NBL21 season previews: The Hawks
IF there was one side that has undergone a greater transition off the court than on it, then it would have to be The Hawks, having removed Illawarra from the name – at least for now – and under new ownership are looking to rise back up the ladder. LaMelo Ball was unbelievable for The […]
NBL21 season previews: Cairns Taipans
AFTER a successful season which saw the Cains Taipans snake their way up the ladder, the North Queensland team is ready to build on that stepping stone and go all the way in NBL21. The Taipans finished third on the NBL20 ladder, but were knocked out by Perth Wildcats in the semi-finals. Prior to that, […]
Syndicate buys Illawarra Hawks licence
A SYNDICATE of three passionate basketball businessmen were awarded the Illawarra Hawks licence for the 2020/21 National Basketball League (NBL) season and beyond. In one of the biggest talking points of the NBL off-season, it was at one stage rumoured that future NBA star LaMelo Ball was set to buy the Hawks after representing them […]
Young Guns in the NBL: LaMelo Ball
OF all the National Basketball League (NBL) young guns, the top one from the season was clearly LaMelo Ball. He only played 12 games, but in every stop, Australian basketball fans flooded the stadium just to get a glimpse of the 6’7 point guard. Were the fans buying those tickets just so they could say […]
NBL Free Agency – May: How each team stands after contract opt-outs
LAST month the National Basketball League (NBL) announced it would need to reduce player payments across the board, slashing contracts by up to 50 per cent and reducing the maximum amount of imports to two per club. This had a ripple effect on the clubs and we take a look at who has fared best […]
Draft Central’s Top 10 2019/20 NBL memorable moments: #2 – LaMelo and RJ go at it
EVERYONE just knew the game between the Illawarra Hawks and New Zealand Breakers – the first clash between likely top 10 NBA Draft selections LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton was going to be huge. What fans received was nothing short of expectations when in the very first possession for the Hawks, Hampton swatted Ball’s shot […]
Draft Central’s Top 10 2019/20 NBL memorable moments: #4 – LaMelo Ball posts back-to-back triple doubles
EARLY in the season, you never really know what will or will not live up to they hype and expectations. LaMelo Ball was unquestionably the most anticipated addition to the National Basketball League (NBL), but whether his actual game would warrant the exposure he was getting, was yet to be found out. But when the […]
2019/20 NBL season review: Illawarra Hawks
THE Illawarra Hawks came into the NBL season with high aspirations, following a disappointing yet somewhat successful 2018-19 season. Finishing seventh out of eight teams, it looked a little worse for wear. But, the fact remained that the Hawks were only two wins off a .500 record, with 12 wins from 28 matches. Nevertheless, with […]
NBL 20 Awards night: Cotton gifted second MVP award, Hopson absent from All-NBL First Team
On Sunday night, the National Basketball League hosted its annual Gala Dinner, where all the outstanding performers throughout the season were recognised for their efforts. Ever year, the man of the hour title always falls to the winner of the season’s Most Valuable Player Award (named the Andrew Gaze Trophy). That name-tag this year fell […]
2019/20 NBL preview: Round 18 – Kings and Wildcats face off for prime position
ROUND 18 of the National Basketball League (NBL) is set to tip off tonight in the inaugural Indigenous Round. It will be another round hinged on ladder positioning and finals contentions with the matchup between the Kings and Wildcats set to shake up the top two, while Melbourne United will be looking to sneak back […]
