BIO: Born in Orem, Utah to a Rotuman father, Hiagi, and a American mother, Susan, Wesley lived in Guam from age five to age eleven when his father worked at the University of Guam.

Wesley attended Provo High School in Provo, Utah. As a senior in 2003/04, he averaged 16.7 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal per game. He was named tournament MVP after he led Provo to the state title while averaging 19.3 points in four games. He was later named Mr. Basketball in the state of Utah by the Deseret News and the 4A Most Valuable Player by the Salt Lake Tribune.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Tai Wesley made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 28 years of age. He scored five points in his first game.

After a dismal season the year prior, where the team missed out on the NBL playoffs despite having won the previous three seasons in a row, the Breakers regrouped by replacing imports Kerron Johnson and Gary Wilkinson with big man Ekene Ibekwe and fan favourite Cedric Jackson, who had led the team to back-to-back titles previously (2012, 2013).

This season saw the exits of CJ Bruton (retired) and Daryl Corletto (to Melbourne) and replaced with Rhys Carter (via Adelaide) and Tai Wesley, who qualified as a local player due to being born in Guam under the league’s Asian player rule.

The Breakers kickstarted the season with back-to-back wins over Perth and Adelaide before suffering back-to-back losses to Cairns and Melbourne. In what was a highly competitive season, New Zealand was able to reel off multiple five game winning streaks behind the offensive talent of both Jackson (14.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.2 steals) and Corey Webster (15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists), who moved into the starting lineup and become one of the league’s premier scorers.

Wesley would average 8.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists as the Breakers battled all season long for top spot alongside Perth and Cairns, eventually finishing in second place (19–9).

in the semifinals, New Zealand would face third-placed Adelaide, who had won their final ten regular season games and entered the playoffs as the hottest team in the competition. Despite the 36ers’ hot form, the Breakers made light work of them in game one (111–82), with Webster (24 points) delivering a career-high scoring effort at Vector Arena. Game two then moved to Adelaide, where they again had the upper hand the entire game, defeating the 36ers (94–83) and moving on to the Grand Final.

There, they met the Cairns Taipans, who had become the first regional centre team to win the minor premiership since the Geelong Cats did so in 1984. Despite Cairns having home-court advantage, New Zealand easily claimed game one (86–71), with Jackson (22 points) top scoring. Game two shifted to Auckland, where after a tight contest the entire game, Taipans guard Scottie Wilbekin tied the game behind two free throws with 1.2 seconds left in regulation. Coming out of a timeout, Ibekwe caught a inbounds pass, turned and hit a game-winning fade-away shot to lift the Breakers over the Taipans (83–81) and clinch New Zealand’s fourth title in five seasons.

Jackson (15 points) claimed his third championship and second Grand Final MVP award, becoming the first player in NBL history to win three NBL championships from his first three seasons.

2015/16
The Breakers retained every player from their 2015 championship-winning roster minus Rhys Carter (to Sydney) and Ekene Ibekwe (to Europe). To replace the pair, the club picked up Australian point guard Shane McDonald and rookie American big man Charles Jackson. New Zealand’s pre-season was met with a number of challenges which included Alex Pledger being absent due to recovering from off-season foot surgery, Thomas Abercrombie being forced to the sidelines with a nagging hamstring strain and the exit of Corey Webster, who headed to the US to trial with the New Orleans Pelicans. In a move to replace them, the Breakers elevated development players Shea Ili and Tai Wynyard, while also signing Everard Bartlett as a replacement for Webster.

New Zealand were handed a shock loss to Adelaide in their season opener (71-90). Without Webster, Abercrombie and Pledger, the Breakers had limited scoring options, the highest scorer being Cedric Jackson (14 points). At half-time, the score was 51–26 in the 36ers favour, which saw the team’s 26 points become the second lowest first-half score and second biggest halftime deficit in team history.

With a dwindling record (1-3), New Zealand were boosted by the addition of Corey Webster (19.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists), who returned after failing to secure a roster spot with the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans. In order to add Webster to the roster, forward Duane Bailey was released and Everard Bartlett, who had been signed as an injury replacement, was retained for the rest of the season. The Breakers rode a roller-coaster for the remainder of their games, winning nine of their next eleven games and reclaiming their roles as title favourites by Round 10 (10-5), only to losing five of their next six games (11-10) and were pushed out of the top four by Adelaide (11–9) and by Round 15. In January, New Zealand reeled off a five game losing streak (0-5), the team’s worst losing streak since the 2008/09 season and then finished the season on a five game winning streak, edging out the 36ers to finish fourth (16–12) and claim the final playoff berth.

