NICKNAME/S: Slammin Sam

BIO: Sam Mackinnon was born in Melbourne (VIC) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Diamond Valley basketball program. At 17-years-old, MacKinnon was offered his first shot at the NBL by head coach of the Westside Melbourne Saints, Gary Fox. Although the was officially offered a contract, the Saints became defunct before he ever played a game for the team.

MacKinnon’s athleticism above the rim saw him become known as `Slammin’ Sam Mackinnon.

FAMILY: Sam’s son Max MacKinnon also played 5 games in the NBL.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Sam Mackinnon made his NBL debut with the South East Melbourne Magic at 17 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

After losing to crosstown rivals, the Melbourne Tigers head coach Brian Goorjian decided the Magic needed to go younger and chose not to re-sign veteran guards, Darren Perry and Robert Rose, replacing them with younger talent. 18-year-old Sam MacKinnon and Rupert Sapwell, who had just returned from playing college basketball, were added to the roster, and Adonis Jordan, who had led the Kansas Jayhawks to the 1993 NCAA Final Four only six months prior, became the Magic’s sole import.

Jordan (19.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 2.6 steals) would lead the team in scoring and assists, alongside frontcourt duo Tony Ronaldson (19.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 steals) and Bruce Bolden (16.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals) doing the damage inside. MacKinnon (5.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8) would also make a immediate impact, earning his way into the team’s regular rotation (19.2 minutes per game) and delivering one of the greatest seasons ever by a 18-year-old which made him a easy choice for the league’s Rookie Of The Year Award.

In a interesting nod to the future, due to injury the Magic replaced him with state league star Mike Kelly who would become a major part of the Magic roster in 1997.

South East Melbourne was unbeatable at home all season (11-2) butcould never replicate that on the road, losing half their away games and finishing third on the ladder (18-18).

In the postseason, South East swept Perth in two games to set up a semi-finals matchup against crosstown rival North Melbourne. The Giants delivered a major upset in game one, convincingly defeating the Magic (108-87). In game two, it was much closer. In fact, the game was only decided in the final minute (76-79), and if Adonis Jordan hadn’t missed a three-point heave at the buzzer (many thought he could have made a extra pass to a open David Graham for a better shot), the Magic might have been able to force a third game. Instead, the South East Melbourne’s season came to a end.

1995
Brian Goorjian’s youth movement continued in 1995. After moving on from star import Robert Rose the season prior, veteran big man Bruce Bolden would not be offered a chance to return (he would move on to sign with the Sydney Kings), with his replacement coming in the form of young 7-footer Chris Anstey from the Melbourne Tigers.

Anstey’s move to the Magic was one of huge controversy when Melbourne coach Lindsey Gaze appealed the signing via the NBL tribunal. The NBL decided that Anstey could not leave the Tigers and would have to play for Melbourne as long as the Tigers could match the contract, which they did.

After some extremely creative salary tweaking where Magic CEO Graham McNaney and Goorjian convinced all of the Magic players to sign for less so they could offer Anstey a larger contract (which also fit within the NBL salary cap) that the Tigers couldn’t match. Once Anstey had signed with the Magic, all of the team’s players were reinstated to their previous contracts.

After the Anstey deal was done, the Magic rounded out the roster by adding Nunawading junior Jason Smith, re-signing import Adonis Jordan and pairing him with Richard ‘Scooter’ Barry, son of NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry. Unfortunately, Barry (14.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.3 steals) didn’t quite make the impact in the NBL that his father had in the NBA and was shown the door after four games. Goorjian chose to elevate 23-year-old development player Shane Bright (0.3 points, 0.4 rebounds, and 0.6 assists) for the remaining games instead of bringing in another import, aiming to give his young local core of MacKinnon, Anstey and Smith as much playing time as possible.

The Magic went on to finish second on the ladder (18-8), with Tony Ronaldson (21.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.0 steals) leading the team in scoring and Jordan (20.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.8 steals) leading the Magic in assists.

