NICKNAME/S: Copes

BIO: Lanard Copeland was born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and attended Booker T. Washington High School. He developed an interest in basketball as a youngster, but initially failed to make his high-school team and was encouraged to pursue something else.

Copeland continued working on his game despite that setback. In 1985 he earned a scholarship to Georgia State University in Atlanta, where he played NCAA Division I basketball for the Panthers from 1985 to 1989, developing from a reserve into one of the team’s leading scorers.

After going undrafted in the 1989 NBA Draft, Copeland earned an NBA opportunity with the Philadelphia 76ers following the Southern California Summer Pro League. His early professional career included the 76ers, stints in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), the Atlanta Trojans in the United States Basketball League, the Pepsi Hotshots in the Philippines and the Los Angeles Clippers.

After the Clippers waived him in December 1991, Copeland looked for another opportunity to continue his professional career. He moved to Australia in 1992 and joined the Melbourne Tigers, where he would team up with Andrew Gaze at the start of his NBL career.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Lanard Copeland made his NBL debut with the Melbourne Tigers at 26 years of age. He scored 37 points in his first game.

1992
Melbourne entered the 1992 season with David Colbert exiting the team, while Andrew Gaze, Dave Simmons, Stephen Whitehead, Warrick Giddey, Ray Gordon, Nigel Purchase and Steve Lunardon returned from the previous season’s group.

After injuries prevented Lanard Copeland from gaining a consistent roster spot in the NBA, he looked overseas for playing opportunities and, after a short period in the Philippines, found his way to Australia to play in the NBL.

Lindsay Gaze replaced Colbert with Copeland and added Robert Sibley (via Brisbane), with Brisbane then signing Colbert as the Tigers reshaped their roster after a first-round playoff exit the previous season.

Copeland joined Melbourne to play alongside the only Australian player he had heard of at that time, Gaze, courtesy of Gaze’s NCAA appearance with Seton Hall in 1989.

Gaze (33.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 2.2 steals) again led the league in scoring, shared the NBL Most Valuable Player award with Scott Fisher, earned All-NBL First Team honours and won the NBL Most Efficient Player award.

Copeland (28.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2.2 steals) immediately showed his NBA pedigree and became one of the league’s best imports, giving Melbourne the running mate Gaze had long needed.

The arrival of Copeland also changed Melbourne’s pace, with the Tigers replacing Colbert’s interior-heavy role with a faster lineup that pushed the tempo and attacked through its backcourt.

Simmons (17.2 points, 9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks) remained Melbourne’s main interior scorer, while Whitehead (13.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks) lifted his production for the third straight season.

Sibley (11.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.3 blocks) fitted nicely into the frontcourt, while Giddey, Gordon, Purchase and Lunardon filled out Lindsay’s rotation.

Melbourne’s two leading offensive players were Gaze and Copeland, with Copeland’s first season helping lift the Tigers to their highest regular-season finish since entering the NBL.

The Tigers finished third with a 15-9 record and advanced to the playoffs for the fourth straight season.

Lanard Copeland earned All-NBL Second Team honours for the 1992 season.

Melbourne opened the playoffs against Perth in the quarterfinals, winning the best-of-three series 2-1 to set up a semifinal matchup with Sydney.

The semifinal series opened in Melbourne, where the Tigers defeated Sydney 122-112 behind Copeland (40 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks) and Gaze (34 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists), while Dwayne McClain (36 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists) led the Kings.

Game two moved to the Sydney Entertainment Centre, where Sydney evened the series with a 124-118 win despite Copeland (35 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 steals) and Gaze (37 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 6 steals) driving Melbourne’s late comeback.

McClain (45 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 7 steals) delivered the best game of his NBL career, shooting 15-of-21 from the field and 15-of-18 from the free throw line, while Sydney shot 73.8 percent from the field in a game Gaze later described as the loudest crowd he had ever heard.

Game three returned to Melbourne, where the Tigers eliminated Sydney 111-98 behind Gaze (29 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists), Sibley (19 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists), Whitehead (18 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Simmons (10 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 steals), while McClain (34 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists, and 4 steals) played all 48 minutes for Sydney.

Melbourne advanced to its first NBL Grand Final, facing crosstown rivals South East Melbourne, who had finished first and reached the championship series in their first season after the merger of South Melbourne and Eastside Melbourne.

Game one of the Grand Final saw Melbourne defeat South East Melbourne 116-98 behind Copeland (34 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks) and Gaze (26 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists), while the Magic lost starting point guard Darren Perry to a torn ACL after 11 minutes.

Game two moved to South East Melbourne, where the Magic bounced back with a 115-93 win as Bruce Bolden (22 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 4 blocks), Rob Rose (20 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals) and Darren Lucas (19 points) led the response, while Copeland was held to 14 points on 6-of-19 shooting.

Game three saw South East Melbourne close out the championship with a 95-88 win, as Rose (26 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks) and Bolden (21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks) led the Magic, while Gaze (18 points) was held to 5-of-19 shooting and Copeland (24 points) finished below his season average.

Bolden received the NBL Finals MVP award from NBA Commissioner David Stern, who was in attendance, as Copeland’s debut NBL season ended with Melbourne’s 95-88 game three Grand Final loss to South East Melbourne.

1993
The Tigers’ season began with the huge signing of Mark Bradtke during the pre-season. His arrival made national news, with Bradtke having spent the off-seasonplaying in Spain and giving former team Adelaide a verbal agreement he would play for them if he returned in 1993. However, upon his return to Australia, Bradtke made it known he did not want to play the final year of his contract in Adelaide, amongst rumours the Melbourne Tigers were actively recruiting him. After negotiations between the two parties broke down, the 36ers gave permission for Bradtke to leave if a team would buy out his remaining contract. However, the NBL stepped in and vetoed the buyout, effectively letting Bradtke leave for Melbourne without the 36ers receiving any compensation. After the fact it became clear Bradtke had decided to move to Melbourne to be closer to then girlfriend (and future wife), pro-tennis player Nicole Provis.

