
NBL Next Star Preview – Noa Kouakou-Heugue
LOOKING to follow in the footsteps of Alexandre Sarr, Ousmane Dieng and Rayan Rupert, Frenchman Noa Kouakou-Heugue is looking to achieve his NBA dreams of getting drafted, and has joined the NBL Next Stars program as his pathway of reaching that goal. Kouakou-Heugue will be joining the Perth Wildcats, and hoping to have the same […]

Kouakou-Heugue set to wonder as Wildcats Next Star
NOA KOUAKOU-HENGUE has become the second Frenchman to join the Perth Wildcats as an NBL Next Star, after joining the pathway for the 2025/26 season following an eye-catching stint on the international stage. A big man who brings plenty of versatility to the table, Kouakou-Heugue stands a mighty six-foot-11, and is rising as a prospect […]

TOP 10 – NBL Next Stars
THE NATIONAL Basketball League (NBL) Next Stars program has proved fruitful as a pathway to the NBA Draft, with plenty of players reaching the top level after honing their craft in a professional competition for a season or two. There have even been a handful of players that have been selected in the Top 10, […]

NBL Next Stars under the microscope in new series
WITH THE 2024/25 National Basketball League (NBL) season all wrapped up, some of the competition’s Next Stars have played their final game on Australian shores, while others are gearing up for a big finals campaign to further their NBA Draft stock. The NBA Draft is just four months away, and the NBL fixture has offered […]

Breakers’ bravery on display in Thunder loss
ALTHOUGH it was not exactly the trip to the United States they were hoping for, the New Zealand Breakers delivered their best performance yet in the loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday morning. The clash marked the last of the NBL x NBA preseason clashes, with the Breakers missing the last two rounds […]

Where are they now? – NBL Next Stars 2020-22
THE INCLUSION of the National Basketball League (NBL) Next Stars program has put the competition on the global map in the past five years, now more loaded with talent than ever before. The program brings some of the best NBA Draft hopefuls down under, competing in a league that is highly regarded around the world […]

Next Stars under the spotlight ahead of NBL season
THE introduction of the Next Stars program in the National Basketball League (NBL) has seen a huge boost in the number of players that have gone on to forge successful careers around the world. The success stories have included Lamelo Ball, Joshua Giddey and Ousmane Dieng, all of whom were selected in the top 10 […]

NBL | Next Star Watch – Round 11
THERE was plenty of anticipation surrounding the National Basketball League (NBL)’s 2023/24 season for many reasons, including the performances of some seriously talented youngsters. Through the NBL’s Next Stars program, some of the best prospects in the world have joined Australia’s premier basketball competition in a bid to further their chances of selection at the […]

Gold Coast set for basketball Blitz
EARLIER today, the National Basketball League (NBL) announced its upcoming Blitz preseason campaign, following years of success. The NBL Blitz will take place on the Gold Coast during September in the first taste of NBL action since the Sydney Kings won the 2022/23 title. The tournament allows every side in the competition to get their […]

Past and present NBL players taking Summer League by storm
THE NBL is continuing to grow on the world stage, and that is demonstrated by the competition’s presence in the NBA Summer League this season. The Summer League is the NBA’s pre-season competition, highlighting some of the best and brightest young players in the league. Given the fact that a lot of the NBA’s more […]