If basketball talent is passed down from father to son, then new New Zealand Breakers recruit David Stockton should have no trouble making the transition to the NBL. David, the son of Naismith Hall of Famer and All Time Utah Jazz assist leader John Stockton, is a slightly built, 25 year old, 5 ft…
Read More“No team that’s currently in our league will ever disappear.” Larry Kestelman said on the Aussie Hoopla podcast this week, something the Australian basketball public from any Australian basketball figurehead. For a league that has had 24 clubs become defunct in 37 years, it’s a long-awaited sign of league stability that the NBL has…
Read MoreWhat a crazy first few weeks we’ve had so far this season. Sydney is flying, Perth is doing their thing, Melbourne struggling and Adelaide is doing their best Cinderella impersonation. If this is the start of the season, then it’s a good time to be an Australian basketball fan. As this segment has not…
Read MoreIllawarra Hawks head coach Rob Beveridge made the blunt assessment of his team after they got destroyed by the Sydney Kings 90-73 at Qudos Bank Arena on Monday night. “Spineless,” said an exasperated Beveridge. Defence killed Illawarra’s spirit as Aleks Maric, Kevin Lisch, Brad Newley and Greg Whittington set the tone for the whole night. Eighteen times the…
Read MoreNBL fans waiting on the arrival of NBL.TV may still have a short wait ahead of them if a recent Facebook comment from the league is any indication. When asked when NBL.TV would finally be available, the league’s Facebook page responded with this: “You guys have been very patient. We’re currently putting the…
Read MoreThe NBL will once again find a home on Free-to-Air TV, with the announcement of a partnership between the government funded network SBS and the NBL for the 2016/17 season. The deal will include one LIVE broadcast each Sunday, beginning on the 9th of October with Melbourne United taking on the Adelaide 36ers. …
Read MoreIf the Australian Basketball Challenge (ABC) has proven one thing, it is that the NBL is now a viable entertainment package ready to explode in Australia. The full-court, fast paced action of the tournament was punctuated with a dunk contest to rival anything seen in the NBA. And now, casual fans and NBA…
Read MoreTo create all-time #NBLrank, the Aussie Hoopla writing team have all voted on the greatest players to play at each position as well as a few select other criteria. Each Aussie Hoopla writer has made their decisions, but now we want to hear from YOU! Our top five point guards in NBL history. Our top five…
Read MoreThe NBL’s preseason tournament, the Australian Basketball Challenge (ABC), will be streamed LIVE at www.nbl.com.au from the 23rd-26th of September. The ABC will be played at the Brisbane Entertainment Center and will feature all eight NBL teams plus the Zhejiang CB Golden Bulls and Tianjing Ronggang from the Chinese Basketball Association. Each team…
Read MoreTo create all-time #NBLrank, the Aussie Hoopla writing team have all voted on the greatest players to play at each position as well as a few select other criteria. Each Aussie Hoopla writer has made their decisions, but now we want to hear from YOU! Our top five point guards in NBL history. Our top five…
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Over the past three NBL seasons, clubs have spent almost $97 million assembling their rosters, but how much of that money has translated into wins, and which teams have delivered the best value for money? These figures represent cash spend, not salary cap spend. Cash spending includes player salaries and additional costs such as agent fees, bonuses, import related expenses and luxury tax, rather than simply the amounts counted against the league's salary cap. How much have NBL teams spent over the past three seasons?…
READ MORELarry Bird believed players began tuning out coaches after three years. Pat Riley reportedly put the limit at five, while Steve Kerr admitted his Golden State players were tired of hearing him in his fourth season. Now Justin Tatum is in his fourth season with Illawarra, and the Hawks have gone from NBL champions to the bottom of the ladder. Could they be experiencing the same problem? Justin Tatum transformed Illawarra from one of the NBL's worst teams into champions. But ahead of today's clash…
READ MOREIn 2002, the Melbourne Tigers were fighting for survival when they identified an opportunity to attract supporters from their biggest rivals. Their plan to honour Brian Goorjian was blocked by the Victoria Giants, potentially changing the course of Melbourne basketball history. In 2002, the Melbourne Tigers devised a plan that could have changed the future of their club. The Tigers were emerging from financial administration, crowds were falling and the club had been forced to abandon its home at Vodafone Arena, now known as John…
READ MOREA new funding proposal, a crucial November meeting and renewed interest from the NBL could finally provide a pathway for professional basketball to return to the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast's long-running push to return to the NBL has reached another critical stage, with Mayor Tom Tate preparing to meet Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie in November to discuss the future of the proposed $1 billion Gold Coast Arena. After years of negotiations, changing timelines and funding setbacks, the city's hopes of securing an NBL…
READ MOREFour-time NBL champion and 1994 Grand Final MVP Paul Rees joins the podcast to reflect on his journey from small-town basketball to a 17-season NBL career with the Brisbane Bullets, North Melbourne Giants and Adelaide 36ers. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Host Dan Boyce chats with Rees about winning championships with North Melbourne and Adelaide, playing under Brett Brown and Phil Smyth, representing Australia at the 1994 World Championship, and battling Brian Goorjian and some of the NBL’s best teams throughout…
READ MOREJensen Bradtke wearing his father Mark’s famous No. 50 should be one of the great stories of NBL27. Instead, it has again exposed a question Melbourne United has never properly answered: when does Melbourne Tigers history belong to United, and when doesn’t it? Seeing BRADTKE and No. 50 together on a Melbourne basketball jersey again should be nothing other than a celebration. Jensen Bradtke is beginning his first season with Melbourne United, wearing the same number his father Mark wore through one of the great…
READ MOREEvery NBL pre-season, there is plenty of attention on players around the league who could take the next step in their professional basketball journey. A breakout can happen in different ways. For some players, it’s getting more opportunity. For an established player, it can mean building on what they have already achieved and elevating their game to another level. For others, it may simply take a new home where their skills can be maximised. Below are four players who I think are ready to break…
READ MOREFormer Sydney Kings and Canberra Cannons import Mario Donaldson joins the podcast to revisit his time in the NBL, including competing in the famous 1994 NBL Dunk Contest, the highs and lows of his seasons in Sydney and Canberra, and the success he found playing around the world. Host Dan Boyce chats with Donaldson about arriving in Sydney in 1994 and playing alongside Leon Trimmingham, helping the Kings return to the playoffs and establishing himself as one of the league’s best outside shooters. Visit dunk.com.au…
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