Although the Tigers were coming off a grand final appearance, they began the season poorly and no one was pencilling them in for the championship at midseason. After shaking off their slow start (2-7) but finishing the remainder of the season strong (14-3), the Tigers finished the year in third place. Bradtke (17 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists) became the missing puzzle piece to Melbourne’s historically weak frontline as Andrew Gaze (32.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.7 steals), Lanard Copeland (22.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.9 steals) led the team in scoring.

During the quarterfinals, the Tigers would easily eliminate Illawarra (2-0), setting up a rematch of last year’s grand final, a semi finals showdown against South East Melbourne. Bradtke, who had shifted to Melbourne from Adelaide during the pre-season, dominated the series. He delivered 21 points and 9 rebounds in the Tiger’s 108-106 win in game one and then backed it up with 28 points and 15 rebounds in their 89-72 win in game two.

On the opposite side of the bracket, the Perth Wildcats (21-5) had finished on top of the ladder and made their way through to the Grand Final.

The series began with the Tigers playing at home and, by the second quarter, were controlling things with a 19 point lead. From there, Melbourne saw four key players fall into foul trouble, which included Robert Sibley (13 points and 4 rebounds) and Bradtke (4 points, 11 rebounds) fouling out. Bradtke struggled against Perth’s interior defenders and finished the game shooting one from nine from the field. Ricky Grace (23 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals) then fueled a late-game surge from Perth which closed the game by four points. In the closing minutes, Perth attempted to close the gap by repeatedly sending Melbourne to the line but with Gaze (41 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists) nailing ten from ten free throws in the final quarter, Melbourne see out the game as victors (117-113).

In a similar fashion to game one, Melbourne took out a early lead in game two (32-22), thanks to the dominance of Bradtke (24 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists). By halftime, however, the ‘Perth Wall’ of James Crawford (32 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks), Andrew Vlahov (23 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks), and Scott Fisher (16 points and 6 rebounds) had reined Bradtke things in and returned fire to lead by six at halftime (60-54).

Perth remained in control of the foul-prone Tigers, who struggled to score after losing both Gaze (22 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Dave Simmons (12 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists) to six fouls. Grace (23 points, 8 rebounds, and 13 assists) came close to recording a triple-double, many of those assists coming from feeding Crawford inside, who made 11 of his 15 shots.

A full house at the Perth Entertainment Centre (8,000 fans) witnessed the Wildcats’ victory (112-105), one that extended their consecutive home winning streak to 17. With game three to be played in Perth and the Tigers have never won on the Wildcats’ home floor, Perth entered the game as clear favourites.

The underdog Tigers, however, survived a strong Perth comeback that cut a 15-point lead to three before Gaze (22 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists) sunk a free throw to give Melbourne a two-point edge with four seconds left on the clock. A last-second shot from Vlahov (31 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) which rattled in and out of the ring, saw the Tigers become NBL champions for the very first time (104-102). Copeland (35 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists) led the team in scoring, while Bradtke (23 points, 19 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) dominated Perth inside after struggling with fouls in the first two games. In a surprising decision, however, Wildcats’ guard Ricky Grace was awarded the Grand Final MVP despite playing for the losing team.

The win saw Lindsay Gaze and his son Andrew complete a ten year journey to win Australia’s oldest basketball club its first national championship.

1994

Coming off a title in 1993, the Tigers were able to return with almost the entire roster, losing only backup big man Robert Sibley (to Brisbane), who they would replace with a young Chris Anstey. The defending champions would go on to record their best regular season result in the club’s history (19-7), finishing in second place. Andrew Gaze (33.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 2.4 steals) was awarded the league’s Most Valuable Player award and led the league in scoring, while Mark Bradtke (20.2 points, 14.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks) led the league in rebounding and both were also selected to the All-NBL First Team. Once into the postseason, Melbourne would defeat Illawarra convincingly in both game one (107-85) and game two (119-83) before facing a incredibly talented (and deep) Adelaide team in the semifinals, which featured Rob Rose, Mark Davis, Willie Simmons, Phil Smyth, Brett Maher and Chris Blakemore. The 36ers defeated the Tigers first in Adelaide (101-88) and then repeated the result on Melbourne’s home floor (110-101) to end the Tiger’s season and move on to the Grand Final to face North Melbourne.

Copeland would play in all 30 of the Tigers games that season, averaging 22.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.

1995
In 1995, Mark Bradtke requested some time off to allow him to support his wife Nicole’s tennis career as she travelled abroad and miss the first two-thirds of the season. Around that same time, Chris Anstey, a part of the Tigers junior program, also informed the club that he would return, having signed a deal to play with rival club South East Melbourne. Melbourne coach Lindsey Gaze appealed via the NBL tribunal, which ruled that Anstey could not leave the Tigers as long as they could match the contract, which they did.

After some extremely creative salary tweaking, the Magic then signed Anstey to a one year deal worth $180,000 which the Tigers had no interest in matching, allowing Anstey to shift clubs. Once Anstey had signed with the Magic, he renegotiated his contract to a 3-year, $181,000 contract, remaining higher than the Tigers contract not to break any NBL salary cap rules of the time.

The Tigers added forward Matt Reece (via Gold Coast) and centre Blair Smith (via Brisbane) to cover the loss of Bradtke and Anstey.

Andrew Gaze (33.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 2.3 steals), Lanard Copeland (25.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.7 steals) and Dave Simmons (14.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks) led the team offensively, during a season which saw a merry-go-round of league leaders, during the regular season, Brisbane, Sydney, North Melbourne, South East Melbourne and Melbourne all sat in the number one spot on the ladder some point. With Melbourne narrowly sitting among the top eight team’s (10-7), Bradtke (11.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.2 blocks) would return to playout the Tigers’ last nine games for the season.