Additionally, 33-year-old big man John Dorge (16.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 3.0 blocks) turned the clock back and delivered a breakout season, leading the league in blocked shots. Dorge’s improved play saw him selected to the All-NBL first team at the end of the season while backup guard Darren Lucas (9.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.8 steals) took home the league’s Best Defensive Player award.

In the postseason, the Magic lost game one of their quarterfinal matchup with the Illawarra (108-113), then returned to Melbourne to win both games two (92-89) and three (93-75). Moving onto the semi-finals, South East Melbourne would face North Melbourne and saw their season end early thanks to losses in both games one (77-98) and game three (92-107).

1996
By 1996, Magic coach Brian Goorjian had succeeded in rebuilding his roster with young Aussie talent like Sam MacKinnon, Chris Anstey and Jason Smith, all under 21 years of age, key contributors on the team. In a move to create more opportunities for his young team, he replaced high-scoring import Adonis Jordan with pass-first point guard Billy McCaffrey (via Vanderbilt) and signed tenacious defender Mike Kelly who was one of the premier players in the state league competition and had a brief cameo with the Magic 1994. Rupert Sapwell was replaced by 18-year-old Frank Drmic, and Goorjian’s veteran core of Tony Ronaldson, John Dorge, Andrew Parkinson, and Darren Lucas returned, believing this was their year to go all the way.

South East Melbourne would deliver a balanced attack with six players averaging double figures in scoring for the season. Tony Ronaldson (18.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists) and new import Billy McCaffrey (17.6 points, 2.8 rebounds 4.7 assists) led the team in scoring, and assists while Anstey (11.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game) delivered a breakout season, doubling his playing time (from 9.6 minutes to 21.3 minutes) and sharing the centre position with Dorge (12.4 points. 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 27.1 minutes). Anstey’s play earning him the Most Improved Player award at season’s end.

This season, the Magic were unstoppable at home, winning 11 from 13 games. The team’s weaknesses, however, seemed to come from its youthful inexperience and learning to win on the road. Case in point, the Magic managed only two away wins during the regular season against playoff team’s.

Mackinnon averaged 11.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists over the course of the season and helped guide the Magic (19-7) to a second-place finish on the ladder.

Once into the Playoffs, the Magic were able to get revenge on the North Melbourne Giants, who had ended their season in 1995. South East Melbourne defeated North Melbourne in game one (96-82), after shutting down Giants star point guard Darryl McDonald (11 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 6 turnovers). Veteran Andrew Parkinson (19 points) came off the bench to lead the Magic in scoring, and import duo Billy McCaffrey (18 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists) and Mike Kelly (15 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals) delivered all-round efforts and a dominant Chris Anstey (12 points and 7 rebounds) created havoc inside.

In game two, John Dorge (14 points and 14 rebounds) shut down big man Paul Rees (10 points), who had led the Giants in scoring in the opening matchup (28 points). Tony Ronaldson (25 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks) led the team in scoring, and Kelly (17 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) was able to limit the impact from McDonald (17 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists) once again to end the Giants season (87-77).

South East Melbourne would face Adelaide in their semi-final matchup, Ronaldson (20 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists) continued to carry the scoring load in game one, but thanks to 36ers athletic forward Leon Trimmingham (23 points and 9 rebounds), the Magic were unable to get it done in the game’s closing moments (86-87). In game two, Ronaldson (11 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists) delivered a all-around performance, while the team’s young stars were the main driving force in the Magic’s game one win (112-81). MacKinnon (20 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists) and Anstey (14 points and 6 rebounds) kept the scoreboard ticking over, but more importantly, they were able to limit Trimmingham (10 points) to a 3 from 12 shooting night. South East Melbourne and onto a Grand Final matchup with crosstown rival the Melbourne Tigers.

Melbourne was too good in game one (100-89), with Gaze (35 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists) delivering his best game of the series in front of a packed Melbourne crowd. Mark Bradtke (24 points and 15 rebounds) and Lanard Copeland (23 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists) were also brilliant, scoring whenever Gaze didn’t, and the Tigers ‘Big Three’ combining for 82 points.

