 36ers, the Kings, and United (twice), and by the midpoint of the season, they found themselves with a 6-6 record, sitting just outside the top four.

Around this time, the Phoenix parted ways with import Devondrick Walker (7.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.9 assists), who struggled to replicate his previous form after suffering a foot injury in a Perth pre-season game two years earlier. Keith Benson (5.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks) was signed as his replacement, but despite his larger presence, Benson was unable to significantly impact the stat sheet.

With South East Melbourne relying heavily on Creek (20.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.2 steals) and star import John Roberson (20.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists), the second half of the season proved to be a struggle.

Over the next 16 games, the Phoenix managed just 3 wins and 13 losses, finishing their inaugural campaign on an eight-game losing streak. After 20 rounds, the Phoenix concluded the season with a 9-19 record, placing second last on the ladder.

Adnam played in 28 games during his first year with the Phoenix, averaging 9.1 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists.

2020/21
South East Melbourne looked to build on their debut season, with coach Simon Mitchell providing franchise player Mitch Creek with additional support. Cam Gliddon and Reuben Te Rangi (both via Brisbane) were signed to help spread the floor, giving Creek more space to operate inside. The team also added rookie Kiwi duo Izayah Mauriohooho-Le’afa and Mike Karena as development players.

Phoenix fans were initially excited when Yanni Wetzell, who had garnered NBA interest after a standout career at San Diego State University, signed with the team, only to later use his European out clause to join German team Riesen Ludwigsburg. However, due to passport issues caused by COVID-19, Wetzell made a surprise return to the Phoenix roster.

Wetzell (11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) quickly established himself as one of the top young bigs in the league, teaming up with Creek (18.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists), who led the team in both scoring and rebounding. Together, they formed a strong inside presence for the Phoenix.

South East Melbourne became the NBL’s highest-scoring team, with key contributions from Keifer Sykes (14.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.0 assists), Kyle Adnam (12.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists), Cameron Gliddon (10.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals), and Ben Moore (10.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists), all of whom topped the scoring charts for the team in different games.

In his second season, Adnam was named team co-captain alongside Mitch Creek. He delivered a career-best season, averaging a personal best 22.2 minutes per game while shooting 40 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from three-point range. He also set a new career high with 28 points on 5-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc against Perth Wildcats on March 3, 2021.

Mid-season, the Phoenix strengthened their roster by adding Australian Boomers forward Ryan Broekhoff, who had been rehabbing a fractured leg and aiming to return to the NBA. Broekhoff (7.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.8 steals) played the final 19 games of the season as an injury replacement for Dane Pineau, with his arrival pushing Mike Karena out of the rotation.

South East Melbourne finished the season with a 19-17 record, securing fourth place and their first NBL playoff appearance in just their second season. They faced Melbourne United (28-8) in the semifinals, which were held in empty arenas in Sydney due to COVID-19 restrictions preventing games in Melbourne.

The Phoenix and United split the first two games at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, with Creek (26 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists) leading the team to a Game 2 victory. In the decisive Game 3, South East Melbourne jumped out to a 15-point lead in the second quarter (32-15), only to see United stage a near 30-point turnaround to win by 10 points (84-74). The Phoenix’s rebounding struggles (they ranked second-last in the league in this category) played a key role in the loss, compounded by a dominant performance from United’s Jock Landale (27 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks), who shot 11-13 from the floor and 3/3 from three-point range.

Creek (19 points) and Reuben Te Rangi, who had a season-high 22 points, were the key contributors for South East Melbourne in their final game of the season.

2021/22
On 22 June 2021, Kyle Adnam re-signed with the South East Melbourne Phoenix on a two-year deal, returning to a team eager to build on their maiden Finals appearance the previous season. The Phoenix’s key off-season moves included re-signing coach Simon Mitchell (on a one-year deal) and retaining players Ryan Broekhoff, Izayah Le’Afa, and Mitch Creek. However, departures included Keifer Sykes (to the NBA) and Yanni Wetzell (to New Zealand), who were replaced by Tohi Smith-Milner (via Melbourne), Chinese national team member Zhou Qi, and imports Zach Hankins and Xavier Munford.

