NICKNAME/S: The Magician

BIO: Robert Paul Rose was born in Rochester, New York (USA) and played the majority of his career in the NBL, where he won a championship with the South East Melbourne Magic in 1992 and was a two-time NBL Most Valuable Player in 1993 and 2001.

Rose was nicknamed “Australia’s Michael Jordan” due to his clutch shooting and defensive abilities.

Member of NBL 25th Anniversary Team (named 2003)

NBL EXPERIENCE

Robert Rose made his NBL debut with the South East Melbourne Magic at 26 years of age. He scored 34 points in his first game.

At the end of 1991, the South Melbourne Saints were in financial crisis and unable to continue operations. In a landmark move, they merged with cross-town rivals the Eastside Melbourne Spectres to form a new NBL franchise: the South East Melbourne Magic. The Spectres had come within one game of a championship the previous season, so head coach Brian Goorjian was appointed to lead the new entity. Of the Saints’ playing group, only two players were retained—Andrew Parkinson and Andrej Lemanis. Both joined a core group of Spectres players that included Bruce Bolden, Tony Ronaldson, Darren Lucas, Scott Ninnis, and Darren Perry.

To finalise the roster, import forward Milt Newton and centre John Dorge (via Geelong) rounded out a well-balanced and physical lineup. With a reputation for elite defence and a deep rotation, the Magic quickly earned media attention, with their inaugural campaign famously dubbed “One Magic Year.” The team started strong, winning six of their first seven games, but despite Newton’s early contributions (15.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.6 steals), Goorjian felt a change was needed. After seven games, Newton was released and replaced by former LA Clippers guard Robert Rose.

Rose’s arrival proved transformative. A versatile guard with scoring touch, court vision, and defensive grit, Rose immediately elevated the Magic’s tempo and execution. From that point forward, the Magic rarely missed a beat—finishing the regular season with a 20–4 record and a perfect 12–0 mark at home. Rose averaged 19.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.3 steals across 23 games, providing a steadying presence at both ends of the court. His leadership and late-game composure were instrumental in the team’s success, and Goorjian was named NBL Coach of the Year as the Magic entered the playoffs as the No.1 seed.

🏀 THROWBACK THURSDAY 💫

Did you believe in Magic? How could you not with this old tune! Before the days of @SEMelbPhoenix we had the South East Melbourne Magic. Do you remember how many NBL Championships Magic had to their name? Read more – https://t.co/OezFZFpFDS #HoopsAtHome pic.twitter.com/mQfmy7kiG4

— Basketball Victoria (@Basketball_Vic) April 16, 2020

In the playoffs, the Magic made short work of both the Canberra Cannons and North Melbourne Giants, setting up a Grand Final series against their crosstown rival, the Melbourne Tigers (15–9), who had finished third on the ladder behind the brilliance of Andrew Gaze (33.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.3 assists) and explosive import Lanard Copeland (28.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists).

Game one was a major setback for the Magic. Starting point guard Darren Perry suffered a torn ACL 11 minutes into the match and was ruled out for the rest of the series and the next nine months. The Tigers capitalised on the disruption, with Copeland (34 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks) and Gaze (26 points) leading Melbourne to a dominant 116–98 victory. Rose finished with 10 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 7 turnovers in 48 minutes—shouldering the full-time playmaking duties in a disrupted performance.

In game two, the Magic backcourt regrouped. Darren Lucas delivered a season-high 19 points while Scott Ninnis clamped down on Copeland, holding him to 14 points on 6-of-19 shooting. Rose controlled the offence with 20 points on 10-of-17 shooting, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals in 44 minutes of action. Bruce Bolden was equally dominant, finishing with 22 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 4 blocks as South East Melbourne cruised to a 115–93 win to tie the series at 1–1.

The deciding game was a tense, defensive battle. Melbourne struggled to generate clean looks, with Gaze held to 18 points on 5-of-19 shooting and Copeland kept below his average with 24 points. Rose delivered under pressure, finishing with 26 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks in 45 minutes. Bolden added 21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks to cap off his outstanding series. The Magic ground out a 95–88 win to claim the NBL Championship in their inaugural season.

Bruce Bolden, who delivered 21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks in game three was awarded the NBL Finals MVP award by NBA Commissioner David Stern who was visiting Australia at the time.

