BIO: Tamuri Wigness was born in Brisbane (QLD) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Cairns basketball program. Wigness received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 2017. He spent four years year there and played for the program’s state league team (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Tamuri Wigness made his NBL debut with the Brisbane Bullets at 18 years of age. He scored six points in his first game.

After finishing fifth with a 15-13 record and missing the playoffs the previous season, Brisbane reshaped its roster under coach Andrej Lemanis. Cam Gliddon (to South East Melbourne), Lamar Patterson (to New Zealand), Reuben Te Rangi (to South East Melbourne), Will Magnay (to New Orleans), Mika Vukona (to Southern Districts), Taylor Braun (to Israel) and EJ Singler (to NZNBL) departed, while Anthony Drmic and Harry Froling (both via Adelaide), Tanner Krebs (via St Mary’s), Tamuri Wigness (via Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence) and imports Vic Law and Orlando Johnson were added.

Wigness signed a two-year deal with Brisbane after spending three years with the NBA Global Academy and Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence. He had previously spent part of the Bullets’ preseason with the team and entered the season as the backup point guard behind Nathan Sobey.

Brisbane opened the season against Illawarra at Nissan Arena on January 16, where Wigness (6 points, 1 rebound, and 2 assists) made his NBL debut in 13 minutes off the bench. Sobey (19 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) and Law (17 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 block) led Brisbane, while Sam Froling (19 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block) led Illawarra to a 90-84 win.

Wigness (2.9 points across 27 games) averaged 11.2 minutes during his first NBL season, with his role fluctuating between reserve minutes and periods outside the rotation. He was listed but did not take the court in nine games, with no injury reported for any of those absences. His only reported health concern came before Brisbane’s March 20 game against New Zealand, when Wigness, Sobey and Cadee were racing to overcome illness, but Wigness still suited up and played. He did not miss a game because of a reported injury.

His opportunities were limited during the NBL Cup, including six games where he did not take the court during a seven-game stretch between February 26 and March 13, before injuries and roster changes created greater opportunities late in the season.

Wigness’ best game came against Illawarra at the WIN Entertainment Centre on April 7, where he finished with 4 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal in 13 minutes. Cadee (22 points and 4 rebounds) and Froling (21 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists) led Brisbane as the Bullets recovered from a 14-point deficit to win 88-82, while Justinian Jessup (19 points, 3 assists, and 4 steals) led Illawarra.

Nine days later Wigness produced his season-high scoring performance against New Zealand at the Silverdome in Launceston, finishing with 8 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist in 16 minutes. Hodgson (16 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks) and Sobey (15 points and 6 rebounds) led Brisbane, while Levi Randolph (20 points) led the Breakers to a 91-71 win.

Wigness then moved into Brisbane’s starting lineup against Perth on April 23 and started eight consecutive games through May 22 as the Bullets attempted to stay in the playoff race.

His best defensive performance came against Perth at Nissan Arena on May 19, where Wigness (4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block) helped Brisbane hold the Wildcats to 88 points. Patterson (23 points and 5 rebounds) and Hodgson (16 points and 12 rebounds) led the Bullets, while Clint Steindl (25 points) was Perth’s leading scorer as Brisbane won 91-88 and kept its finals hopes alive.

Wigness was also one of four Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players in the NBL during the league’s Indigenous Round and represented his Torres Strait Islander heritage while wearing Brisbane’s Indigenous jersey. “It really gives me pride that we get to acknowledge our people. I get to have my family on my back, not just my Bullets family but I’ll also have my people and my culture with me as well.

For the entire NBL to acknowledge the Indigenous people of Australia is great but this is about education and awareness as well. This round will provide the Indigenous community with so much inspiration to strive to be an NBL player. I can guarantee all the Indigenous kids around the country will be watching.”

Brisbane’s roster had changed significantly during the season, with Orlando Johnson (6.9 points and 4.1 rebounds across 15 games) released in March and Patterson (14.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals across 17 games) returning (via New Zealand) while recovering from an MCL injury. Law (18.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks across 16 games) then suffered a torn ankle tendon which required surgery and ended his season, with BJ Johnson (10 points and 3.7 rebounds across 11 games) later added (via Long Island).

Sobey (21.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists across 36 games) produced the best season of his career and carried Brisbane’s offence, while Drmic (10.1 points and 3.1 rebounds across 34 games), Hodgson (10.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks across 32 games), Cadee (9.5 points and 4 assists across 36 games), Froling (8 points and 4.9 rebounds across 36 games), Harrison (5.2 points and 5.9 rebounds across 36 games) and Johnson formed the remainder of Brisbane’s main rotation. The Bullets finished third in offensive rebounding and second in defensive rebounds, but scored 89 points per game while conceding a league-high 90.9 points per game.