The Magic would then bounce back and win game two (88-84) in front of a Grand Final record crowd of 15,064 at the National Tennis Centre at Flinders Park, which still stands as Melbourne’s highest-attended NBL game ever. Gaze (21 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists) led the Tigers in scoring in the loss, while the Magic were led by Tony Ronaldson (28 points) and Mike Kelly (19 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals).

The third and deciding game was held less than 48 hours later, a scenario that benefited the younger legs of the Magic and allowed them to deliver the final blow (107-70). Billy McCaffrey (24 points and 5 assists) and the incredibly efficient performances from Sam MacKinnon (18 points and 9 rebounds), who shot 9/10 from the field, and John Dorge (16 points and 8 rebounds) who made 8 of his 11 shots saw South East Melbourne’s field goal percentage be the game’s deciding factor. The Tigers made only 23 of 60 shots (38%) compared to the Magic, hitting 46 of their 85 shots (54%) in the 30-point blowout.

The 1996 NBL Grand Final series drew a aggregate attendance record of 43,605 (average 14,535), the largest crowd ever for a three-game NBL series. Magic guard Mike Kelly was awarded the Finals MVP award after averaging 16 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.3 steals across the three-game series.

1997
After winning the championship in 1996, the Magic returned the majority of their roster for the 1997 season, the only major changes being import Brian Tolbert replacing the exiting Billy McCaffrey and 18-year-old Frank Drmic replacing a retiring Darren Lucas. The changes didn’t seem to impact the Magic’s winning ways, with the team finishing the year on top of the NBL ladder with the best record in franchise record (22-8).

The team delivered a balanced scoring attack again, with five players averaging double figures and only four points separating the team’s leading scorer from its fifth-leading scorer. Leading the way in points per game was Tony Ronaldson (16.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists), closely followed by young stars MacKinnon (15.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists) and Chris Anstey (13.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and a team-leading 1.6 steals and 1.8 blocks). At the end of the season, veteran Mike Kelly (12.6 points) was named the NBL’s Best Defensive Player, and Brian Goorjian took home the Coach of the Year trophy.

Finishing first on the ladder saw the Magic earn a first-round bye in the playoffs before facing the fourth-placed Perth Wildcats, who had eliminated Brisbane in the elimination finals. In game one, Chris Anstey (19 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 steals) and Tony Ronaldson (18 points) led the Magic to victory in Perth (92-82). With game two being in Melbourne, the Magic upped their defensive intensity, shutting down the Wildcat’s to win by 27 points (96-69), with Sam MacKinnon (21 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists) leading the way on the scoreboard.

The Magic returned to the NBL Grand Final with a rematch against the Tigers set to determine this year’s champions. This Melbourne squad, however, was no ordinary team. After a slow start (6 wins and 5 losses), once the team replaced import Jarvis Lang with Marcus Timmons mid-way through the season, the Tigers made history this season, recording a franchise record of 13 consecutive wins during the regular season, which they had extended to 15 by the time they met the Magic in the Grand Final. Behind big games from Lanard Copeland (29 points and 4 rebounds), Marcus Timmons (24 points and 9 rebounds), and Andrew Gaze (23 points, 9 assists), the Tigers blew the Magic off the court to the tune of 37 points in the opening game (111-74), while shutting down Anstey (6 points) on the offensive end.

Goorjian knew the game plan had to change, and in game two, the Magic surprised the Tigers behind a much more physical game, with veteran John Dorge selected to start instead of Anstey. Anstey (21 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks in 33 minutes) responded with his best postseason game to date, delivering the win for the Magic (84-78) and ending the Tigers’ consecutive win streak at 17.

For the second straight year, Melbourne and South East Melbourne would face off in a third game to decide the championship. Midway through the opening term of game three, the scores were tied, but after the Tigers frontcourt were able to limit Anstey (8 points) and pull out a offensive Tigers run in the second quarter, the game was all but over at half-time. The Tigers never looked back, claiming the team’s second NBL championship (93-83).