The Tigers would scrape into the playoffs, claiming the eighth seed (14-12), their worst result since 1988. With Bradtke out of form and the team still adjusting to him being back in the lineup, Melbourne was eliminated by the Perth Wildcats in the first round (1-2).

1996
With the Tigers having Mark Bradtke back full-time and able to retain all of their core group except for Stephen Whitehead (to Sydney), Melbourne were able to return to their winning ways after their posting their worst season in eight years. Gaze (31.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 8.1 assists, and 1.7 steals) delivered another MVP season, winning the award for the sixth time, alongside Copeland (21.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.4 steals) and a rejuvenated Bradtke (22.6 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.6 blocks) as they churned through the competition like a well-oiled machine. Melbourne would finish in first place (21-5), recording their best regular season record in franchise history.

Melbourne would ride the coattails of their ‘Big Three’ through the playoffs, first facing off against the eight seed Brisbane (14-12). Despite losing game one by 21 points (97-118), the Tigers would return to Melbourne and win game two (96-87) thanks to big games from Gaze (30 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists) and Bradtke (24 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists) and game three (111-93) with Gaze (29 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists) and Bradtke (29 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks) again leading the team in scoring.

Lanard Copeland earned All-NBL Third Team honours for the 1996 season.

The Tigers would then meet Canberra in the semifinals, again losing the first game (98-87) with Robert Rose (22 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists), Darnell Mee (21 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks), and Simon Dwight (20 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 blocks) proving too good. Melbourne rebounded with in game two (100-82) with Gaze (30 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 steals), narrowly missing out on a triple-double and Copeland (23 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists) having a big scoring night. The following game Copeland disppeared, managing just six points on 3-16 shooting. Gaze (29 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks) and Bradtke (26 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks) combined to score half of the Tigers points, however, eliminating the Cannons in a tightly fought four-point win (91-87).

Moving on to the grand final series, Melbourne would face South East Melbourne (19-7) who finished in second place during the regular season. Melbourne was too good in game one (100-89), with Gaze (35 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists) delivering his best game of the series in front of a packed Melbourne crowd. Mark Bradtke (24 points and 15 rebounds) and Lanard Copeland (23 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists) were also brilliant, scoring whenever Gaze didn’t, and the Tigers ‘Big Three’ combining for 82 points.

The Magic would then bounce back and win game two (88-84) in front of a Grand Final record crowd of 15,064 at the National Tennis Centre at Flinders Park, which still stands as Melbourne’s highest-attended NBL game ever. Gaze (21 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists) led the Tigers in scoring in the loss, while the Magic were led by Tony Ronaldson (28 points) and Mike Kelly (19 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals).

The third and deciding game was held less than 48 hours later, a scenario that benefited the younger legs of the Magic and allowed them to deliver the final blow (107-70). Billy McCaffrey (24 points and 5 assists) and the incredibly efficient performances from Sam MacKinnon (18 points and 9 rebounds), who shot 9/10 from the field, and John Dorge (16 points and 8 rebounds) who made 8 of his 11 shots saw South East Melbourne’s field goal percentage be the game’s deciding factor. The Tigers made only 23 of 60 shots (38%) compared to the Magic, hitting 46 of their 85 shots (54%) in the 30-point blowout. Copeland, limited to five points on a 2-12 shooting night.

The 1996 NBL Grand Final series drew a aggregate attendance record of 43,605 (average 14,535), the largest crowd ever for a three-game NBL series. Magic guard Mike Kelly was awarded the Finals MVP award after averaging 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.3 steals across the three-game series.

1997
The Tigers began 1997 trying to respond to the 107-70 deciding-game loss to South East Melbourne in the previous year’s Grand Final after finishing the 1996 regular season first at 21-5. Lindsay Gaze returned as head coach with Lanard Copeland, Andrew Gaze, Mark Bradtke, Warrick Giddey, Ray Gordon, Blair Smith, Daniel Egan, Damien Chapman and Erik Wickstrom, while Dave Simmons (to Newcastle) was not re-signed after eight seasons and Vince Hinchen also departed. Jarvis Lang was signed as Simmons’ replacement, while Brett Rainbow rejoined Melbourne after not playing in the NBL the previous season.

Melbourne opened the season at the Brisbane Convention Centre on April 11, where Copeland (19 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists), Gaze (33 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) and Lang (24 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) led the Tigers, but Steve Woodberry (28 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals) helped Brisbane win 111-105.

Copeland (23 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists across 35 games) appeared in every game this season and remained Melbourne’s second major scorer. The Tigers struggled during the opening months, with Bradtke (20.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks across 30 games) returning from a short stint with the Philadelphia 76ers before Melbourne was stripped of a win against Adelaide because the required clearance had not been completed. With Melbourne sitting at an official 3-9, pressure began to build on Lindsay, but Copeland later recalled the playing group knew the coach wasn’t responsible. “We sat down and talked about it. It was unfair, Lindsay didn’t have anything to do with us being poor,” Copeland said. “Lindsay is the kind of coach who will do all his coaching in training, but he would lay back and let you play your game. 100% it wasn’t Lindsay, it was us, and we knew that and that’s why everyone galvanised and got themselves together.”

On May 24, Melbourne also faced recently crowned NCAA champion Arizona in the final international game played at Albert Park Stadium. In front of a capacity crowd, Copeland (33 points) provided a major scoring performance alongside Gaze (48 points) and Bradtke (14 points, 19 rebounds, and 9 blocks) as Melbourne defeated the Wildcats by four points in overtime.