Wigness’ first season was rewarded with Brisbane’s Young Player of the Year award, while Sobey was named to the All-NBL First Team and won the Leroy Loggins MVP and Members MVP awards, Cadee received the Players Player Award and Hodgson was named Defensive Player of the Year. Wigness was also selected for Australia’s Under-19 team for the FIBA Under-19 World Cup following the NBL season.

Brisbane won four of its final five games but had left its run too late to reach the postseason. The Bullets closed the season against South East Melbourne at Nissan Arena on June 8, where Wigness (0 points) played four minutes, Patterson (19 points and 3 assists) and Sobey (16 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists) led Brisbane, while Mitchell Creek (17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) was the Phoenix’s best as Brisbane won 94-84 and finished sixth with an 18-18 record.

2021/22
After finishing sixth with an 18-18 record and missing the playoffs, Brisbane entered the season with Andrej Lemanis leaving after five years as head coach. The Bullets considered promoting assistant coach and former player CJ Bruton before appointing former Sydney Kings assistant James Duncan.

Vic Law (to Perth), Matt Hodgson (to Perth), Harry Froling (to Illawarra), Callum Dalton (to Melbourne) and BJ Johnson (to Orlando) departed, while Lamar Patterson returned and Tyrell Harrison and Jason Cadee signed two-year deals. Brisbane added Robert Franks (via Lakeland Magic), Isaiah Moss (via Otago), Jack Salt (via Canterbury), Deng Deng (via Illawarra), Liu Chuanxing (via Qingdao Eagles), Next Star Tom Digbeu (via BC Prienai) and development player Taane Samuel.

Wigness entered the second season of the two-year deal he signed with Brisbane in 2020. The Cairns junior remained a fully contracted member of the roster but served as the Bullets’ third point guard and faced limited opportunities behind the team’s veteran backcourt.

Brisbane opened the season against league newcomer Tasmania at MyState Bank Arena on December 3, where the young guard was named on the game sheet but did not enter the game as the JackJumpers won their first NBL game 83-74 in overtime.

Wigness (2 points and 1 rebound across 17 games) started three times and averaged 6.8 minutes, shooting 41 per cent from the field, 29 per cent from three and 67 per cent from the free throw line. He was named on Brisbane’s game sheet but did not enter eight games, while no injury was reported for his January 21 absence from the active lineup.

Wigness’ best game came against Illawarra at WIN Entertainment Centre on March 31, where Wigness (11 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist) made 4-of-6 shots and scored a career-high 11 points in 18 minutes off the bench. Jessup (29 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks), Cleveland (14 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) and Rathan-Mayes (14 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) led the Hawks to an 87-70 victory.

During March, Wigness (to North Gold Coast Seahawks) committed to playing for the NBL1 North expansion team once Brisbane’s season ended. “For me, winning is the most important thing and with the group that Coach McGuire has put together, I believe we can seriously contend for a championship in our first season,” Wigness said.

Wigness (2 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists) made his first start of the season against Adelaide at Nissan Arena on April 3 as Brisbane held the 36ers scoreless on the final possession and won 92-91, despite Daniel Johnson (28 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) leading Adelaide. He remained in the starting five for Brisbane’s next two games.

Wigness’ final appearance came against Adelaide at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on April 11, where Wigness (2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal) started as Brisbane outscored the 36ers 25-15 during the third quarter and won 93-85, while Sotto (21 points and 3 rebounds) was Adelaide’s leading scorer.

Brisbane reached the halfway point with a 5-9 record before injuries further disrupted Duncan’s rotation. Franks (18.2 points and 8.9 rebounds across 27 games) finished fifth in the NBL in scoring, while Patterson (16.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists across 27 games), Sobey (16.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists across 12 games), Cadee (10.4 points and 5 assists across 28 games), Drmic (7.4 points and 3.3 rebounds across 26 games), Deng (6.8 points and 4.5 rebounds across 28 games) and Harrison (6.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks across 17 games) were the other major contributors. Sobey missed 16 games with a knee injury and Harrison missed 11 with an ongoing elbow injury, while Brisbane finished as the league’s worst defensive team at 89.3 points conceded per game and led the NBL with 14.6 turnovers per game.

Franks received the Leroy Loggins MVP Award and Members’ MVP, Salt (2.9 points across 21 games) was named Players’ Player, Deng received Defensive Player of the Year and Liu (2.9 points across 23 games) won Young Player of the Year.

With his two-year deal completed, Wigness became a non-restricted free agent and was not retained by Brisbane.

Wigness was ruled out of Brisbane’s April 16 game against Melbourne with the flu and remained unavailable when the Bullets travelled to Cairns with only seven players for their season finale on April 23. Franks (30 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal) and Krebs (20 points and 3 rebounds) led Brisbane, while McCall (42 points, 10 assists, and 4 steals) produced the first 40-point, 10-assist game of the NBL’s 40-minute era as Cairns won 112-98 and Brisbane finished eighth with a 10-18 record.

Tamuri Wigness played two seasons the Brisbane Bullets. He averaged 2.5 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 44 NBL games.