1993
Fresh off their inaugural NBL championship in 1992, expectations were high for the South East Melbourne Magic heading into their second season. Coach Brian Goorjian retained most of the championship-winning core, with the only major changes being the departure of Scott Ninnis (to Adelaide) and the additions of David Graham (via North Melbourne) and Simon Kerle (via Brisbane).

The Magic began the season with two key omissions—league-leading shot blocker John Dorge missed the first 16 games due to injury, while starting point guard Darren Perry, still recovering from the ACL tear he suffered in the previous year’s Grand Final, didn’t return until Round 10 and spent the remainder of the season playing below full fitness.

Opening night saw Robert Rose fill the stat sheet, recording 16 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds, 6 steals, and 5 blocks in a win over Canberra (106–86). Rose went on to deliver one of the all-time great seasons in his first full year with the Magic, coming the closest anyone had come at the time to averaging a triple-double across a season.

Robert Rose (18.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 3.0 steals, and 1.2 blocks) led the league in steals, was named to the All-NBL First Team, and was the clear choice for NBL MVP.

Alongside Rose’s brilliance, Bruce Bolden (21.6 points, 12.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals), the continued rise of Tony Ronaldson (20.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals), and the perimeter hustle of Darren Lucas (14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.3 steals) helped power the Magic to a second-place finish (20–6), including a dominant 12–1 home record at Melbourne Park.

In the quarter-finals, the Magic swept the Adelaide 36ers in two straight games.

South East Melbourne eliminated the seventh-placed Adelaide 36ers in two straight games during the quarterfinals, with Robert Rose continuing to dictate tempo and pace to guide the Magic into a semi-final rematch against their 1992 Grand Final opponents—the Melbourne Tigers. The highly anticipated showdown featured Melbourne’s marquee signing Mark Bradtke, who had shifted from Adelaide in the off-season and wasted no time making an impact.

Game 1 of the semi-final series was a rare off night for Rose. Despite playing all 48 minutes, he shot just 4-of-16 from the field, finishing with 10 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks in an 89–72 loss. The Magic struggled offensively, shooting just 34% from the field, while Bradtke dominated the paint with 28 points and 15 rebounds. Andrew Gaze added 21 points and 9 boards as the Tigers seized the early advantage in the series.

In Game 2, Rose bounced back with one of his finest playoff performances. Again playing the full 48 minutes, he posted 25 points on 8-of-15 shooting, with 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. He went 8-of-9 from the free-throw line and attacked the rim relentlessly, keeping the Magic within striking distance. With support from Lucas (19 points) and Bolden (14 points, 12 rebounds), Rose nearly willed South East Melbourne to victory—but the Tigers held on for a 108–106 win to end the Magic’s season in straight sets.

ADELAIDE 36ERS
1994
In 1994, Rose averaged 22.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists as the 36ers finished with a record of 18-8 and in second place during the regular season.

1995
In 1995 Rose averaged 26.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists as the 36ers finished with a record of 17-9 and in sixth place during the regular season.

CANBERRA CANNONS
1996
1996
The 1996 season saw Rose average 27.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists and play a key role in helping the Cannons to a fourth place finish in the regular season with a 16-10 record.

1997
During the 1997 season Rose averaged 23 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists and helped the Cannons finish with a record of 15-15 and end the regular season in fifth place.

1998
During the 1998 season, Rose averaged 19.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.4 assists and was a part of the Cannons squad which finished in a seventh place with a record of 14-16.

Robert Rose had played three spectacular seasons in Canberra and was selected to the All NBL First Team in 1996 and 1997. The Cannons didn’t see any postseason success but Rose became a hot commodity again and when his contract ran out with Canberra he was quickly lured to the Townsville Crocodiles.

TOWNSVILLE CROCODILES
1998/99
The 1998/99 season saw the NBL shift to summer, and with it, Townsville underwent a brand change, switching from the ‘Suns’ to the ‘Crocodiles’ after a dispute with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, who held the ‘Suns’ trademark in Australia. Faced with the prospect of paying Phoenix royalties on merchandise sales, the team changed its name to the Townsville Crocodiles.

