Mark Leader joined the Devonport Warriors NBL team in 1983 after graduating from Western Oregon University. He spent two seasons with the club, acting as a player-coach and despite juggling the two roles he averaged 22 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists in his debut season and 29 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists in…
Read MoreDejan Vasiljevic was born in Calgary (Canada) after his family fled war-torn Serbia in the 1990s. He later moved with his family to Melbourne at the age of six and shortly after began playing basketball with the Melbourne Tigers junior program. Playing alongside other future NBL talent like Josh Giddey and Jack Purchase, it wasn’t…
Read MoreEarlier this month the Adelaide 36ers signed former San Antonio Spurs swingman Brandon Paul as a replacement for Donald Sloan. He’s set to debut with the 36ers after spending two weeks in quarantine and he joined us on the Aussie Hoopla podcast to share stories of playing overseas, his time with the Spurs and plans…
Read MoreLuke Nevill grew up playing basketball for the Stirling Senators in Western Australia. After struggling to get noticed by elite coaches in Australia he moved to the United States to play high school basketball with Kell High School in Marietta, Georgia. Nevill walked onto the team as an exchange student and in 2003–04, he averaged 17.6…
Read MoreDoc Adkins is mostly unknown to today’s NBL fans but is truly an unsung hero of the league and responsible for much of the league’s talent and success in league’s early years. Adkins began coaching in his hometown of Iowa, but soon was travelling around the world working with teams in Mozambique, Japan and eventually…
Read MoreAdam Caporn is the current head coach of Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence and an assistant coach with the Australian Boomers. Caporn was Australia’s first player recruited to Saint Mary’s College of California which lead to an influx of Aussie talent through the doors of Saint Mary’s that included NBL and NBA stars like Daniel…
Read MoreLuke Schenscher who played his junior basketball with the Noarlunga City Tigers left small-town Hope Forest, South Australia to attend the Australian Institute of Sport in 1999. He went from playing domestic basketball in Canberra to become the first high school student to play for the Australian Boomers in three years. His rapid development earnt…
Read MoreHead to iTunes to download this episode on your phone or iPod NBL season 2016/17 kicks off with round one and the Melbourne United are heavy favourites to be holding all the cookies at the end of the season. The resumes of United’s newest recruits feature more championships, MVP’s and Olympic appearances than half of…
Read MoreWith the recent passing of Stormin’ Norman Taylor, Aussie Hoopla host Dan Boyce and Norman’s Illawarra teammate Greg Hubbard remember the player and the man who was the most effective scoring in NBL history. Taylor holds the Illawarra club record for most points in a game with 54 points, against new Hawks coach Brian Goorjian’s…
Read MoreDonald Whiteside played for the Hobart Devils from 1992-1993 after graduating from Northern Illinois University. After leaving the Devils he played in Latvia, Czech Republic and Spain before signing an NBA deal with the Toronto Raptors in 1996, six years after graduating from college. Listen to Aussie Hoopla podcast on the links below. iTunes – Spotify – Stitcher – Libsyn – TuneIn…
Read MoreWe wrap up our seven-part deep dive into one of Aussie hoops’ fiercest rivalries — Sydney vs Illawarra — as the modern era turns the heat all the way up and the Freeway Series swings wildly from season to season. Host Dan Boyce picks things up after the Hawks’ rebirth under new ownership and Brian Goorjian — a fresh start that quickly turns into a brutal reality check, including the worst season in franchise history (3–25) — before Illawarra pulls off one of the great…
READ MOREThe 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 MOREDi balik gemerlap dunia taruhan, SEKOLAHTOTO menghadirkan sensasi bermain di pusat keberuntungan Asia dengan nuansa eksklusi yang memikat.