Copeland’s best regular-season NBL scoring game came at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on June 7, where Copeland (32 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) made 13-of-24 shots and four three-pointers, while Gaze (37 points, 5 rebounds, and 10 assists) and Bradtke (27 points, 24 rebounds, and 1 steal) also had big games. Isaac Burton (29 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals) led Sydney to a 124-117 win. Brett Jefferies (via Pacific Union) also made his NBL debut for Melbourne during the game after completing his college career.

With Lang’s knee problems continuing to cause Melbourne problems, Lang (19.1 points and 9.1 rebounds across 8 games; released) was moved on and Marcus Timmons (17.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.5 blocks across 22 games; via Illawarra) was signed as his replacement. Timmons had been one of the league’s leading scorers and rebounders with Illawarra the previous season but was without an NBL team when North Melbourne coach Brett Brown spotted him in an Illawarra hotel lobby and contacted the Tigers. Melbourne brought Timmons in for one trial practice before signing him, and his ability to score, rebound, defend and handle the ball provided the extra weapon Melbourne had been missing. “We got him in there and he made the difference. He was that missing link,” Copeland said.

Melbourne closed the regular season against Brisbane at Melbourne Park on September 29, where Copeland (29 points and 6 rebounds), Gaze (36 points) and Bradtke (25 points and 11 rebounds) led the Tigers, while Woodberry (40 points and 13 rebounds) starred for Brisbane. Melbourne won 116-107 in overtime to complete a 13-game winning streak and climb from its disastrous start to finish second with a 19-11 record behind South East Melbourne at 22-8.

Gaze (30.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.4 steals across 35 games) led the NBL in scoring, won the NBL Most Valuable Player and Most Efficient Player awards and was selected to the All-NBL First Team, while Bradtke joined him on the All-NBL First Team. Copeland was Melbourne’s second-leading scorer, while Bradtke and Timmons completed the Tigers’ four major offensive weapons. Smith (5.8 points and 4.2 rebounds across 33 games) provided frontcourt depth, while Giddey (3.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists across 35 games) continued to provide defence, screening and passing around Melbourne’s scorers. Lindsay Gaze was named NBL Coach of the Year.

Melbourne received a first-round bye before opening the semifinals against North Melbourne at the Melbourne Sports & Entertainment Centre on October 15, where Copeland (20 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal), Gaze (39 points, 3 rebounds, and 10 assists) and Bradtke (25 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) led the Tigers to a 107-99 win, while David Stiff (24 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks) was North Melbourne’s best.

Game two moved to Melbourne Park, where Copeland (16 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block), Gaze (34 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists), Timmons (28 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1 block) and Bradtke (26 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block) led Melbourne, while Darryl McDonald (27 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, and 3 steals) led North Melbourne. The Tigers won 112-105, extended their winning streak to 15 games and completed the sweep to advance to a Grand Final rematch against South East Melbourne.

Melbourne opened the Grand Final at Melbourne Park on October 25, where Copeland (29 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block), Timmons (24 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks) and Gaze (23 points, 3 rebounds, and 9 assists) led the Tigers, while Frank Drmic (12 points, 11 rebounds, and 1 steal) was South East Melbourne’s best. Melbourne won 111-74 and extended its winning streak to 16 games.

Game two remained at Melbourne Park, where South East Melbourne coach Brian Goorjian inserted veteran John Dorge into the starting lineup and moved Chris Anstey to the bench. Anstey (21 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks) responded with his best game of the series as the Magic defeated Melbourne 84-78, while Copeland (28 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal), Gaze (18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal) and Timmons (11 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal) led the Tigers as the series was forced to a deciding game three.

A great Australian sporting rivalry!! pic.twitter.com/qVrlKwROkN

— RANDOM HOOPS (@HoopsRandom) March 21, 2023

For the second straight year, Melbourne and South East Melbourne returned to Melbourne Park for a deciding Grand Final game, where Copeland (26 points and 6 rebounds), Gaze (22 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block), Bradtke (21 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) and Timmons (20 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) powered the Tigers, while Tony Ronaldson (26 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists) led the Magic. Giddey (0 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block) became one of Melbourne’s most important players in the deciding moments, delivering a hard foul on Sam MacKinnon that broke his nose, blocking Drmic and setting a heavy mid-court screen on Defensive Player of the Year Mike Kelly. “Warrick was very much the heart and soul of the team. He personifies blue-collar basketball,” Gaze later recalled, while Copeland said, “Warrick Giddey was the glue for us for the whole year. He is the most unselfish basketball player I’ve played with in my entire life, and I’ve played with a lot of guys.” Melbourne won 93-83 to claim its second NBL championship, with Copeland named Grand Final MVP after averaging 27.7 points while shooting 56 percent across the three-game series.

1998
Fresh from being named Grand Final MVP during Melbourne’s 1997 championship run, Lanard Copeland returned as Lindsay Gaze kept the title-winning group together for another season. Andrew Gaze, Mark Bradtke, Marcus Timmons, Warrick Giddey, Ray Gordon, Blair Smith and Brett Jefferies were among the returning core after the Tigers had recovered from a 3-9 start the previous year to win 17 consecutive games and the championship. By 1998, Copeland and Gaze were both 33 years old, Gordon was 32 and Giddey 30, compared with an average NBL player age of 26, leaving Bradtke and Timmons as Melbourne’s only regular scorers under 30 averaging more than six points per game.

The title defence began against Brisbane at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre on January 30, where Copeland (21 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block) played more than 42 minutes. Gaze (38 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) and Bradtke (21 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 4 blocks) led Melbourne, while Steve Woodberry (32 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) carried Brisbane to a 105-97 victory.

Copeland (22.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals across 26 games) remained Melbourne’s second-leading scorer, although his scoring, rebounding and assists all declined from the previous championship season. After playing in the opener, he missed Melbourne’s next six games before returning in March, with no further games missed through the remainder of the season.

