BIO: Lamar Patterson was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (USA) and starred at J.P. McCaskey High School, then Saint Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey. He later chose to play college basketball for the Pitt Panthers.

Came in late as a import replacement last season but still was named to the All-NBL First Team, and Bullets club MVP.

Played 44 NBA games for Atlanta after being selected at pick 48 by Milwaukee in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Attended Pittsburgh University (2009-2014).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Lamar Patterson made his NBL debut with the Brisbane Bullets at 27 years of age. He scored two points in his first game.

During the off-season, Brisbane said goodbye to Adam Gibson (to South East Melbourne), Shaun Bruce (to Sydney), and Anthony Petrie (retired) and went on a recruiting drive that brought in Boomers sharpshooter Cameron Gliddon (via Cairns), Jason Cadee (via Sydney), Matt Hodgson (via Adelaide), Tom Jervis (via Perth), and Mika Vukona (via New Zealand). The Bullets also welcomed back Rio Olympian and former Chicago Bull Cam Bairstow, who was returning after a knee reconstruction, added Makoto Hiejima under the NBL’s Asian Player rule, making him the first Japanese player to sign with an NBL team, and added NBA veteran Alonzo Gee (via Puerto Rico) as an import.

Lamar Patterson joined Brisbane midseason from China in October 2018, bringing an immediate offensive boost to the squad. The former Atlanta Hawks swingman had averaged impressive numbers in China, including a 71-point game, and was sought after to help bolster Brisbane’s scoring options. Patterson’s arrival was not without a humorous twist, as he made headlines when his French bulldog, Kobe, was found in his carry-on luggage at Brisbane Airport, leading to Kobe being sent back to the U.S.

These key signings were meant to bolster Brisbane’s roster as they prepared for a tough start to the season, with 12 of their first 15 games coming against last season’s top-four playoff teams. Brisbane started the season with a solid 5-4 record, but several roster changes quickly shifted the team’s dynamics after that. In early December, import Stephen Holt (7.1 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) was granted a mutual release to pursue an opportunity in Europe. The Bullets also cut ties with Alonzo Gee after four matches when the veteran of 417 NBA games requested to go home to the US for personal reasons.

To fill the gap left by Holt, Brisbane signed Jeremy Kendle (6.0 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists), who had been training with the team throughout the season. Kendle’s contract was also extended for the rest of the season. Nnanna Egwu (0 points, 2.3 rebounds) was brought in for three games as an injury replacement. Shortly after, the rarely used Makoto Hiejima (two games) was replaced by import AJ Davis (4.1 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.3 assists), son of NBA legend Antonio Davis, to further improve the roster.

Patterson’s best games included two standout performance’s in December, one being the 33 points (11-14 field goals, 1-2 three-pointers), 5 rebounds, 3 assists against Melbourne and the 24 points (9-16 field goals, 3-5 three-pointers), 7 rebounds, 6 assists he tallied against Adelaide.

By January, Brisbane’s season had dropped to the middle of the ladder, a 29-point loss to Cairns had them sitting on a 9-9 record, but with Lamar Patterson (17.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 steals) emerging as the Bullets’ leading scorer, the team managed to finish the regular season tied with Adelaide for fourth place. With both teams recording a 14-14 record, Brisbane progressed to the playoffs due to having a higher overall points percentage.

In the semifinals, Brisbane faced off against Perth, where Terrico White (19 points) and Bryce Cotton (22 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists) outclassed the Bullets in Game 1 (89–59). Cam Gliddon (18 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists) finished as Brisbane’s top scorer, and Lamar Patterson added 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists.

In Game 2 (84–79), Terrico White (24 points and 3 rebounds) once again led Perth in scoring, while Bryce Cotton (19 points, 10 assists, and 3 rebounds) recorded his first career double-double. Despite strong efforts from Lamar Patterson (19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals) and Matthew Hodgson (15 points and 2 blocks), Brisbane couldn’t stop Perth from advancing to the Grand Final to face Melbourne. Patterson also added 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists in Brisbane’s final game of the season.

2019/20
On July 31, 2019, Lamar Patterson re-signed with the Bullets, where coach Andrej Lemanis was able to ink Nathan Sobey (via Adelaide) to a multi-year deal and return with the core group intact, a lineup that included Cameron Gliddon, Matt Hodgson, and veteran Mika Vukona.

The Bullets’ season was marked by inconsistency early on, with a promising 2–0 start followed by a stretch of losses that left them 8–11 heading into January. Patterson, who had arrived in poor shape, felt the brunt of the criticism for the team’s poor form, but the side saw a marked improvement as Patterson quickly regained form, and by season’s end Patterson (21.4 points, 6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists) once again emerged as the team’s biggest offensive weapon, earning All-NBL First Team honours and the club MVP award.

Brisbane went on to mount a late-season surge, winning seven of their final nine games, including a crucial 12-point win over Perth on January 5. Their playoff hopes ultimately came down to the final round, where they dismantled Cairns by 36 points to stay in contention, only to be bumped out when Melbourne United defeated South East Melbourne in the closing match of the season. Coach Lemanis expressed his pride after the team’s final win over Cairns, stating, “I’ve never been more proud of a team… just coming out and giving ourselves a shot. We talk about being tough and unified and wanting to be known as that, and tonight certainly displayed both of those values.”

Brisbane’s 2019/20 campaign was led by Lamar Patterson (21 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.2 steals across 28 games), who topped the team in scoring, while Nathan Sobey (16.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists) provided a consistent secondary punch. Jason Cadee (11 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists) and Matthew Hodgson (10.3 points, and 6.4 rebounds) also contributed valuable minutes.

The 2019/20 season also marked a breakout year for Will Magnay (8.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks), who was elevated into the Bullets’ starting lineup mid-season. He would go on to earn the NBL Most Improved Player award and draw the attention of multiple NBA teams.