The change to the Crocodiles was apt for many a reason. Besides being synonymous with the Queensland region, it was also the team name of Australia’s gold medal winning 22-and-under junior team in 1997, which featured coach Ian Stacker and Sam Mackinnon. At the time, it was viewed that the outgoing Stacker, a assistant to Brian Goorjian of the South East Melbourne Magic, had ‘stolen’ Mackinnon to headline his new squad, which gained national media attention.

Stacker was also quick to grab outgoing Canberra import Robert Rose and revamped the rest of the team with only Simon Kerle, Brad Davidson, David Pennisi and Jason Cameron returning from last season’s roster.

Prior to the 1998/99 season, the aforementioned Magic also underwent a brand change when they merged with the North Melbourne Giants, resulting in a number of players being without a team. Import James Harper (via South Florida University) and Andrew Goodwin (via North Melbourne), coming off two of his best NBL seasons, filled the remaining spots in the Crocodiles’ starting line-up..

The team was led in most categories by the 33-year-old Rose (21.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.3 steals) leading the team in points, assists and collecting the second highest rebounds and steals while leading the team in minutes played (47.2 minutes per game). 22-year-old Mackinnon (16.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks) led the team in rebounds and steals after seeing a boost in minutes, as they jumped from 39 to 44 per game after moving to Townsville.

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Although the team showed flashes of brilliance behind Rose and Mackinnon, especially at home, where they compiled a 9-4 record they struggled to win on the road. The roster, while improved, was ‘paper thin’ and relied on only eight players for the season, finishing with a 12-14 record.

1999/00
In 1999/00 Rose averaged 17.2 points and 7.2 rebounds, and helped guide the Crocodiles to a second place finish in the regular season with a 22-6 record.

2000/01
In 2000/01 Rose averaged 22 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.2 assists as the Crocodiles finished with a record of 22-6 and in second place during the regular season.

“The Magician” would transform the unsuccessful team, leading them into the semi finals for the 1999/00 season and to the grand final the season after. Rose brilliance was acknowledged by the league as he collected his second league MVP award in 2000 at 35 years of age. Rose he averaged 22 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal per game and led the Crocodiles to a first place finish in the regular season behind a record of 27 wins, 10 losses.

They would matchup against the Wollongong Hawks in that year’s Grand Final series, the first time either team had made a grand final appearance. the Crocodiles ultimately were defeated by the Wollongong Hawks by the narrowest of margins, a four points Hawks victory in the deciding game three closing the door on Rose and Townsville’s championship opportunity.

Little Shane with the 𝗕𝗜𝗚 three, but then Robert Rose does this 🙄

Is this the greatest finish to a NBL game of all-time? 🤭 pic.twitter.com/pSKDF28JPK

— NBL (@NBL) June 17, 2023

2001/02
In 2001/02 Rose averaged 22.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists for a struggling Townsville team who finished with 13 wins and 17 losses.

2002/03
The 2002/03 season saw Rose average 16.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists and play a key role in helping the Crocodiles to a third place finish in the regular season with a 19-11 record.

2003/04
During the 2003/04 season Rose averaged 16.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists and helped the Crocodiles finish with a record of 13-20 and end the regular season in ninth place.

2004/05
During the 2004/05 season, Rose averaged 12.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists and was a part of the Crocodiles squad which finished in third place with a record of 19-13.

2005/06
In 2005/06, Rose averaged 8.3 points and 3.3 rebounds, and helped guide the Crocodiles to a ninth-place finish during the regular season with a 9-23 record.

CAIRNS TAIPANS
2006/07
After the 2005/06 season, at age 42, the Crocodiles decided not to renew Rose’s contract. He then signed with North Queensland rivals the Cairns Taipans for the 2006/07 season and average 4.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists. The Taipans finished with a record of 17-16, finishing in sixth place during the regular season.

Rose then retired having played in 472 NBL games.

Robert Rose played sixteen seasons across four NBL teams. This included the South East Melbourne Magic, Canberra Cannons, Townsville Crocodiles, Adelaide 36ers and Cairns Taipans. He averaged 19 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 477 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 22nd in total games played.
– 9th in total points
– 14th in total rebounds
– 6th in total assists
– 6th in total steals
– 35th in total blocks

HIGHLIGHTS:

Dan Boyce (835 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.