Copeland returned against Brisbane on March 7 and finished with 16 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Timmons (28 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal) and Gaze (25 points, 3 rebounds, and 10 assists) led the Tigers, while Woodberry (27 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) was Brisbane’s best as the Bullets won 109-104.

His best and highest-scoring game came against Brisbane on April 4, when Copeland (39 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 14-of-25 field goals, and 10-of-19 three-pointers) produced his biggest offensive performance of the season. Timmons (32 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks) and Gaze (25 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) provided the main support, while Woodberry (40 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) led the Bullets as Melbourne won 108-101.

Gaze (31.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.4 steals across 32 games) again led the NBL in scoring, earned All-NBL First Team honours and collected the last of his seven league MVP awards. Timmons (19.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals across 32 games) increased his scoring from the championship season, while Bradtke (15.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks across 30 games) remained Melbourne’s main interior presence despite declines in his scoring and rebounding. Gordon (4.1 points across 31 games) saw his scoring dip slightly, while Giddey (3.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4 assists across 32 games) actually increased his points, rebounds and assists from 1997. Melbourne won only four of its first ten games before closing the regular season with four consecutive victories to finish fifth at 16-14. The campaign was also the NBL’s final winter season before the competition moved to a summer schedule later in 1998.

Brisbane also finished 16-14 and held the head-to-head advantage, giving the Bullets home court for the elimination finals. Woodberry (26.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.4 steals across 34 games) led a deep Brisbane core alongside Leroy Loggins (17.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals across 26 games), Chuck Kornegay (16.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks across 32 games) and CJ Bruton (15.4 points, 4 assists, and 1.8 steals across 34 games).

The elimination finals opened in Brisbane on June 12, where Copeland (12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block) struggled from the field. Gaze (34 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal) and Timmons (16 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 steal) supplied Melbourne’s main offence, while Woodberry (24 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block) and Bruton (11 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals) helped Brisbane win 93-80 and move within one victory of eliminating the defending champions.

Game two moved to Melbourne Park on June 14, where Copeland (22 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) led the Tigers in scoring. Bradtke (20 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist) and Gaze (18 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 block) provided support, while Loggins (27 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) and Kornegay (18 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists) powered Brisbane to a 114-81 victory, completing the two-game sweep and ending Melbourne’s title defence.

1998/99
With the NBL changing its schedule to become a summer sport in 1998, the Tigers were able to pull together one last run from its aging roster. Gaze (33.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists), Lanard Copeland (25.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists), Marcus Timmons (20.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.3 blocks) and Bradtke (17.1 points, 13.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.9 blocks) combined to average a ridiculous 97 points per game.

Melbourne won 17 games for the season and earned a playoff rematch with Brisbane, who had eliminated Melbourne during last year’s playoffs. The Tigers would avenge that result and defeat the Bullets in two straight games. in the semifinals, the Tigers would then face long-time rivals Brian Goorjian and the Victoria Titans, and even with star import Marcus Timmnons (31 points and 9 rebounds) delivering a unstoppable performance, the Titans held on to win (80-77) with Tony Ronaldson (17 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists) top scoring for the victors and Paul Maley (16 points) having a efficient game off the bench, making seven of his nine shots in 22 minutes of court time.

In game two, the Titans led the Tigers in all four quarters and again came away victorious (94-87). Mike Kelly (19 points and 7 rebounds) would step up, making 7 of his 12 shots, and Ben Pepper (15 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks) delivered his best game of the series, shooting a efficient 7 of 12 from the field.

1999/00
This season, Melbourne would lose Blair Smith (to West Sydney) and import Marcus Timmons (to Perth), replacing them with athletic young big man Pero Vasiljevic (from Canberra) and Bennett Davison, who would arrive injured and be unable to join the team until six games in. The retirement of Tigers legend Ray Gordon also opened up another roster spot, which Lindsey Gaze would use to sign rookie Luke McMillan. Although Davison (19.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.6 steals, and 2.4 blocks) would fill the hole left by Timmons quite capably, the aging core of the Tigers, including the 30-year-old Mark Bradtke (17.9 points, 14.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.6 blocks) and Lanard Copeland (21.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals) and Andrew Gaze (29.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists), who both celebrated their 34th birthdays this season struggled against the league’s best team’s. Melbourne finished in fifth place this season and scraped into the playoffs despite not having a winning record (14-14), the team’s worst record since they last failed to make the playoffs in 1988.
Lanard Copeland earned All-NBL Third Team honours for the 1999/00 season.

Melbourne then lost to the Victoria Titans in the Quarterfinals (1-2). Gaze would be selected to the All-NBL first team for a record fifteenth time, the last time he was recognised for the award. This season cemented the decline of the Gaze led Tigers, with the team never finishing higher than fifth again until after the retirement of both Andrew and Lindsey Gaze.

At the end of the season, Gaze and Bradtke also guided the Australian Boomers to a equal best fourth-place finish in Sydney before both retiring from international play.

2000/01
The Tigers would see several new faces join the squad this season after losing both Bennett Davison (to Europe) and Warrick Giddey to injury. David Smith (via North Melbourne), Stephen Hoare (via West Sydney) and Nathan Taylor (via Victoria). Guard Phil Handy was signed as a import replacement for Bennett Davison, and Melbourne began the season winning five of their first eight matches.

Around this time, Phil Handy (10.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists) joined Giddey on the injury list (missing eight games), so Jason Sedlock (3.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists) was signed as an injury replacement during Handy’s absence. At the mid-way point of the season, Melbourne received the bonus of long-serving guard Lanard Copeland gaining his Australian citizenship and qualifying as a local player. To take advantage of that, Melbourne used the additional import spot to sign former Townsville star Clarence Tyson (3.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) for the remaining 14 games.

This season saw Daniel Egan (11.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 blocks) develop into a key part of the Tiger’s rotation, Copeland (20.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.0 steals) continue to score buckets as Gaze (29.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.8 assists) finished as the league’s highest scorer and Mark Bradtke (21.3 points, 14.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 blocks) led the league in rebounds while also being selected to the All-NBL First team.

