Rolan Roberts on Kings Titles, Dunk Contest Injury and Playing for Brian Goorjian and Trevor Gleeson
May 18, 2026
Rolan Roberts
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 24/04/78
- Place of Birth: Baltimore, Maryland (USA)
- Position: F/C
- Height (CM): 200
- Weight (KG): 109
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: Virginia Tech (1998–2000) / Southern Illinois (2001–2002)
- NBL DEBUT: 4/12/04
- AGE AT DEBUT: 26
- LAST NBL GAME: 27/02/10
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 31
- NBL History: Sydney 2005-06 | Townsville 2010
- Championships: 1
- Sydney (2005)
BIO: Rolan Roberts was born in Baltimore, Maryland (USA).
NBL EXPERIENCE
Rolan Roberts made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings at 26 years of age. He scored eight points in his first game.
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.
Eight games into the season, Sydney made a significant roster change, releasing Thalo Green (5.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists) due to a lingering virus that limited his performance. In his place, the Kings signed Rolan Roberts, a powerful forward who immediately strengthened the team’s interior presence and played a crucial role in their championship run.
Roberts averaged 16.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game across 23 appearances, providing the Kings with a dominant force in the paint. His athleticism, rebounding, and shot-blocking ability made him a key defensive anchor while also being a reliable low-post scoring option. Despite joining the team midseason, he quickly became an indispensable part of Sydney’s rotation.
Throughout the season, Roberts delivered several standout performances. On December 31 against Adelaide, he posted a dominant double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds, showcasing his ability to control the boards and score efficiently inside. Just weeks later, on January 7 against Townsville, he had another strong outing with 23 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks, proving his ability to impact both ends of the floor. One of his best performances came on March 13 in the Grand Final series against Wollongong, where he tallied 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks, helping the Kings secure the championship.
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.
In the semifinals, Sydney swept the Brisbane Bullets, opening with a commanding 113-79 victory in Game 1, with Roberts contributing 16 points in a balanced team effort. The Kings then closed out the series in Game 2 (111-105), where he added 19 points and 9 rebounds, playing a crucial role in Sydney’s ability to control the paint and advance to the Grand Final.
The Grand Final series saw Sydney dominate the Illawarra Hawks in three straight games, completing one of the most commanding championship runs in NBL history.
In Game 1, Sydney secured a 96-73 victory, with Roberts providing a strong interior presence, contributing 16 points and 8 rebounds. The Kings continued their dominance in Game 2 with a 105-80 win, and while C.J. Bruton led the scoring with 26 points, Roberts made his impact felt with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 1 block, further solidifying his importance to the team’s success.
Game 3 saw the Kings clinch the title with a 112-85 victory, with Roberts once again making a statement with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks. His relentless effort in the paint provided the Kings with a crucial edge, ensuring that they controlled the boards and defensive interior en route to their historic three-peat.
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 ever to complete a three-peat. Roberts’ presence in the paint, his rebounding ability, and his consistent scoring were instrumental in the Kings’ championship run.
Rolan Roberts played three seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Sydney Kings and the Townsville Crocodiles. He averaged 12.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 76 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10 | 31 | Townsville | 16-12 (2) | 31 | 665.0 | 281 | 208 | 23 | 80 | 128 | 28 | 44 | 64 | 104 | 123 | 234 | 53% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 35 | 92 | 38% | 51% | 53% | 22 |
| 2005-06 | 27 | Sydney | 26-6 (1) | 22 | 576.0 | 276 | 166 | 40 | 71 | 95 | 17 | 31 | 61 | 85 | 116 | 229 | 51% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 44 | 97 | 45% | 50% | 51% | 21 |
| 2004-05 | 26 | Sydney | 21-11 (1) | 23 | 668.0 | 378 | 209 | 28 | 99 | 110 | 17 | 39 | 72 | 90 | 155 | 289 | 54% | 0 | 3 | 0% | 68 | 122 | 56% | 54% | 54% | 23 | Totals | 76 | 1909 | 935 | 583 | 91 | 250 | 333 | 62 | 114 | 197 | 279 | 394 | 752 | 52.4% | 0 | 5 | 0.0% | 147 | 311 | 47.3% | 53% | 52% | 23 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10 | 31 | Townsville | 16-12 (2) | 31 | 21.5 | 9.1 | 6.7 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 4.1 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 7.5 | 53% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 1.1 | 3.0 | 38% | 51% | 53% | 22 |
| 2005-06 | 27 | Sydney | 26-6 (1) | 22 | 26.2 | 12.5 | 7.5 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 3.9 | 5.3 | 10.4 | 51% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 2.0 | 4.4 | 45% | 50% | 51% | 21 |
| 2004-05 | 26 | Sydney | 21-11 (1) | 23 | 29.0 | 16.4 | 9.1 | 1.2 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 6.7 | 12.6 | 54% | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0% | 3.0 | 5.3 | 56% | 54% | 54% | 23 | Total | 76 | 25.1 | 12.3 | 7.7 | 1.2 | 3.3 | 4.4 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 3.7 | 5.2 | 9.9 | 52.4% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0% | 0.1 | 47.3% | 53% | 52% | 23 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 23 | 16 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
|---|
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Turkey - Beşiktaş (2002–2003) | Dominican Republic - Villa Duarte de Calero (2002–2003) | France - Vichy (2002–2003), Angers (2004), Évreux (2006–2007), Limoges (2007), Chalon-sur-Saône (2007–2008), Brest (2010–2011), Hyères-Toulon (2011–2012), Le Puy (2012–2013), Chartres (2013–2014), Pays de Fougères (2016–2017) | Italy - Livorno (2004–2005) | Portugal - Ovarense Aerosoles-Dolce Vita (2008–2009)
Roberts joined Beşiktaş for the 2002–03 Turkish Basketball League season, playing his first season in Turkey and averaging 15.6 points and 7.9 rebounds across 10 league games while adding 1.2 assists per contest in TBLStat records.
