The symbolic launch of their Olympic journey at Uluru last week could prepare the Boomers for the obstacles to come, as three Uluru-sized obstacles – Croatia, Serbia and France – have been placed between them and Australia’s first ever Olympic medal. Australia’s pool, once considered ideal, now contains 2014 World Cup silver medalist Serbia…
Read MoreWith the 2016/17 NBL season schedule being announced today (see the full schedule here) it’s time to circle the can’t miss games this season. These are what I feel are ten of the “can’t miss” games in chronological order. 6th October 2016 – Brisbane Bullets vs. Perth Wildcats Not only is this the…
Read MoreFoxtel set to air two NBA Summer League games per day In what is a huge coup for the Australian basketball community, ESPN on Foxtel will be broadcasting two NBA Summer League games per day from the 9th July to the 17th July. Even though NBA’s Summer League has already started the broadcast…
Read MoreBasketball Australia today announced a new addition to the Boomers’ selection camp, but not the addition that many would have liked. Daniel Kickert was added to the Boomers squad after Dante Exum’s omission in lieu of Todd Blanchfield, despite Blanchfield’s continued heroics on the international stage. Todd has led the Emerging Boomers…
Read MoreCleveland Cavaliers and Australian Boomers point guard Matthew Dellavedova is back in the country after becoming the 6th Australian to win an NBA championship. Delly, who already has a reputation for ‘hard work’ jumped straight off a plane to make an appearance at Melbourne’s Kickz101 to sign autographs for thousands of fans and give people a…
Read MoreGolden State Warriors will prepare for Game 6 of the NBA Finals without starting center Andrew Bogut. Bogut avoided a major knee injury after a mid-air collision with J.R. Smith in Game 5 but he will nonetheless miss the rest of the NBA Finals. Luckily Bogut will not require surgery, however he is…
Read MoreThe Australian Boomers are heading on the road on their quest for Olympic glory but they’re not leaving us high and dry. Fear not, they will be playing two farewell games on the 12th and 14th of July in Melbourne against a Pac-12 Conference All Star team from the USA. Wesley Gordon from the University…
Read MoreThe Utah Jazz today released a statement stating that Dante Exum will be unavailable for off season commitments with the Australian National Team, which led some to despair about Australia’s apparently dwindling medal prospects. However Dante never figured to be a big piece of this years campaign in the first place. Coming off…
Read MoreAndrej Lemanis’ heart must have stopped when he saw Andrew Bogut’s knee injury today. The Boomers lofty Olympic medal goals – Gold, no less – rested chiefly on the NBA champion’s shoulders. With less than two months until the games begin, reality is setting in for Australian fans that this may be another major…
Read MoreA freak knee injury to Andrew Bogut early in the third quarter of today’s NBA Finals could prevent the big man from playing at the Rio Olympics in August. Bogut landed awkwardly while trying to block a Tristan Thompson shot, hyper-extending his knee, and causing him to spend the following plays on the floor…
Read More
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…
READ MORE