Ronaldson (26 points) led the Magic in scoring, while Copeland (26 points) was the top scorer for the victors. Copeland was named Finals MVP after averaging 27.6 points and 3.3 rebounds (56% shooting) over the three game series, yet it was blue-collar Tigers forward Warrick Giddey who the Melbourne Tigers deemed the deciding factor in the game three victory. Giddey recorded zero points, four rebounds, three assists and one block, and if you hadn’t seen the game, you’d probably question why he even bothered showing up. But Giddey delivered three crucial plays in the series’ closing moments that turned the tide. Firstly a hard foul on Sam MacKinnon, which broke the Magic star’s nose. The second was a huge block on Frank Drmic, and finally, a mid-court screen on Mike Kelly that came close to knocking him out of his shoes.

A great Australian sporting rivalry!! pic.twitter.com/qVrlKwROkN

— RANDOM HOOPS (@HoopsRandom) March 21, 2023

1998
After falling short in the grand final, South East Melbourne coach Brian Goorjian looked to rekindle some of the ‘Magic’and replace import guard Brian Tolbert with Billy McCaffrey, who led the Magic to the 1996 championship. Goorjian also blossoming big man Brett Wheeler (via Adelaide) to the squad as a replacement for the NBA departure of Chris Anstey.

The team would win their first six games in a row before a loss to Brisbane that also saw the team release McCaffrey (10.3 points and 2.9 assists) after realising he was not quite the same player as he was in 1996. Former NBA guard Clinton McDaniel (17.4 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.7 steals) would replace him and go on to lead the league in steals.

Tony Ronaldson (18.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists) who had led the team in scoring since 1994 did so yet again, while 20-year-old Frank Drmic (14.4 points and 6.6 rebounds) had a breakout season, gaining interest from multiple NBA teams. Alongside Ronaldson, McDaniel and Drmic, Mackinnon would average 13.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists and the Magic would finished on top of the ladder, recording the third best regular season record of all-time (26-4). Only Adelaide in 1986 (24-2) and Geelong in 1984 (21-2) being able to top it. As a result, Brian Goorjian took home his third Coach of the Year award and Mike Kelly was named the defensive player of the year for the second straight season.

The Magic received a first-round bye thanks to finishing in first place, then faced off against Brisbane in the semi-finals.

The Magic would swiftly eliminate the Steve Woodberry led Bullets in two straight games to reach the NBL Grand Final for the third season in a row, this time going head to head with the Adelaide 36ers.

In game one of the Grand Final series, second seed Adelaide (19-11) delivered the initial blow (100-93) on the back of first-year import Kevin Brooks (24 points and 8 rebounds). Amazingly, game one of the Grand Final was only the second time the 36ers had defeated the Magic since the Eastside Melbourne Spectres and Southern Melbourne Saints had merged to form the Magic in 1992.

The 36ers, who had started the season off slowly, had really found their form come the Grand Final and, in game two, obliterated the Magic, who at that point had lost only one home game for the season, at Melbourne Park 90-62. The 36ers held the Magic to less than 15 points in three of the game’s quarters. Brooks (21 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks) and Martin Cattalini (20 points and 6 rebounds) were brilliant for the 36ers in a game decided by turnovers and free throws, with South East Melbourne finishing with 26 turnovers and 6 of 8 from the free throw line to Adelaide’s 14 turnovers and 25 of 33 from the stripe.

The win saw Adelaide capture their first NBL championship since 1986 with Kevin Brooks being named Grand Final MVP in what was to be the last NBL season played during the winter months. This season also saw the end of the South East Melbourne Magic, who merged with the North Melbourne Giants the following year to become the Victoria Titans.

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, MacKinnon averaged 17.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists as the Crocodiles finished in second place (22-6).

2000/01
In 2000/01, MacKinnon averaged 17.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, playing a key role in the Crocodiles rotation and helping them finish in second place (22-6).

WEST SYDNEY RAZORBACKS
2002/03
During the 2002/03 season, MacKinnon averaged 15.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists and helped the Razorbacks finish the regular season in seventh place (14-16).