New Zealand went on to sweep ladder leaders Melbourne in the semifinals (2–0) and moved on to their fifth NBL Grand Final appearance in six years.

Again we would see a New Zealand v Perth Grand Final, where this time, the Wildcats would rely on the presence inside of Nathan Jawai and the tough defence of Casey Prather to take home victory in game one (82–76).

Game two was played in Auckland where the Breakers evened the series (1-1) thanks to a near triple-double from Cedric Jackson (13 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists) that propelled them to the win (72–68).

With the deciding game in Perth, 13,090 of the ‘Red Army’ were in attendance and the Wildcats’ made sure to avenge their grand final loss from last year. Casey Prather (19 points) and Jermaine Beal (14 points) did most of the damage on the scoreboard for the Wildcats, but it was Damian Martin’s inspirational display in defence that shone the brightest. Martin would be named Grand Final MVP after keeping star Breakers guard Cedric Jackson scoreless on five attempts and forcing him to foul out early in the last term. The Wildcats would go on to claim their seventh NBL championship in a blow-out victory (75–52).

The loss marked the first time New Zealand had lost to the Wildcat’s in playoff history and the team’s first ever grand final series loss.

Webster (19.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists) went on to be named in the All-NBL Second Team, while Wesley would average 11.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists for the season.

MELBOURNE UNITED
2016/17
With the league allowing three import players per team this season, Melbourne replaced import duo Stephen Holt and Hakim Warrick with Cedric Jackson, Ramone Moore and Devin Williams. They essentially signed a fourth import by then adding Tai Wesley (via New Zealand) who was allowed to sign as a local under the asian player rule and swapped one Boomers big man for another with David Anderson (via Europe) replacing Daniel Kickert (to Sydney).

In coach Dean Demopoulos second season, United started poorly (3-7) and Jackson (10.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.4 steals) quickly being shown the door due to a poor attitude and failing to buy into the team’s defensive principals.

Casper Ware arrived as his replacement shortly after, immediately changing the squad’s direction.

Around this time, Chris Goulding (17.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 steals), who missed six games with ankle issues, began to find his form, and David Barlow (5.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists), returned from a calf injury that had seen him unable to take the court at all for the past two years.

Behind Ware (22.1 points, 4.5 assists, and 1.3 steals) and a healthy roster, United turned things around, winning 10 of their last 18 games.

With the team still capable of reaching the playoffs, Devin Williams (3.2 points and 4.0 rebounds), who surprisingly lasted 16 games before being cut after media and fans pointed out his lack of production and called for an import change for most of the season. With a third of the season remaining, Josh Boone (10.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks) arrived and quickly went to work cleaning up Ware and Goulding’s missed shots and finished as the league’s best rebounder. Minute for minute, there was no more effective player than Josh Boone, who finished as Melbourne’s best player in several advanced metrics, including PER, ORtg, DRtg, eFG%, TRB%, and BLK%.

While he avoided the same fate Jackson suffered, Ramone Moore (10.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists) didn’t deliver the type of impact expected of an import either.

Injuries and offensive meltdowns were the storylines this season. Tai Wesley (8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) and Majok Majok (5.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks) were the only two players to compete in all 28 games for United, and coupled with the import turnover, only six players suited up for at least 75% of games. Combine this with the fact that Melbourne finished with the second-worst true shooting percentage in the league and was just 2-5 in games decided by five points.

Ware earned a place in the All-NBL First Team despite playing 18 games, and this combined with United’s strong finish many fans were excited about what the future could bring. This was shown by the almost-capacity crowd of 9,545 showing up at Melbourne’s last home game despite the team having nothing to play for.

In Demopoulos’ second year as head coach, he would struggle managing player relationships, and by the end of the season, it was public knowledge his relationship with certain players wasn’t ‘civil’. A divide between the veterans of the team and the ever-competitive Demopoulos would result in seeing United unable to replicate the success from the previous season, finishing in sixth-place finish (13-15) and both parties moving on at the end of the season.