South East Melbourne began the season strongly, winning three of their first four games. Qi (11.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks) made scoring difficult for opponents inside, while Munford (16.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.3 steals) proved to be an excellent replacement for Sykes. A brief injury to Qi and Hankins being sidelined with a knee cartilage issue prompted the signing of import Brandon Ashley (8.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 0.7 assists) as a temporary replacement for Hankins.

The Phoenix had no issues scoring, with Mitch Creek (20.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.1 steals) leading the way, and they finished as one of the top three highest-scoring teams in the league (87.7 points per game). However, COVID-related disruptions caused several game postponements, resulting in a 28-day stretch where the team was unable to play. Upon their return, they were blown out by Brisbane (84-100) in their first game back.

Despite this setback, South East Melbourne quickly regained form, winning eight of their next eleven games and climbing to second place on the ladder (11-5) by the halfway point of the season. However, their season took a turn from there, as they endured a four-game losing streak, falling twice to the Hawks, as well as to the Kings and United. The Phoenix’s decline coincided with Ryan Broekhoff’s season-ending shoulder injury (11.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.6 steals). Even with a favorable schedule in the final month of the season, the Phoenix continued to struggle, losing games to Adelaide, Cairns, and Melbourne, which ultimately ended their playoff hopes.

It was a disappointing second half of the season for South East Melbourne, as they managed just six wins in their last 14 games. The one bright spot was an overtime victory over Perth (102-100), which ended the Wildcats’ 35-year playoff streak.

Kyle Adnam contributed 8.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, while South East Melbourne finished the season in sixth place (15-13).

2022/23
In the Phoenix’s opening game of the season with import point guard Gary Browne sidelined with a knee injury, Adnam was inserted into the Phoenix’s starting five. Kyle Adnam finished the game with a career high 30 points against Tasmania. Adnam also added four rebounds, and four assists as the Phoenix defeated Tasmania JackJumpers 84-79.

Adnam was not offered a contract to return the following season. The Phoenix co-captain instead moving to Romania to continue his playing career.

ILLAWARRA HAWKS
2023/24
After a stint in Romania, Kyle Adnam returned to the NBL as an injury replacement player for the Illawarra Hawks, signed to cover the loss of injured guard Daniel Grida. This marked a return to the Hawks for Adnam, who had previously played six games for the team during the 2014/15 season.

Following Adnam’s signing, Illawarra maintained their winning form without skipping a beat.

Despite various challenges, the Hawks continued to notch up victories under coach Tatum, and a strong late-season push saw Illawarra finish the regular season in fourth place with a 14-14 record.

Offensively, Illawarra saw a significant improvement. After ranking last in the 2022/23 season with an average of 80.8 points per game, the Hawks boosted their output to 91.6 points per game this season, which was enough to secure fourth place in the league.

In the play-in tournament, Illawarra suffered a loss to Tasmania (92-76) in the opening game but rebounded with a thrilling victory over New Zealand (88-85), securing a spot in the semi-finals against Melbourne.

In Game 1 of the semi-finals, despite a strong first half from the Hawks, Melbourne United mounted a dramatic comeback, forcing the game into overtime and winning 115-106.

Illawarra levelled the series with a five-point victory in a thrilling Game 2, but their hopes of reaching the Grand Final were dashed, as they fell short by six points in the decisive game.

Adnam appeared in only three games during the season, scoring a total of three points.

CAIRNS TAIPANS
2024/25
Signed a one year deal to play with the Cairns Taipans.

Kyle Adnam currently plays for the Cairns Taipans and has played 227 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 7 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 2 assists since entering the league in 2013.

CURRENT CONTRACT:

Cairns Taipans – 2 Year Deal (2024-26)
2nd Year Team Option

Dan Boyce (815 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.