Roberts later moved to the Dominican Republic during the 2002–03 season with Villa Duarte de Calero before shifting to France for the 2002–03 LNB Pro A season with Vichy, continuing his early professional run across multiple countries that year.
In 2004, Roberts returned to France with Angers in LNB Pro B and then moved to Italy for the 2004–05 season with Livorno in Lega Basket, a stint Italian coverage noted was delayed by visa administration as the club worked to complete his arrival and registration.
After subsequent seasons back in France, Roberts joined Élan Chalon for the 2007–08 LNB Pro A season and appeared in EuroCup play with the club, where his EuroCup profile lists all-time averages of 5.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.0 block per game, and FFBB competition records for that season show him contributing 11.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game across 17 games in the Coupe de France.
Roberts moved to Portugal for the 2008–09 season with Ovarense Aerosoles-Dolce Vita, and Eurobasket’s Portugal coverage from that campaign included box-score highlights such as a 14-point, nine-rebound outing in a cup result, alongside other noted games where he featured among the leading contributors.
Back in France, Roberts played for Brest in NM1 during the 2010–11 season and then returned to the top flight with Hyères-Toulon in 2011–12, totaling 100 points and 78 rebounds across 19 league appearances in that Pro A season, before continuing in the French national divisions with Le Puy in 2012–13 and Chartres in NM1 during 2013–14, and later making an NM2 return with Pays de Fougères in 2016–17 where he logged eight games and averaged 5.9 points per game in team cumulative statistics.
COLLEGE
Roberts played college basketball at Virginia Tech beginning in the 1998–99 season before transferring to Southern Illinois, where he competed from 2001 to 2002 following the required transfer sit-out period.
During the 1998–99 season at Virginia Tech, which finished 19–12 overall and 9–7 in the Atlantic 10 Conference, Roberts appeared in 30 games as a freshman and averaged 6.0 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting above 50 percent from the field.
Across that freshman campaign he totaled 179 points and 111 rebounds, adding 19 assists, 14 steals and 18 blocks, establishing himself as a rotational frontcourt contributor in his first collegiate season.
In the 1999–2000 season, Virginia Tech went 23–8 overall and 10–6 in Atlantic 10 play and advanced to postseason competition, with Roberts playing in 31 games and increasing his production to 7.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while again shooting better than 50 percent from the floor.
Over that sophomore year he recorded 244 total points and 164 rebounds along with 28 assists, 18 steals and 27 blocks, finishing second on the team in field-goal percentage and ranking among the Hokies’ leading rebounders.
Following his transfer to Southern Illinois and redshirt season in 2000–01, Roberts suited up for the Salukis during the 2001–02 season, when the program posted a 28–8 overall record and won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title under head coach Bruce Weber.
In that 2001–02 season, Roberts played 34 games and averaged 14.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting over 55 percent from the field, ranking among the Missouri Valley Conference leaders in field-goal percentage and finishing second on the team in scoring.
Across those 34 games he totaled 494 points and 227 rebounds, adding 34 assists, 25 steals and 35 blocks, while scoring in double figures in 26 contests and recording multiple 20-point performances during conference play.
Roberts helped Southern Illinois reach the NCAA Tournament in 2002, contributing 18 points in the MVC Tournament championship game and playing a key scoring role in the team’s postseason run.
AWARDS
- 1x NBL Blocks Leader
LIFE AFTER BASKETBALL
After retiring from basketball, he returned to the US where he lives in Texas and went back to university to complete his Masters degree in Exercise Science.
Related
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