2017/18
2017 saw the beginning of the ‘Dean Vickerman’ era with the Sydney assistant coach replacing Dean Demopoulos, who had struggled to fit in with the playing group during his tenure. Vickerman signed on for two seasons and shortly after, the team re-signed David Barlow and imports Josh Boone and Casper Ware. Vickerman brought with him forward Craig Moller (via Sydney) as a replacement for the departing Todd Blanchfield (to Illawarra) and added Casey Prather (via Perth) as the team’s third import.

Melbourne won their season opener against Adelaide (99–97) with Prather (20 points) leading the team offensively. Despite United’s hot start, they would win only five of their first ten games.

On December 16, Prather went down with a dislocated elbow in the second quarter of Melbourne’s win over Illawarra (84–78) and was subsequently ruled out for a minimum of eight weeks. While United looked for a injury replacement, development player Felix Von Hofe was elevated into the team until they signed former NBA talent Carrick Felix. Felix joined the team in December and with his addition, the team sparked a strong run home, finishing 15-3 for the remainder of the season.

Wesley would average 11.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, while Melbourne would finish in first place and face fourth-seed New Zealand in the semifinals. In game one, Prather (15 points) led the team in scoring despite starting on the bench and led United to a 11-point win (88–77). Prather (12 points) then helped Melbourne win game two in overtime (88–86) and progress to the Grand Final. On the opposite side of the bracket, the Adelaide 36ers eliminated the reigning champions Perth in two games as well.

The opening game saw Casper Ware (20 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) come out on fire in the first half, before leaving the game with a hip injury. United sharp-shooter Chris Goulding would then step up with a impressive shooting display (26 points) to give Melbourne the victory (107-96) at Hisense Arena. Daniel Johnson (18 points) led the 36ers in scoring alongside Mitch Creek (14 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists).

In game two, Adelaide came out firing behind Majok Deng (18 points), Mitch Creek (17 points) and Ramone Moore (17 points) and tied the series with a 15-point win (110-95). Melbourne were led by Casey Prather (20 points), who had re-joined the team just prior to the Grand Final series, and Chris Goulding (19 points).

The 36ers win came at a cost, with import Josh Childress (13 points and 8 rebounds) going down with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter that would remove him from the remaining Grand Final games.

The series returned to Melbourne for game three, where tensions exploded at the end of the first half, Adelaide’s Nathan Sobey clashing heads with Casey Prather after the United import hit a three-pointer on the stroke of halftime. The Adelaide guard was called for a disqualifying foul and ejected from the match. There was further drama at the end of the game with players from both teams needing to be separated after the final buzzer. The incident also resulted in 36ers head coach Joey Wright being fined handsomely for questioning the integrity of the referees.

When the smoke settled, Melbourne had squeaked out a narrow victory (101-98) after Adelaide’s Majok Deng missed a game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds. Casper Ware (25 points), Prather (23 points) and Chris Goulding (15 points), who hit three clutch triples to take control of the game, were among United’s best.

Game four saw Adelaide swingman Nathan Sobey (16 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists), who was ejected in game three for his part in the halftime melee, lead the way for the 36ers in the first half with the scoreboard reading 55-31 at the halfway mark. Again the home team was victorious, Adelaide getting a comfortable win over Melbourne United (90-81). Johnson (29 points and 10 rebounds) and Prather (23 points) top scoring for their respective sides.

In the deciding game five, Goulding, Ware (both 23 points) and Prather (19 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 steals) came to play and Melbourne defeated Adelaide (100-82) in front of a sold-out crowd at Hisense Arena, winning their first title since rebranding from the Tigers. Shannon Shorter (20 points) led Adelaide in scoring, while Chris Goulding was named Finals MVP after averaging 16.6 points and 3.6 rebounds over the five-game series. With the win, Prather collected his third NBL championship to become the first player in NBL history to win three straight titles in his first three seasons in the league.

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS
2018/19
After finishing fourth with a 15-13 record and being swept by Melbourne in the semifinals the previous season, the Breakers underwent major changes when a consortium headed by former NBA player Matt Walsh became majority shareholders through Breakers Basketball Ltd, ending the 13-year ownership of Liz and Paul Blackwell. Paul Henare’s 15-year association with the club as a player and coach came to an end, Kirk Penney retired, while Alex Pledger (to Melbourne), Mika Vukona (to Brisbane), and Robert Loe (to Cairns) also departed. Thomas Abercrombie was appointed captain and former Breakers guard Kevin Braswell took over as head coach, rebuilding the roster with Corey Webster (via Europe), Tai Wesley (via Melbourne), Jarrad Weeks (via Cairns), Majok Majok (via Melbourne), Patrick Richard, Armani Moore, and Shawn Long.

