NICKNAME/S: Spike
BIO: Paul Stanley was born in Butler, Pennsylvania (USA).
Paul Stanley made his NBL debut with the Melbourne Tigers at 22 years of age. He scored 27 points in his first game.
In 1986, Andrew Gaze (36.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists) and new import Paul Stanley (33.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists) combined to average 71 points per game for the Melbourne Tigers. This year marked the first time Gaze would lead the league in scoring, a feat he would repeat every year until 2001. Stanley, managed to score 40 points or more five times, including a 50-point game.
Despite the offensive fire power of Gaze and Stanley, the Tigers still struggled to find wins, managing only six and twenty losses that season. Gaze efforts were rewarded with a spot on the All-NBL First Team, also the first of his career.
HOBART DEVILS
1987
Hobart added high scoring import Paul Stanley (via Melbourne) to the roster, pairing him with Steve Carfino and immediately saw an impact. Stanley (35.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.3 steals per game) led the league in scoring and become the fastest player in NBL history to reach 1,000 career points. His 35.4 points per game is the seventh-best mark in league history for a single year.
He spear-headed a Devils squad that featured good chemistry and a high-powered offense. Carfino (22.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 3.4 steals), Wayne Burden (12.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 steals) and Jerry Dennard (11.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks) rounded out the Devils primary offensive threats, while american coach Dave ‘Doc’ Adkins led Hobart to a 14-win, 12-loss record, the best result ever for the franchise. Stanley was subsequently named to the All-NBL Second Team at the end of the season.
1989
Stanley wasn’t re-signed by Hobart after leading the league in scoring but returned to the Devils the following season.
Amidst financial woes, Hobart attempted a 180 degree turn in 1989. The team had recorded their first winning season in 1987, but backed that up with a tenth place finish and this, combined with the loss of fan favorite players Steve Carfino and Stanley, saw the Devils facing backlash from fans and sponsors alike.
Hobart added Wayne McDaniel (33.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals) to go alongside the reigning NBL MVP Joe Hurst.
The off-court drama resulted in a coaching merry-go-round affair, with the team being coached by three different men in the first five weeks. The Devils ending the year with Tom Maher in the role.
Mid-season injuries saw Hurst (23.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) unable to put up the same numbers as he previously had and a decision was made to bring back high scoring import Stanley (28.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists) for the final 11 games of the season. In August 1989, he became the fastest player in NBL history to reach 2,000 career points.
Turmoil eventually made it’s way to the playing group, with Gordie McLeod retiring at season’s end, amid threats of suing the club.
Hobart finished a disappointing tenth for the second season in a row, only this time with an even worse record (8-16).
1990
In 1990, Stanley (24.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) began the season with the Devils, but only played in the first seven games. Hobart went on to finish with a record of 8-18.
Over 69 games in the NBL, Stanley averaged 32.6 points, which ranks first all time in league history for career points per game with a minimum of 60 games. He also shot 124-for-271 (45.76%) from 3-point range, which ranks second all time in league history for 3-point percentage with a minimum of 100 makes.
Paul Stanley played four seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Melbourne Tigers and the Hobart Devils. He averaged 32.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 69 NBL games.
CAREER RANKINGS:
– 2nd in points per game.
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 26 | Hobart | 8-18 (12) | 7 | 270.0 | 169 | 40 | 22 | 15 | 25 | 7 | 4 | 23 | 19 | 68 | 141 | 48% | 14 | 27 | 52% | 19 | 22 | 86% | 56% | 53% | 31 |
| 1989 | 25 | Hobart | 8-16 (10) | 11 | 462.0 | 314 | 70 | 27 | 23 | 47 | 11 | 10 | 28 | 29 | 127 | 237 | 54% | 25 | 59 | 42% | 35 | 42 | 83% | 61% | 59% | 39 |
| 1987 | 23 | Hobart | 14-12 (7) | 26 | 1,202.0 | 920 | 145 | 58 | 39 | 106 | 61 | 11 | 83 | 65 | 381 | 800 | 48% | 57 | 126 | 45% | 101 | 123 | 82% | 54% | 51% | 47 |
| 1986 | 22 | Melbourne | 6-20 (13) | 25 | 0.0 | 845 | 145 | 70 | 28 | 117 | 32 | 12 | 75 | 81 | 362 | 718 | 50% | 28 | 59 | 47% | 93 | 110 | 85% | 55% | 52% | 50 | Totals | 69 | 1934 | 2248 | 400 | 177 | 105 | 295 | 111 | 37 | 209 | 194 | 938 | 1896 | 49.5% | 124 | 271 | 45.8% | 248 | 297 | 83.5% | 55% | 53% | 50 |
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 26 | Hobart | 8-18 (12) | 7 | 38.6 | 24.1 | 5.7 | 3.1 | 2.1 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 9.7 | 20.1 | 48% | 2.0 | 3.9 | 52% | 2.7 | 3.1 | 86% | 56% | 53% | 31 |
| 1989 | 25 | Hobart | 8-16 (10) | 11 | 42.0 | 28.5 | 6.4 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 4.3 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 11.5 | 21.5 | 54% | 2.3 | 5.4 | 42% | 3.2 | 3.8 | 83% | 61% | 59% | 39 |
| 1987 | 23 | Hobart | 14-12 (7) | 26 | 46.2 | 35.4 | 5.6 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 4.1 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 14.7 | 30.8 | 48% | 2.2 | 4.8 | 45% | 3.9 | 4.7 | 82% | 54% | 51% | 47 |
| 1986 | 22 | Melbourne | 6-20 (13) | 25 | 0.0 | 33.8 | 5.8 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 4.7 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 14.5 | 28.7 | 50% | 1.1 | 2.4 | 47% | 3.7 | 4.4 | 85% | 55% | 52% | 50 | Total | 69 | 28.0 | 32.6 | 5.8 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 4.3 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 13.6 | 27.5 | 49.5% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 45.8% | 1.8 | 3.9 | 83.5% | 55% | 53% | 50 |
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 50 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
|---|
In 1988, Stanley returned to the USA after a season with Hobart and playedfor the Youngstown Pride in the World Basketball League.