With Melbourne entering their final ten games, they sat just outside the top six and with Lindsey Gaze trying to balance the incoming talent with the Tigers’ existing core, they went on a five-game losing streak to drop out of the playoff race. A three-game winning streak to end the season came too late, and Melbourne finished in seventh spot (13-15), missing out on the playoffs by three wins. This would be the first time Melbourne would finish with a losing record and miss the playoffs since 1988.

2001/02
This season, Marcus Timmons would return to play for the Tigers, replacing the outgoing Phil Handy (to West Sydney). Timmons (16.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.0 blocks) would slot right back into the team, his presence catapulting the Tigers back to the top of the ladder. Lanard Copeland (25.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals) was also in amazing form this season, hoping to earn selection to the Boomers squad after being recently naturalised.

With Melburne sitting on 9 wins and 5 losses, they would lose Gaze after he succumbed to a ankle injury three minutes into a game against Townsville. The Tigers would then lose this game by two points (98-100) and Gaze (19.1 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists) would miss twelve games with an ankle injury. This saw Melbourne drop from top of the ladder to fifth spot, recording 7 wins and 9 losses in Gaze’s absence. Mark Bradtke (22.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.3 blocks) would step up during this time, leading the league in rebounding for a sixth time and being selected as the NBL MVP at the end of the season.

Although not fully healed, Gaze would return to the court to help the Tigers (16-14) in their Qualifying Final matchup against crosstown rivals, the Victoria Titans (21-9).

Victoria had finished the season in first place and entered the series as clear favourites. However, after the Titans secured game one (107-113), the Tigers would bounce back with Copeland (41 points, 5 assists and 2 steals), who shot a impressive 14 from 27 shots (52%), and Timmons (19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists) having big games to deliver a Tigers win in game two (107-105). Copeland (37 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Timmons (21 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks) backed that performance in game three (103-97) to move onto the semi finals and face West Sydney. Gaze struggled through the series, playing in all three games but scoring total of 11 points.

Melbourne would face the fifth placed West Sydney Razorbacks (16-14) at home and behind Timmons (36 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals) and Bradtke (21 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals), come away victorious (114-93). Once the series moved to Sydney the Tigers lost games two (109-125) and three (103-115) with Gaze still not back to full health.

This season marked the first time Gaze failed to lead the Tigers in scoring since they entered the league in 1984, yet he still managed to lead the league in free throw shooting (88.4%).

2002/03
After coming close to a NBL Grand Final berth the prior season, which many feel they would have if not for a ankle injury that derailed Andrew Gaze for the playoffs, the Tigers underwent some small roster changes in 2002. Moving on were Daniel Egan (to Brisbane) and Warrick Giddey (retired), while Neil Mottram (via Perth), Greg Blake and import Matt Rueter, who had both been playing in the state league, were also added to the roster.

Tigers started off slowly (2-4) before findng their groove and recording a four winning streak to improve to return to the top six by round 10 (6-4). Melbourne would lose Gaze (22.1 points, 4 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.1 steals) to a knee infection that saw him miss four games (one win, three losses) with David Smith (5.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists) inserted into the starting lineup. When Gaze returned to the lineup he was visibly unfit and several kilograms lighter. The Tigers had also dropped out of the playoffs picture again (9-11) after losing the NBL’s leading rebounder, Mark Bradtke (17.4 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 blocks) for six games with back and hamstring issues.

In addition to Gaze and Bradtke, the Tigers would rely on Lanard Copeland (18.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.4 steals) and Marcus Timmons (13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3 assists 1.4 steals) to provide the offensive punch, with Neil Mottram (10.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists) and Stephen Hoare (9.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists) also stepping up in Bradtke’s absence.

Heading into the last round, the Tigers (14-14) needed to a extra win to avoid losing the sixth spot on the ladder to West Sydney (14-16), who held the head-to-head advantage against Melbourne. They would defeat Illawarra (108-99) locking in a playoff spot, but then lose to Townsville (104-106) to end the regular season (15-15).

Melbourne faced the first seed Sydney (22-8) in the Qualifying Finals and lost the opening game (89-101) thanks to big games from Kings stars Shane Heal (25 points), Kavossy Franklin (19 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists) and David Stiff (18 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks).

In game two, Bradtke (21 points, 20 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals) and Kings star import Chris Williams (32 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and 4 blocks) would battle inside in one of the greatest head to head battles of all-time. Although Williams would do it all that night, the Tigers locked down the Kings backcourt of Heal (14 points) and Franklin (16 points) and thanks to big games from Gaze (25 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists) and Copeland (22 points and 5 assists), came away victors in game two (108-104).

With the series returning to Sydney, the Kings simply outclassed the Tigers in game three (114-89), with Williams (25 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists, 5 steals, and 2 blocks) continuing his unstoppable form and the Kings winning by 25 points. The Kings locked down Melbourne’s ‘Big Three’ of Gaze, Copeland and Bradtke who in rare fashion were limited to only 34 points combined. Stephen Hoare (15 points and 12 rebounds) top scoring for the Tigers.

2003/04
After Sydney ended Melbourne’s 2002/03 season in the qualifying finals, Marcus Timmons (to Cairns), Greg Blake (to Victoria), Matt Rueter and Nathan Taylor exited the team. Coach Lindsay Gaze retained Andrew Gaze, Mark Bradtke, Lanard Copeland, Stephen Hoare, David Smith, Neil Mottram, Daryl Corletto and Luke McMillan, while adding Darryl McDonald (via Victoria), Dave Thomas (via Canberra), David Donaldson and import Thalo Green.

Melbourne opened the season at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre on October 1, where Copeland (19 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block) helped the Tigers defeat Hunter 105-77, with Gaze (30 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals) and Hoare (14 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists) leading the other Tigers.