Wesley returned to New Zealand on a one-year deal on May 15 after helping Melbourne win the 2018 NBL championship. It marked his second stint with the Breakers, having previously helped the club win the 2015 championship, while his relationship with Braswell from their championship seasons together at the Wellington Saints and the club’s family environment helped bring him back. Wesley said, “We are excited to be rejoining the Breakers family, we have only good experiences with them and we felt it was right to come back.” The season would also be Wesley’s final year playing in the NBL as a non-restricted player before being classified as an import the following year.

Wesley suffered a broken nose during the preseason but was able to take part in the Breakers’ NBLxNBA trip to the United States. New Zealand pushed the Phoenix Suns before falling 86-91, with Wesley (15 points and 7 rebounds) and Webster (27 points and 7 assists) leading the Breakers, while Deandre Ayton (21 points and 15 rebounds) and Trevor Ariza (16 points and 6 assists) led Phoenix.

New Zealand opened the regular season against Brisbane at Spark Arena on October 11, where Wesley (12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) was one of the Breakers’ better performers, but the Bullets won 86-73 behind Cameron Gliddon (29 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals), with Webster (23 points) and Long (10 points and 7 rebounds) leading New Zealand alongside him.

Wesley (14.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists) played all 28 games and missed no regular-season games through injury, overcoming the broken nose suffered during the preseason to become one of the most consistent parts of a new-look Breakers frontcourt. New Zealand struggled for consistency around him, winning only four of its first 12 games and enduring a five-game losing streak through November and December.

His highest-scoring game came against his former team Melbourne on October 14, when Wesley (25 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists) led New Zealand to an 88-81 road victory only months after helping United win the championship. Abercrombie (16 points and 5 rebounds) and Richard (15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) provided support, while Chris Goulding (22 points) led Melbourne.

Wesley (22 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) was again New Zealand’s leading scorer against Perth on November 3, making 10-of-17 from the field, but the Wildcats defeated the Breakers 92-78 behind Bryce Cotton (23 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 steals), with Webster (19 points) and Long (10 points and 14 rebounds) providing support.

Later that month, Wesley (16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) was reported by referee Michael Aylen for comments made towards him during the fourth quarter of New Zealand’s 86-91 loss to Perth at RAC Arena. After returning from international commitments with Guam, Wesley pleaded no contest at the NBL Tribunal and accepted a $1000 fine, with $250 suspended for two years, but received no suspension and remained available for the Breakers.

Wesley’s best overall game of the season came against Adelaide on January 4, when Wesley (19 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) helped New Zealand erase an eight-point halftime deficit and defeat the 36ers 104-96. Long (28 points, 18 rebounds, and 3 blocks) set a Breakers franchise record with 18 rebounds and Richard (18 points and 3 rebounds) added support, while Nathan Sobey (23 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists) led Adelaide.

After three consecutive losses dropped New Zealand to 8-12 and the bottom of the ladder, Wesley (16 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block) produced one of his best all-around performances against Cairns in New Plymouth on January 24, making 7-of-11 from the field as the Breakers won 113-106 and kept their slim playoff hopes alive. Long (32 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks) dominated inside and Weeks (12 points and 3 rebounds) provided support, while DJ Newbill (32 points) led Cairns.

With both teams already eliminated from playoff contention, Wesley (23 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) made 10-of-14 from the field against Illawarra on February 9 as New Zealand won 96-81 at WIN Entertainment Centre. Long (24 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks) combined with Wesley to dominate inside and Ili (12 points and 3 assists) added support, while Brian Conklin (20 points and 4 rebounds) led the Hawks.

Long (18.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks) emerged as New Zealand’s leading scorer and finished second in the NBL in both rebounding and blocked shots, earning All-NBL Second Team honours and the Breakers Club MVP award. Richard (11 points and 3.6 rebounds), Webster (10.4 points), Weeks (10.1 points), Abercrombie (8.5 points and 5.1 rebounds), Delany (8 points), Ili (7.9 points), and Moore (7.1 points and 4.3 rebounds) were the other major contributors, with Weeks producing the best season of his career and finishing runner-up for both Best Sixth Man and Most Improved Player.