Paul Stanley played four seasons of college basketball for the Waynesburg University Yellow Jackets from 1981–82 through 1984–85, finishing his career with 1,916 points in 111 games (17.3 points per game) while making 763 field goals and 365 free throws.
He led Waynesburg in scoring as a sophomore in 1982–83, when he totaled 475 points across 29 games (16.4 points per game), and he again topped the team as a senior in 1984–85 with 608 points in 28 games (21.7 points per game).
During his senior season, Stanley produced a 38-point game against Westminster, which remains listed among the program’s top single-game scoring performances, and he graduated in 1985 having set the school’s career scoring mark at the time with 1,916 points.
Across his four-year stretch at Waynesburg, Stanley was a four-year starter and a two-year captain, earned two NAIA District 18 All-Star selections, helped the Yellow Jackets win two NAIA District 18 championships, and was recognized on the Pittsburgh Press Small College First Team and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Small College “First Five.”
- 1x All-NBL Second Team
Whilst we try to source as much information as we can for every player who has ever played in the NBL some information on a player profile may be missing. If you have additional information on a player you'd like us to add to a profile, please send it to us using the enquiry form below.
Submissions are then sent to info@aussiehoopla.com
The conversation around NBL expansion has intensified in recent years, with the league publicly confirming discussions with potential markets such as Canberra, the Gold Coast, and Darwin. However, one city that continues to quietly build momentum as a realistic candidate for a future franchise is Newcastle. While it may not always dominate the expansion headlines, the pieces required for an NBL return are slowly aligning, and according to former owner of the Illawarra Hawks, Dorry Kordahi, the push for a Newcastle team is very real.…
READ MOREMost 16-year-olds would take the bag. Luke Paul wants to take a beating. In an era where high school recruits are chasing six-figure Instagram followings and seven-figure NIL deals, Luke Paul just did the unthinkable. The 16-year-old Australian talent is a 6'6" point guard widely tipped as a future NBA lottery pick who reportedly turned down US college offers worth up to $3 million to stay home. He didn't do it for comfort. He didn't do it for safety. According to Paul, he did it…
READ MOREWith one game remaining in the regular season and finals seeding on the line, South East Melbourne moved a step closer to the top two with a 120–104 win over the Tasmania JackJumpers at John Cain Arena. The Phoenix overcame a career-high 36-point outing from Majok Deng, with Angus Glover leading the way with 21 points and seven three-pointers as the home side’s firepower proved too much. Despite the result, coach Josh King said his group still needs to produce a complete four-quarter performance, particularly…
READ MOREIn recent weeks, NBL Pride Round has been accompanied by a wave of opinion pieces — including Michael Randall’s “Pride Round: Why the NBL should be proud it won’t ever ‘shut up and dribble’” — praising the initiative while dismissing its critics. This has been something I’ve been thinking about and discussing with people since Indigenous Round.I think we all need a little perspective sometimes. https://t.co/2D65bvtS5K — Michael Randall (@MickRandallHS) February 3, 2026 But the argument that any criticism of the National Basketball League’s social-issue…
READ MOREWe continue diving deeper into one of Aussie hoops’ fiercest rivalries — Sydney vs Illawarra — picking things up as LaMelo Ball and his Rookie of the Year season in 2019 propelled the Hawks into the global spotlight, setting NBL viewership and attendance records, while the Kings reloaded under Will Weaver and pushed for a championship in a season that ended in chaos. Host Dan Boyce breaks down LaMelo’s viral debut, his back-to-back triple-doubles, and the impact of Aaron Brooks’ season-ending injury on Illawarra’s playoff…
READ MOREKeanu Pinder has hit a new gear in Japan. As Akita’s starting big, he is producing like a franchise option, and that level of form is putting him back in the Boomers conversation. Pinder is in the midst of a prime career stretch that has seen him exceed the 2 time NBL "Most Improved Player" form that first made him a star in Cairns.The primary storyline defining Pinder’s 2025-26 campaign is a shift in usage. In Perth, Pinder was often a secondary option behind heavy…
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 MOREFive to ten years ago, if an Australian headed to Japan, it was typically because of not making NBL roster spots. Players like Venky Jois, Daniel Dillon and Rhys Vague fit this profile. Now Australian basketballers looking to play overseas rarely viewed Japan as a serious career destination. The traditional pathways pointed elsewhere, but that perception has shifted rapidly. Today, Japan’s B.League has emerged as a legitimate and increasingly attractive option for Australian players seeking strong contracts, defined roles, and long-term professional stability.Today, that narrative…
READ MOREDi balik gemerlap dunia taruhan, SEKOLAHTOTO menghadirkan sensasi bermain di pusat keberuntungan Asia dengan nuansa eksklusi yang memikat.
