“This team represented you, Adelaide. This team represented!” Those were the words that bellowed from The Chosen One, the rambunctious Ball Up court announcer, after the Adelaide All Stars took their games directly to the Ball Up team, who were without their leader, The Professor, due to groin strain. The Adelaide All Stars…
Read MoreIf you’re wondering how you will catch all the great Boomers, Opals and Dream Team action this year, wonder no more. Channel Seven today announced plans for a paid subscription service to cover every event of the Rio Olympics, live and on demand. An article in The Australian newspaper suggests that the service will…
Read MoreIn Australia, our recreation centers are packed with people of all ages and skill levels, taking to the courts, and playing the game we all know and love – basketball. But for the longest time, most of the outdoor courts have been left eerily empty. Net-less basketball rings stand lonely, ravaged by time, forgotten…
Read MoreNo more “Reptile Rumbles”. No more “100% Croc”. No more Townsville Crocodiles. April 14th, 2016 we saw the end of a once great franchise which will be remembered for dazzling plays from Robert Rose, Derek Rucker and Corey Williams, just to name a few. The team had a knack for being able to take…
Read MoreThe Golden State Warriors are in the running to make NBA history as they attempt to beat the record set by the Chicago Bulls during the reign of Michael Jordan. With the seemingly unstoppable force of the Golden State Warriors, NBA analysts and critics are baffled at how the other basketball teams like the…
Read MoreThe Boomers have escaped the ‘Group of Death’ after being drawn in Group A of the Olympic men’s basketball competition with the United States, Venezuela, China and two teams yet to qualify, but what does that mean for Australia’s bid for their first ever medal? Group A: Qualifier 1 USA Venezuela Qualifier 2 China…
Read MorePlaying basketball is great, I’m sure we can all agree on that. Running around, getting exercise, hanging out with your mates, what’s not to like? And the people! There are so many crazy characters out there that it’s almost as fun people watching than it is to be playing. I’ve been playing for near on…
Read MoreEarlier this week Shawn Dennis became the first coach in NBL history to be named Coach of the Year with the combination of a losing record and without qualifying for the Finals. The award was a testament to his ability to development young talent and overachieve with a roster which “on paper” appeared to…
Read MoreThat’s right; I said it. Australian basketball is going to bigger and better than all of those years in the 90s when Andrew Gaze was leading the pack and everyone wore a Michael Jordan jersey. The NBL was in the same breath as the AFL and soon, it will be again. So if you…
Read MoreThe National Basketball League has a key role to play in the sport’s success and many of Australia’s top talents are now being picked up by NBA sides in the United States of America. In fact, captain Andrew Bogut was the number one overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. Simply put, as we all…
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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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