2003/04
During the 2003/04 season, MacKinnon averaged 17.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists and was a part of the Razorbacks squad which finished in third place (22-11).

2004/05
In 2004/05 MacKinnon averaged 14.5 points and 8.2 rebounds, and 5.9 assists, and helped guide the Razorbacks to a ninth place finish in the regular season (11-21).

BRISBANE BULLETS
2005/06
In 2005/06, MacKinnon averaged 13.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists and helped the Bullets finish the season with a 17-15 record. Finishing the season in sixth place, Brisbane would host the seventh placed Perth Wildcats in the elimination finals. In front of 3,996 Bullets fans the team fell short, losing the sudden death matchup 86-91. Mark Bradtke (22 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks) led the way for the Bullets, while Matt Shanahan (22 points) and Tony Ronaldson (20 points, 8 rebounds) were best for the Wildcats.

2006/07 – THE GREATEST NBL TEAM OF ALL-TIME?
Brisbane continued to develop its roster in 2007, adding the country’s best backcourt player in CJ Bruton (via Sydney) to the existing combo of two of Australia’s greatest frontcourt talents, Sam MacKinnon and Mark Bradtke. Signing Bruton also led to the Bullets moving on from long-term import duo Derek Rucker and Bobby Brannen. Ebi Ere, Bruton’s backcourt partner for the Kings championship in 2004, and do-it-all forward Dusty Rychart (via Adelaide) were signed as import replacements and, with the roster having a number of scoring options, chose not to re-sign Lanard Copeland (to Adelaide) and Daniel Egan (to Townsville) and brought in defensive stopper Dillon Boucher (via Perth) who Bullets front office felt was responsible for the Wildcats eliminating the team from the playoffs the previous season, after shutting down leading scorer Stephen Black.

The Bullets began the season by winning the NBL Preseason Blitz (Coffs Harbour), with Bruton being named MVP of the tournament. In contrast, Brisbane began the regular season with a largely indifferent record (3-3), which by the season’s mid-way point was a respectable, but not at all earth-shattering 10 wins and 5 losses. Reigning champions Melbourne (11-4) sat on top of the ladder, although Brisbane had managed to defeat them in their first matchup of the season (98-85). From here, the Bullets reached a level that has many considering this team to be the greatest of all time. Brisbane wouldn’t lose for the remainder of the regular season, heading into the playoffs on a 18 game winning streak. During this time, seven of the team’s victories come in wins by 30 points or more, including a run of three games against Adelaide, New Zealand and Singapore, where they won by 32, 34, and 32, respectively.

Mackinnon (18.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.4 blocks) would deliver perhaps the greatest season of all time, becoming the first player in NBL history to win both the Best Defensive Player and Most Valuable Player award in the same season. Making Brisbane even tougher to stop is the fact that besides MacKinnon, they had five guys who could take over a game at any time in Ere (17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists), Rychart (15.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.0 steals), Bruton (14 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists), Black (13.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists) and Bradtke (10.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists).

Joey Wright would be named coach of the year before leading Brisbane to a seven-point win over Sydney (91-84) in the first game of the semi-finals. Ere (22 points) led the Bullets in scoring. Game two moved to Sydney, where Ere (23 points) would again finish as the game-high scorer, but it was Bruton (21 points) that sealed the series, scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter to eliminate his former club from the playoffs (93-86).

Melbourne (25-8) had finished second on the ladder and defeated Cairns (2-0) to meet Brisbane in the Grand Final. Playing at home, Brisbane extended their winning streak to 21, narrowly defeating Melbourne by three points (98-95). Stephen Black (24 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists) top scoring, alongside Sam Mackinnon (18 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 blocks), who came close to racking up a triple-double. Chris Anstey (21 points and 9 rebounds) would lead the Tigers in the loss.

Melbourne would end the streak in game two, defeating Brisbane (105-91) thanks to a huge game from Anstey (31 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks) and the Tigers dominating the Bullets on the glass (59 to 44 rebounds).

Brisbane returned home for game three where they had only lost one game for the entire season and made sure Anstey (9 points and 13 rebounds) wouldn’t have a repeat performance. MacKinnon, Bradtke and Rychart were instrumental in keeping him off the scoreboard, limiting him to 4 of 15 shooting. Black (22 points) again finished as the game’s high scorer, with MacKinnon (19 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, and 3 steals) filling every other column of the stat sheet to give the Bullets a 20 point victory (113-93).

In game four, Brisbane defied the odds and defeated Melbourne by nine points (103-94), despite the Tigers shooting a better percentage from the field, beyond the arc and winning the rebound battle. However, Melbourne finishing with 26 turnovers, compared to Brisbane’s 14 was the true indicator of the championship. Rashad Tucker (17 points and 12 rebounds) would lead the Tigers in scoring, while the Bullets held Anstey (16 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks) well below his usual scoring averages again, making him shoot 6 from 15 from the field. Bruton (22 points, 7 assists, and 2 steals) and Dusty Rychart (21 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals) were instrumental at both ends of the floor, while MacKinnon (13 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals), who may have had his quietest game of the series, was awarded the Finals MVP.

MacKinnon would become the first player to ever be selected to the All-NBL First team, win the regular season and finals MVP awards, be the defensive player of the year and win a championship in the same season (Until Chris Anstey would repeat the effort in the following season). MacKinnon would appear in 39 games and averaged 18.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists for the season.

2007/08
In 2007/08, MacKinnon averaged 14 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists as the Bullets finished in third place (20-10).

MELBOURNE TIGERS
2008/09
In 2008/09, MacKinnon averaged 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists, playing a key role in the Tigers rotation, helping the team finish in a second place (20-10).

2009/10
Thanks to the demise of the South Dragons in 2009, Mark Worthington, who found himself without a team, joined Melbourne to pair with Boomers teammate Chris Anstey in the frontcourt. Anstey’s body would struggle through the 2009/10 season, however, missing a large amount of the team’s games due to a recurring back injury. Even when he was able to suit up, Anstey (9.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game) was a shadow of himself on the court, putting up his worst numbers since his 1996 breakout season with the Magic. His absence would benefit rising star Daniel Johnson, who improved his numbers from 2.7 points and 1.9 rebounds to 10.6 points and 4.3 rebounds, including a career-high 17 points effort against Adelaide.

The Tigers’ injury woes didn’t finish with Anstey. New addition Ben Knight (4.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists) managed only four games before suffering a season ending injury after he jumped to get a loose ball against Gold Coast Blaze big man Pero Cameron. This was later diagnosed as a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee. Co-captain Nathan Crosswell was sidelined with a fractured finger for three weeks, forcing versatile import Julius Hodge to switch from small forward to point guard. Prior to Crosswell’s injury, the Tigers had just won their first set of back-to-back games for the year and, despite being last on the ladder, hoped to win seven of the team’s last nine games. After winning their next three games in a row, the Tigers fell well short, however, losing four games in a row to end the season in sixth place (11-17).

After failing to make the playoffs, Long time friends and teammates Anstey and MacKinnon (8.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) announced their retirements together at the end of the season.

As well as his outstanding play, Bradtke was known in the early part of his NBL career for his mullet haircut. Bradtke led the NBL in rebounding in 1992 (14.8), 1994 (14.5), 1998/99 (13.3), 1999/00 (14.8), 2000/01 (14.1), 2001/02 (13.1), 2002/03 (12.9) and 2003/04 (10.9).

In 2013 Bradtke was inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame for his contributions to basketball both in the NBL and for Basketball Australia.Sam Mackinnon played sixteen seasons across five NBL teams. This included the South East Melbourne Magic, West Sydney Razorbacks, Townsville Crocodiles, Brisbane Bullets and Melbourne Tigers. He averaged 14.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 459 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 27th in total games played.
– 25th in total points
– 10th in total rebounds
– 10th in total assists
– 8th in total steals
– 9th in total blocks

HIGHLIGHTS:

Dan Boyce (815 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.