Copeland (18.5 points and 3.2 assists across 35 games) remained one of Melbourne’s main perimeter scorers, providing another veteran offensive option alongside Gaze and earning selection to the 2004 NBL All-Star Game.

One of Copeland’s best games came at Challenge Stadium on October 8, where he finished with 33 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, and 1 block as Melbourne defeated Perth 116-99, with Gaze (24 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Bradtke (23 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 assists) helping the Tigers begin the season with three consecutive wins.

Copeland’s season-best scoring game came against Hunter on November 1, where he delivered 35 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal as Melbourne won 117-96 at the State Netball and Hockey Centre, with Bradtke (25 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Gaze (23 points and 4 assists) providing support.

Copeland produced another major scoring performance in Townsville on January 31, finishing with 32 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals as Melbourne defeated the Crocodiles 126-117, with Gaze (22 points and 5 assists) and Thomas (19 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 steals) helping the Tigers continue their late-season push.

Gaze (21.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists across 35 games) and Copeland were Melbourne’s two leading offensive players, while Bradtke (15.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists across 32 games) led the NBL in rebounding and earned All-NBL First Team honours. Thomas (15.8 points, 9 rebounds, and 1.9 steals across 30 games) added scoring and rebounding, while Hoare (9.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists across 30 games) provided another frontcourt playmaker. McDonald (7.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.6 steals across 34 games) won the NBL Best Sixth Man award, while Green (7.6 points across 34 games) provided scoring from the rotation.

Melbourne completed the regular season in Newcastle on February 29, where Copeland (10 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal) helped the Tigers defeat Hunter 107-91, with Gaze (18 points and 6 assists) and Bradtke (16 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals) securing fifth place with a 20-13 record.

The elimination final opened at the State Netball and Hockey Centre, where Copeland (14 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks), Gaze (31 points) and Bradtke (25 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks) helped Melbourne overcome Adelaide 111-107, while Martin Cattalini (31 points) and Dusty Rychart (27 points) led the 36ers.

The quarterfinals moved to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, where Copeland (23 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal) led Melbourne, with Gaze (20 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Thomas (12 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks) providing support, while Stephen Black (24 points) top-scored for Brisbane in the Bullets’ 112-101 win.

2004/05
Melbourne entered the 2004/05 season with Matt Rueter, David Donaldson and Thalo Green exiting the team, while Andrew Gaze, Lanard Copeland, Mark Bradtke, Darryl McDonald, Dave Thomas, Stephen Hoare, David Smith, Daryl Corletto and Luke McMillan returned from the previous season’s group.

Lindsay Gaze added Rashad Tucker after he had begun the season with Perth before being released, giving Melbourne another import option off the bench as the Tigers entered what would become the final season of the Gaze era.

Melbourne opened the season with a 96-88 road loss to Wollongong before rebounding with a 99-96 home win over Cairns.

The Tigers continued their uneven start by defeating Townsville 112-95 but dropping two close games to Sydney, losing 89-90 and 109-112 as they struggled to build early momentum.

Copeland (13.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists across 34 games) moved into a reduced scoring role during his final season with Melbourne, giving the Tigers a veteran perimeter option behind Gaze, Thomas and Bradtke.

Gaze (22.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists across 34 games) remained Melbourne’s leading scorer in his final NBL season, while Thomas (18.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.2 steals across 34 games) gave the Tigers an athletic scoring option on the wing.

Bradtke (17.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.3 blocks across 34 games) again anchored the middle, led Melbourne on the glass and earned All-NBL First Team honours. Tucker (5.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists across 22 games) showed no signs of trouble in Melbourne, slotting into the second unit and adding scoring in a reduced role. McDonald (7.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.7 steals across 34 games), and Hoare (6.3 points and 5.2 rebounds across 34 games) filled out Lindsay’s rotation.

Melbourne’s two leading offensive players were Gaze and Thomas, while Bradtke and Copeland were the other main scorers in a veteran group nearing the end of its run together.

Melbourne secured important mid-season wins against Perth 119-100, Adelaide 111-94 and New Zealand 103-88, but losses to Hunter 94-112 and Wollongong 96-118 stopped the Tigers from moving into the league’s top group.

One of Copeland’s strongest late-season games came in Melbourne’s 119-100 win over Perth, where he gave the Tigers another scoring option as Melbourne pushed toward the final playoff spots.

The Tigers remained strong at home, finishing 12-4, but their 5-11 road record limited their ceiling and left them fighting for one of the final postseason places. Melbourne finished in a three-way tie with Brisbane and Perth at 17-15, securing sixth place through head-to-head results and setting up an elimination final against the Wildcats.

The elimination finals opened at the State Netball and Hockey Centre, where Melbourne defeated Perth 108-88 in front of 2,352 fans to keep the season alive. Melbourne’s playoff run ended in the next elimination game against Townsville, where the Crocodiles defeated the Tigers 112-100 and ended the championship hopes of Gaze, Lindsay, Bradtke and Copeland.

Following the loss, Gaze and Lindsay announced their retirement from the NBL, while Bradtke and Copeland also moved on at season’s end and both signed with Brisbane.

During his time with Melbourne, Copeland played 449 games over 14 seasons, recording 9,862 points, 1,763 rebounds, 1,438 assists and 233 blocked shots.

Copeland’s final Melbourne season closed a Tigers run that included championships in 1993 and 1997, the 1997 Grand Final MVP award and All-NBL First Team selections in 1999 and 2002, ending with Melbourne’s 112-100 elimination finals loss to Townsville.

BRISBANE BULLETS

2005/06
Brisbane entered the 2005/06 season with Kevin Freeman, Bryant Matthews, Simon Kerle, Ben Castle, Jason Eversteyn, Adam Darragh and Miles Pearce exiting the team, while Stephen Black, Derek Rucker, Bobby Brannen, Michael Hill, Daniel Egan, Brad Williamson and Peni Nasalo returned from the previous season’s group.