With his one-year Breakers deal completed, Wesley (to South East Melbourne) became the Phoenix’s first import signing on April 1, agreeing to a three-year contract with a club option on the final season. The move returned him to Melbourne after one year in New Zealand, but unlike his previous five NBL seasons he would now occupy an import position. Wesley said, “I can’t wait to get back to Melbourne! My family and I love it there.”

New Zealand closed the season in Brisbane on February 16, where Wesley (17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) scored 10 points in the fourth quarter as the Breakers threatened to derail Brisbane’s playoff push, with Long (23 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks) and Delany (9 points and 3 rebounds) providing support, while Lamar Patterson (23 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists) led the Bullets to an 84-78 win as New Zealand finished sixth with a 12-16 record.

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX
2019/20
South East Melbourne entered the NBL as its newest franchise under inaugural head coach Simon Mitchell, with Mitch Creek signed as the club’s marquee player. The Phoenix then built an experienced roster around him, adding Ben Madgen (via Europe), Adam Gibson (via Brisbane), Kyle Adnam (via Sydney), John Roberson (via Russia) and Keith Benson (via Germany).

After spending the previous season with New Zealand, the two-time NBL champion became South East Melbourne’s first import signing on April 1, agreeing to a three-year deal with a club option on the final season. “I can’t wait to get back to Melbourne! My family and I love it there and are excited to get involved with the basketball community in the South East,” he said.

He made an immediate impact during the pre-season, scoring 20 points as South East Melbourne defeated Sydney 96-87 before producing a game-high 23 points against his former club in a 102-95 win over New Zealand as the Phoenix completed their first NBL Blitz unbeaten.

South East Melbourne’s first-ever regular-season game came against cross-town rivals Melbourne United on October 3 in the first ‘Throwdown’. Wesley (8 points) made all three of his field-goal attempts in the opening five minutes before suffering a hamstring injury and leaving the game. Creek (28 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Roberson (20 points) carried the Phoenix from there as they made 12 of 23 three-pointers and defeated United 91-88, while Shawn Long (26 points, 13 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) was Melbourne’s best.

Wesley (10.7 points and 4.3 rebounds across 18 games) missed the next 10 games because of the hamstring injury, with Jaye Crockett (8.9 points and 4.3 rebounds across 9 games) signed as a temporary injury replacement. South East Melbourne won its next two games to begin its inaugural season 3-0 before suffering its first loss in Perth, and had fallen to 6-5 by the time Wesley was ready to return.

After more than nine weeks on the sidelines, Wesley (15 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) returned against Perth on December 8. Creek (31 points) and Madgen (20 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists) led South East Melbourne, while Bryce Cotton (26 points and 4 rebounds) helped the Wildcats win 108-98 and leave the Phoenix with a 6-6 record.

Wesley’s best game of the season came against Illawarra on December 28, where he made 10 of 15 field-goal attempts, including three three-pointers, and finished with 25 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal. Roberson (28 points and 5 assists) and Creek (25 points and 5 rebounds) helped South East Melbourne defeat the Hawks 112-102 and improve to 8-9, moving within one game of fourth-placed Cairns, while Todd Blanchfield (22 points and 5 rebounds) was Illawarra’s leading scorer.

Keith Benson (5.8 points and 3.9 rebounds across 16 games) had been part of South East Melbourne’s opening roster before being replaced during the second half of the season by Devondrick Walker (7.4 points across 8 games), who made his Phoenix debut against Perth on January 17.

South East Melbourne were led by Creek (20.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 steals across 26 games) and Roberson (20.2 points and 5.6 assists across 28 games), with Madgen (12.1 points and 4.8 rebounds across 28 games), Adnam (9.1 points across 28 games) and Dane Pineau (8.1 points and 8.7 rebounds across 28 games) providing the other major contributions. The Phoenix led the NBL in scoring at 95.4 points per game, but struggled away from home, winning only three of 14 road games. After reaching the midpoint of the season at 6-6, South East Melbourne managed only three wins from its final 16 games, with the campaign proving to be Wesley’s final NBL season.

Wesley’s final NBL game came against Melbourne United on February 16, where he finished with 20 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. Madgen (23 points and 4 rebounds) and Roberson (13 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists) provided support, while Chris Goulding (28 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals) led Melbourne to a 109-90 victory, extending South East Melbourne’s losing streak to eight games and leaving the Phoenix second-last with a 9-19 record.Tai Wesley played six seasons across three NBL teams. This included the New Zealand Breakers, Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix. He averaged 10.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 167 NBL games.