BIO: Luke Martin was and raised in Sydney to a Kiwi father and a Australian mother. He began playing basketball as a junior with the Gloucester basketball program. Martin moved to the United States in 1998, where he attended St. John’s College High School in Washington, D.C. before playing one season of college basketball for the UTEP Miners in 2001/02.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Luke Martin made his NBL debut with the West Sydney Razorbacks at 21 years of age. He scored one point in his first NBL game.

2004/05
The 2004/05 season was a historic one for the Sydney Kings, as they became the first team in NBL history to win three consecutive championships.

Captain Jason Smith (19.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.8 steals) led the team offensively, setting the tone with his leadership, defensive intensity, and ability to step up in clutch moments.

He was supported by a strong core, including import duo Mark Sanford (16.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists), Rolan Roberts (16.4 points, 9.1 rebounds), C.J. Bruton (16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.7 assists), and Ben Knight (13.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists).

Luke Martin played a key role as a backup guard for the Kings, averaging 9.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.

His ability to run the offense and provide energy off the bench made him an important contributor throughout the season.

Martin delivered several standout performances over the course of the season, demonstrating his ability to step up when called upon.

On November 6 against New Zealand, he scored a season-high 20 points on an efficient 8-for-9 shooting, including four three-pointers.

On January 7 against Townsville, he recorded another strong performance with 21 points, 6 assists, and 3 rebounds.

His well-rounded play was also evident on November 21 against West Sydney, where he posted 21 points while shooting 60% from the field.

Twelve games into the season, rookie Luke Kendall (12.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.3 assists) suffered an ACL injury, causing him to miss the remainder of the season.

Under head coach Brian Goorjian, the Kings continued their dominance, finishing atop the regular season standings with a 21-11 record.

The Kings opened the playoffs by defeating the Brisbane Bullets in Game 1 (113-79), with seven players scoring in double figures.

Jason Smith (16 points), Rolan Roberts (16 points), Brad Sheridan (16 points), Ben Knight (15 points), CJ Bruton (14 points), David Barlow (12 points), and Mark Sanford (12 points) all contributed to the commanding win.

Sydney closed out the series with a 111-105 victory in Game 2, led by big performances from Smith (24 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Ben Knight (22 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists).

Martin played a crucial role in the win, adding 8 points, 4 assists, and 2 rebounds.

The Grand Final series saw Sydney dominate the Illawarra Hawks across three straight games, completing one of the most commanding championship runs in NBL history.

Smith (21 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists) led the way in the Kings’ Game 1 victory (96-73).

Martin provided steady minutes off the bench, adding 3 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds.

In Game 2, Sydney secured a 105-80 win on the Hawks’ home court, with CJ Bruton finishing as the game-high scorer with 26 points.

Martin contributed 9 points and 3 assists, helping maintain the Kings’ offensive flow.

Although Game 3 was close after the first quarter, the Kings outscored the Hawks 38-21 in the second quarter and never looked back.

Jason Smith delivered the best playoff game of his career, scoring 38 points and grabbing 12 rebounds to take home Grand Final MVP honors.

Martin played a key supporting role, adding 10 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds, solidifying his impact on the Kings’ championship success.

With their 3-0 Grand Final series win, the Kings cemented themselves as one of the greatest teams in NBL history, becoming the first team to ever complete a three-peat.

Their combination of leadership, talent, and depth made them an unstoppable force, with Jason Smith, C.J. Bruton, Mark Sanford, and the supporting cast all playing vital roles in Sydney’s championship run.

Martin’s steady presence at the point guard position proved crucial to the Kings’ depth and success, showcasing his ability to perform in big moments.

2009/10
During his time with the Hawks Martin helped the team reach the Grand Final after they finished in second place (16-12) during the 2009/10 season. In the Hawks semi-final matchup with the third placed Townsville Crocodiles. Martin contributed 10 points to help the Hawks win the opening game 87-68. In game two, the Crocodiles returned the favour, defeating the Hawks 82-53 on their home court with Martin contributing 8 points. The series returned to Wollongong for game three where the Hawks led the game from start to finish, winning 88-76 with Martin adding 4 points.

The 2010 NBL Grand Final would then see the Hawks face the Perth Wildcats who claimed game one in Perth, 75–64, with Martin contributing 11 points. The series then headed to Wollongong for game two, where the Hawks returned the favour and defeated Perth 75–63, behind a huge offensive game from Cam Tragardh (28 points) and Martin again contributing 11 points. The deciding game three would return to Western Australia where Perth comfortably defeated Wollongong 96-72, with Kevin Lisch exploding for 29 points (5 from 9 three point shots) in front of their home fans. Martin struggled in the final game, scoring four points on 1/6 shooting in the final game and Kevin Lisch was named Finals MVP after averaging 18 points and 4 rebounds over the three games.