Joey Wright added Lanard Copeland (via Melbourne), Mark Bradtke (via Melbourne), Sam Mackinnon (via West Sydney), Adam Gibson, Callum Baynes, Michael Shaw, Daniel George and Brad Kelleher as the Bullets reshaped their roster after missing the playoffs the previous season.

Copeland (9.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists) moved into a smaller role in his first season with Brisbane, recording career-low numbers but still giving the Bullets veteran scoring, experience and another proven perimeter option off the bench.

Bradtke (15.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists) gave Brisbane a veteran interior presence alongside Brannen, while Mackinnon (13.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.4 blocks) added all-round production after arriving from West Sydney. Black (18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Rucker (16.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists) were Brisbane’s two leading offensive guards. Alongside Copeland, Brannen (16.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists), Hill (12.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists), and Egan (5.6 points and 3.2 rebounds) filled out Wright’s rotation as Brisbane improved back into the playoff picture.

Brisbane finished the regular season in sixth place with a 17-15 record, setting up a home elimination final against seventh-placed Perth. The elimination final was played in front of 3,996 Bullets fans, where Brisbane fell short in a sudden-death 86-91 loss to the Wildcats. Bradtke (22 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) led the way for Brisbane, while Matt Shanahan (22 points) and Tony Ronaldson (20 points and 8 rebounds) were best for Perth.

Copeland’s first season away from Melbourne saw him take on a reduced role in a deeper Brisbane group, but the Bullets’ season ended with a 86-91 elimination final loss to Perth.

ADELAIDE 36ERS

2006/07
Adelaide entered the 2006/07 season with Dusty Rychart (to Brisbane), Jacob Holmes (to South Dragons), Oscar Forman (to New Zealand) and Paul Rees exiting the team, while Willie Farley, Brett Maher, Darren Ng, Mark Nash, David Cooper, Matt Sutton and Brad Hill returned from the previous season’s group.

Phil Smyth added Lanard Copeland (via Brisbane), Nick Horvath (via West Sydney), Adrian Majstrovich, Brett Wheeler and Marcus Timmons as the 36ers looked to return to the playoffs after being eliminated in the quarterfinals the previous season.

Copeland (13.1 points, 2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists) moved into a smaller role in his first season with Adelaide, giving the 36ers another veteran scorer and perimeter option after leaving Brisbane.

Adelaide’s two leading offensive players were Farley (19.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.5 steals) and Horvath (19.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks) who were both selected for the World All-Stars at the 2006/07 NBL All-Star Game, held at the Distinctive Homes Dome in Adelaide.

Maher (18.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.6 assists) again directed the offence and led the league in assists, while Ng (9.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists), Majstrovich (8.6 points and 4.9 rebounds), Timmons (8.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists across 16 games) and Cooper (7.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists) filled out the main rotation.

Despite the added experience, Adelaide never found the consistency needed to stay in the top eight, struggling through a season that became the club’s worst finish to that point. Under Smyth, the 36ers missed the playoffs for the first time since he became head coach, finishing 11th with an 11-22 record. For Copeland, it was a difficult first year in Adelaide, with his scoring dropping from his peak Melbourne years as he moved into more of a supporting role.

2007/08
Adelaide entered the 2007/08 season with Willie Farley, Nick Horvath (to South Dragons), Adrian Majstrovich, Marcus Timmons, Brett Wheeler, Brad Hill (to South Dragons) and Mark Nash exiting the team after the 36ers had missed the playoffs the previous season.

Phil Smyth retained Brett Maher, Lanard Copeland, Darren Ng, David Cooper, Matt Sutton, Jordan Dodman and Erik Burdon, while adding Adam Ballinger (via Wollongong), Brad Davidson (via Singapore), Mike Chappell, Axel Dench, Neil Mottram, Shane Breheny and Brad Gerlach.

Copeland (9.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists) stepped into his final NBL season as a veteran bench scorer, with his role reduced but his experience still valuable to a reshaped Adelaide group.

After 15 games, Chappell (11.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) was replaced by Julius Hodge, who joined Adelaide in December and gave the 36ers a major mid-season lift despite arriving too late to push the club back into the playoffs.Ballinger (22.5 points and 8.1 rebounds) became Adelaide’s leading scorer and won the club MVP award in his first season with the 36ers, while Hodge (24.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.5 steals across 12 games) was named to the All-NBL Third Team despite playing less than half the season.

Maher (16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.2 assists) remained Adelaide’s main local leader, while Davidson (13.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals), Ng (13.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists), Chappell (11.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists across 15 games), Cooper (7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.6 blocks), Dench (6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds) and Mottram (5 points and 4.9 rebounds) filled out Smyth’s rotation.

The 36ers improved on the previous year but still finished outside the playoffs, ending the regular season in ninth place with a 14-16 record. After 17 NBL seasons, two championships, a Grand Final MVP award and more than 10,000 career points, Copeland stepped away from the game with Adelaide finishing ninth at 14-16.

Copeland retired after two seasons with Adelaide, having played 532 NBL games across 17 seasons. Copeland amassed 10,735 points (fourth all-time), 1,242 three-pointers (fourth all-time), 641 steals (14th all-time) and 1,577 assists (17th all-time) in the NBL. Copeland also earned multiple NBL All-Star selections, with appearances spanning the 1990s and 2004–2005.

Lanard Copeland played seventeen seasons across three NBL teams. This included the Melbourne Tigers, Brisbane Bullets and Adelaide 36ers. He averaged 20.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3 assists in 532 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:

– 7th in total games played.
– 4th in total points
– 18th in total assists
– 15th in total steals
– 40th in total blocks

HIGHLIGHTS: