NICKNAME/S: Mr Magic

BIO: Steve Carfino was born in Los Angeles, California (USA) and attended St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California where he was a High School All-American selection.

FAMILY: He is the younger brother of former University of Southern California player Don Carfino.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Steve Carfino made his NBL debut with the Hobart Devils at 23 years of age. He scored 27 points in his first game.

Carfino found his way by being recruited by David Atkins, a american coach responsible for bringing many NBL stars to the country in the 1980’s and 1990s including Cal Bruton, James Crawford, Ricky Grace, Chuck Harmison, Leroy Loggins, Derek Rucker, Leon Trimmingham and many more.

His NBL career started with the Hobart Devils whom he led to 9-17 record in his first season, averaging 32.7 points (fourth highest in the league) and finished with the second highest assists (7.0) and steals (3.4) per game which earned him All-NBL first-team honours. Carfino also finished runner-up for the NBL Most Valuable Player award, losing to Leroy Loggins.

In Carfino’s second season in Hobart the team improved to a 14-12 record, the most successful season in the franchise’s history. Carfino was named in the 1987 All-NBL first team after averaging 22.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 3.4 steals (second highest in the league) per game.

SYDNEY KINGS
1988
The 1988 season marked a new chapter in Australian basketball history as the Sydney Kings debuted in the NBL.

Formed from the merger of two struggling Sydney franchises—the Supersonics and Westars—the Kings represented the unified vision of Supersonics owner Mike Wrublewski and Westars counterpart Andrew Lazaris, who aspired to create a powerhouse under the mantra “one team, one city.”

The newly created Kings quickly made their presence felt, becoming the first Australian basketball club to introduce corporate boxes and adopting distinctive purple-and-gold uniforms.

However, the initial excitement belied the complexity of combining two former rivals into a harmonious squad.

Claude Williams, the league’s first Indigenous head coach, previously a Supersonics assistant, undertook the challenging role of unifying the team’s diverse personalities and playing styles.

Anchoring the Kings’ inaugural roster was import Steve “Mr Magic” Carfino who was named the team’s first captain and joined the Kings after playing two seasons and 51 games at Hobart, earning All-NBL First Team honours the previous year

He formed a dynamic partnership with versatile import Marc Ridlen, an All-NBL Second Team selection from the previous year’s Supersonics roster.

Veteran forward Andrew Svaldenis and steady guard Zoran Zunic followed Ridlen in transitioning from the Supersonics.

From the Westars, the Kings retained forward Glen Dunsmore, athletic defender Tim Morrissey, and Olympian Damian Keogh, who quickly stepped up as the club’s leading local contributor.

The Kings further strengthened their roster by recruiting former Olympians Ian Davies and brothers Brad and Mark Dalton from Geelong.

Sydney opened their historic debut season at Homebush on February 12, securing an electrifying 110–106 win against Geelong.

Carfino (23 points, 6 assists) made an immediate impact alongside Ridlen (33 points, 16 rebounds).

Ian Davies (16 points, 6 rebounds) and Andrew Svaldenis (16 points, 9 rebounds) were crucial in support, overshadowing an impressive 34-point performance from Geelong’s Sam Foggin.

The Kings continued their strong start one week later, moving to 2–0 after downing Wollongong 103–95.

Carfino again led the charge (24 points, 6 assists), while Mark Dalton dominated inside, tallying 23 points (10-of-12 FG), 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks.

Sydney won six of their opening ten games, fueling early optimism.

However, as the schedule intensified, the delicate chemistry of the merged roster started to unravel.

A three-game slide, including narrow defeats to North Melbourne (124–125), Adelaide (98–112), and Illawarra (100–102), exposed deepening tensions.

The loss to Illawarra, highlighted by Carfino’s season-high 32 points and Ridlen’s double-double (22 points, 12 rebounds), culminated in a heated exchange between Ridlen and Keogh, visibly fracturing team unity.

Despite the standout efforts from Carfino and Ridlen, the Kings’ poor free-throw shooting (55%) and costly turnovers (14) sealed their fate.

These internal tensions emphasized coach Williams’ immense challenge in uniting players from previously opposing sides.

Despite the friction, Ridlen (25.4 points, 13.5 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 1.1 blocks) consistently delivered stellar performances, finishing second in the NBL in rebounding and top five in scoring.

His season highlights included a franchise-record 30 rebounds alongside 25 points in a home victory against Newcastle (120–105), a season-high 35 points with 13 rebounds against North Melbourne, and a dominant 38-point, 15-rebound effort against Westside Saints.

Carfino was equally instrumental in Sydney’s inaugural campaign, averaging (21.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.6 steals) and earning All-NBL Second Team honours.

Beyond his scoring exploits, he consistently set teammates up with pinpoint distribution, leading the Kings in steals and assists..

His top performances included a near triple-double against Eastside Melbourne (12 points, a season-high 12 assists, 8 rebounds) on March 4, his season-best 32-point game against Wollongong (14-of-28 FG, 3 steals), and an impressive 31-point, 4-assist, and 4-steal outing during an emotional return to Hobart on June 10, leading Sydney to a 117–99 victory.

Additionally, Carfino shone in the win over Newcastle (120–105), delivering 31 points (13-of-20 FG) and 8 rebounds, and posted a double-double with 27 points and 10 assists in a close loss to Perth (100–104).

Keogh (14.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.4 steals) and Davies (12.8 points, 3.1 rebounds) also played pivotal roles, adding essential scoring and experience.

Morrissey (7.6 points, 3.2 rebounds) emerged as the Kings’ defensive anchor, while Mark Dalton (9.7 points, 6.0 rebounds) provided veteran toughness in the frontcourt.

The Kings finished the rest of the year with a 4–7 record, ending their inaugural season ninth on the NBL ladder at 10–14.

Coach Claude Williams resigned at season’s end, frustrated by internal politics and roster compromises, but his foundational efforts—and the elite backcourt pairing of Carfino and Ridlen—set the stage for the Kings’ promising future.

He led the Kings in assists in their first two seasons in the NBL.

In both the 1988 and 1989 seasons with the Kings, he was named in the All-NBL second team, and continued to rank among the League leaders in steals and assists.

He was forced to retire from playing after the 1991 NBL season at the age of 29 due to ongoing back problems.

His highest score in the NBL was 52, which he achieved twice, he also notched up 40+ points on five other occasions.

Steve Carfino was inducted into the NBL Hall of Fame as a player in 2004. On October 10, 2013, Carfino was named in the Sydney Kings 25th Anniversary Team.

After retiring from the NBL, Carfino provided color commentary for NBL broadcasts on Channel Ten, Fox Sports, One HD between 1996 and 2014.

Steve Carfino played five seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Hobart Devils and the Sydney Kings. He averaged 23.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in 132 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 36th in assists per game.
– 6th in steals per game.

Dan Boyce (837 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.