Lamar Patterson’s best individual games underscored his importance to Brisbane’s playoff push, including a 31-point, 12-rebound performance against Melbourne on February 1, a 36-point, six-assist explosion against the New Zealand Breakers on December 9, and a 35-point, seven-rebound outing against the Perth Wildcats on January 5. These standout efforts reflected Patterson’s dominant presence and kept Brisbane in the postseason hunt until the very end.

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS
2020/21
Patterson was hotly pursued as a free agent in 2020 and signed with the New Zealand Breakers for the 2020/21 NBL season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season start date was delayed until January 2021, and the Breakers were forced to commit to being based in Australia for the majority of the campaign. They hosted several games as the ‘home’ team in Tasmania and only returned to play their final seven games in New Zealand in late May.

New Zealand also added Tai Webster, who returned to the club after leaving in 2013 to play college basketball for Nebraska, alongside import big man Colton Iverson. However, the Breakers’ campaign suffered another blow when leading scorer Corey Webster sliced a nerve in his hand while cutting an avocado in his kitchen, sidelining him for the first month of the season.

As would be expected from a team playing their first 29 games on the road, wins were few and far between. After narrowly losing to Adelaide in overtime in their season opener, they managed just one victory—a six-point win over Cairns—in their first eight contests. Patterson struggled during this period, appearing out of prime playing condition and unable to overcome a knee injury suffered in a game against Illawarra on February 22, 2021. Patterson averaged 10.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in six games—well below his career average of 18.7 points per game—and shot just 37 percent from the floor before being released. A week later, he returned to Brisbane as a replacement for import guard Orlando Johnson.

“The circumstances with Lamar have been difficult from day one,” said Head Coach Dan Shamir at the time of Pattersons release.

“Lamar got to us 12 days before game one, and unfortunately, he was not in top shape to play, and it was a difficult situation. It influenced how he played, and it influenced the whole team. He was getting in shape and getting better, then he got hurt.”

BRISBANE BULLETS
2020/21
When Patterson re-joined the Bullets (10-8), they had been floating in and out of the top four. Brisbane had put a high-scoring side onto the floor, with Vic Law (18.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 blocks) and team captain Nathan Sobey (21.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists) both finishing among the top five scorers in the league. A solid local frontcourt of Matthew Hodgson (10.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks), Harry Froling (8.0 points, 4.9 rebounds), and Tyrell Harrison (5.2 points, 5.8 rebounds) made sure the Bullets outrebounded most teams, finishing third in offensive rebounding and second in defensive rebounds across the league.

Midway through the season, Law suffered a season-ending injury, and the Bullets dropped five of their next seven games, giving up an average of 90 points while putting up only 80 of their own. This led to the mid-season signing of BJ Johnson (10.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.9 assists), who they hoped would help stem the bleeding. Johnson’s addition helped somewhat, resulting in an 8-10 run to close out the Bullets’ season.

Brisbane’s worst performance came against South East Melbourne (95-66) in round 19. With Sobey injured, Brisbane struggled to score, managing only 66 points—a season low. Anthony Drmic (20 points) and Patterson (11 points) were the only players to put up more than six points in that game.

Patterson (14.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.5 steals) overcame his earlier knee injury to help Brisbane finish in sixth place (18-18), ultimately falling short of reaching the playoffs.

2021/22
After finishing sixth the previous season, the Brisbane Bullets entered 2021/22 with a major shift at the helm, as longtime head coach Andrej Lemanis departed after five years. While the team initially considered promoting assistant and ex-player CJ Bruton, they ultimately appointed former Sydney Kings assistant James Duncan as the new head coach.

The Bullets were forced to reshape their roster, making several key changes. Although Lamar Patterson returned, the team lost Vic Law to Perth, and BJ Johnson departed to sign an NBA contract with Orlando. Local big men Matt Hodgson (to Perth), Harry Froling (to Illawarra), and development player Callum Dalton (to Melbourne) also left for new opportunities. To bolster the lineup, Brisbane re-signed Tyrell Harrison (two-year deal) and Jason Cadee (two-year deal), while adding an international mix including Chuanxing Liu (China), Jack Salt (New Zealand), Deng Deng (South Sudan), Next Star Tom Digbeu (France), and import Robert Franks (USA).

The season opened with a tough overtime loss to the JackJumpers in Tasmania (74-83), setting the tone for a campaign marked by narrow defeats against top-tier opponents. By midseason, Brisbane stood at 5-9, and injuries to Tyrell Harrison (elbow) and star guard Nathan Sobey (knee) further disrupted their momentum, with the pair missing 11 and 16 games respectively in the second half of the season.

Robert Franks (18.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) emerged as the team’s leading scorer in 13 games and was the top vote-getter for the Leroy Loggins MVP Award (Club MVP). He shot 50% from the floor and 76% from the free-throw line, finishing fifth in the league for points per game. Patterson (16.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.0 steals), Sobey (16.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists), and Jason Cadee (10.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists) were the only other Bullets players to average double figures.

New head coach James Duncan had emphasized defensive improvement, and while the team showed flashes early, consistency eluded them. Brisbane ultimately finished the season as the league’s worst defensive side, conceding 89.3 points per game and leading the competition in turnovers with 14.6 per contest. Despite moments of promise under Duncan’s leadership, the Bullets missed the playoffs for a third consecutive year, ending the season in eighth place with a 10-18 record.

Lamar Patterson best games included his 32 points (11-19 FG, 4-8 3PT) with 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals against Adelaide in February, and the 27 points (9-17 FG, 2-5 3PT), 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals against South East Melbourne he recorded the very next week.

Lamar Patterson played five seasons in the NBL. He averaged 16.4 points, 5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 125 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (837 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.