A few months ago the NBL looked like it would be no more. Australian basketball legends such as Andrew Gaze were calling for the league to take a one year hiatus, while the then Wollongong (Illawarra) Hawks and the Townsville Crocodiles had just fallen into voluntary administration (VA) and didn’t look they would be able…
Read MoreIt is time that we put on our tin foil hats and get a bit strange and paranoid here, basketball fans. The past few hours have yielded some news which is seemingly unwelcome for Melbourne United. Please take heed of the word “seemingly.” Ibekwe has been granted (giggle) leave on ‘compassionate terms’…
Read Moreby Marco Selorio | Hoopdreamz with insight from Bruce Bolden The Sydney Kings are bracing for a massive year after a solid recruitment drive during the offseason. The club has solidified its frontcourt and added plenty of firepower to its bench. After another losing season, the Kings are primed for a return to the…
Read MoreFresh new name, star player signings, champion coach The Illawarra Hawks are ready to soar high again. It was a tumultuous 2014 season filled with financial troubles, but things may be looking up. After finishing at the bottom of the ladder with only 6 wins and 22 losses, the Hawks have rebranded their name,…
Read MoreLarry Kestelman has mentioned the NBL will be announcing some “household names” as sponsors during an interview with Peter Switzer of Switzer Daily on Monday. After throwing a couple of curve balls at confused fans with American renown – yet Australian unknowns McDavid and Shock Doctor, Kestelman said the next announcements will be “a…
Read MoreWhen both the then Wollongong Hawks and the Townsville Crocodiles fell into Voluntary Administration (VA) many thought it would be the end for the leagues only surviving club from it’s debut in 1979. In perhaps the greatest 3 month turnaround in sporting history the Hawks have a new coach, a new name, a new source of…
Read MoreThe Taipans had a great 2014/15 season making it all the way to the Grand Final Series. Let’s have a look at the off season moves made by the Taipans to go attempt to go one step further in the 2015/16 NBL season. Players Out Scottie Wilbekin (Philadelphia 76ers), Mitch Young (Townsville Crocodiles), Corey…
Read MoreIt’s official Australian Boomers big man Nathan Jawai has officially signed with the Perth Wildcats for the 2015/16 NBL season. There has been a lot of fanfare and press around many big names returning to the NBL this season and names like Chris Goulding, Julian Khazzouh, AJ Ogilvy returning to the NBL are all huge…
Read MoreIt’s become clear that many Adelaide 36ers fans have questioned this season’s search for an import. With the season rapidly approaching us I decided to take at look at Kenyon McNeail and Ebi Ere and question “Have Adelaide signed the best imports for the job? At the start of the off season I remember reading an…
Read MoreLast year the New Zealand Breakers won the NBL Championship for the 4th time in 5 years! Led by Cedric Jackson the Breakers where almost unstoppable. Which is why their off-season may be a little less interesting than some… Why mess with success right? PLAYERS OUT: Ekene Ibekwe (Melbourne), Rhys Carter (Sydney) PLAYERS IN: Charles…
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Perth Wildcats head coach John Rillie joins the podcast to discuss the pressure that comes with coaching one of the NBL’s most successful clubs, the challenge of moving forward after Bryce Cotton’s departure, and what Perth needs to build its next championship contender. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Host Dan Boyce chats with Rillie about taking over the Wildcats after the club missed the finals for the first time since 1986, the expectations of the Red Army, and how Perth’s three…
READ MOREFormer Sydney Kings and Townsville Crocodiles big man Rolan Roberts joins the podcast to reflect on his time in Australia, including joining the Kings mid-season and helping them complete their historic 2005 NBL three-peat. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Host Dan Boyce chats with Roberts about playing under Brian Goorjian, becoming a key interior presence for Sydney, and being part of the Kings team that became the first in NBL history to win three straight championships. The episode also dives into…
READ MOREAt some point over the next 12 months, the Boomers are going to have to make a decision that Australian basketball has managed to avoid for almost two decades. Who exactly is this team built around now? Since 2010, that answer was simple. It was Patty Mills’ team. Mills has been the primary scorer for the Boomers for nearly two decades and few Australian victories have been recorded without a major scoring performance from Patty. But as the Boomers move toward the 2027 FIBA World…
READ MOREA player arriving in the NBL with NBA experience always creates interest. Fans get excited when their team signs a former NBA player, commentators mention it during broadcasts, and every article about that player usually links their NBL performance back to their NBA résumé. Sometimes, we see a big-time college prospect use the NBL as a springboard to the NBA and never return. Other times, established NBA veterans come to Australia looking for a fresh opportunity. And in many cases, local talent develops in the…
READ MOREOver the years, Aussie Hoopla has taken a deep dive into the full list of players who have competed in both the NBL and the NBA. You can see the full list of NBL players who have played in the NBA here: Names from every decade since the 1980s have featured, including NBL legends like Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Lanard Copeland and Rob Rose, alongside a long list of imports who used the NBL as a stepping stone to the world’s biggest stage. But with…
READ MOREFormer Adelaide 36ers star Julius Hodge joins the podcast to reflect on one of the most dominant short stints in NBL history, his journey from the NBA to Australia, and the impact he made during the 2007/08 season. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Host Dan Boyce chats with Hodge about his incredible all-around performances, triple-doubles, and what it was like adjusting to the Australian game mid-season. The episode also dives into his time playing in the NBA and overseas, his perspective…
READ MOREBelow is an up-to-date roster for each NBL team and a list of rumours and potential signings derived from discussions with NBL staff and media. Players listed as contracted come from information supplied by the National Basketball League. * = Denotes import player ** = Naturalised Australian DP = a member of the team's development roster SRP = the previously named Asian player exception denoting an Asian player who qualifies as a local in the NBL. MP = Marquee players listed as known Click here…
READ MORECurrent head coach of the Akita Northern Happinets, Mick Downer joins the podcast to discuss the differences between coaching in Japan and the NBL, his stints with Perth, Cairns, Brisbane and Adelaide over the past 25 years, and his time with the Australian Boomers program. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Host Dan Boyce chats with Downer about what he learnt stepping into the head coaching role in a non-English speaking country, as well as providing updates on NBL talent in Japan…
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