Creek 300: A Timeline

One of the faces of his franchise and one of the faces of the NBL suits up his 300th NBL game this weekend.

With a stint in Europe and the US sandwiched in between his successful time in the NBL, Mitch Creek has created some of the biggest highlights in Australian basketball during his time as a professional.

His penchant for high-flying and athletic plays, coupled with how he wears his heart on his sleeve makes Creek one of the most likeable and recognisable stars plying their trade in our league today.

Ahead of his milestone game NBL Media looks back at Creek’s career so far.

Adelaide 36ers: 2010-2018
Since impressing at the professional level straight out of the Australian Institute of Sport, Creek hit the ground running in his first season in the NBL. First appearing in the 2010-11 competition, Creek walked into a team in dire need of a spark after finishing bottom of the ladder the season prior with just ten wins. Across 20 games he averaged 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per contest.

Mitch Creek drives past Todd Blanchfield during the 2010-11 NBL season.

Following a sophomore season filled with obvious development, the emerging Creek was forced to sit on the sidelines for the second half of the season, after suffering a ruptured Achilles against the Townsville Crocodiles with just six minutes remaining in the team’s Round 12 clash.

He returned to the court in the 2013-14 season to become a key member of a team that was absolutely flying. The 36ers didn’t drop out of the top two on the ladder after Round 3, and defeated the Melbourne Tigers en route to a grand final appearance against the Wildcats. After averaging eight points and four rebounds a season Adelaide’s campaign would end in heartbreak after suffering a blowout loss to Perth in game three of the grand final.

(L-R) Adam Gibson, Rhys Carter, Luke Schenscher and Mitch Creek watch on after game three of the 2014 NBL grand final.

Despite making the grand final just the year prior, the 36ers dropped one place on the ladder to finish third in 2015, before suffering elimination at the hands of eventual champions New Zealand. Creek averaged double-digit points per game for the first time in his career.

The Sixers missed the playoffs entirely in 2016 and, much like the rest of the team, Creek suffered a dip in numbers from the season prior. In 2017 however, he posted career-best averages of 12.4 points, 1.8 assists and 5.2 rebounds in over 24 minutes per game as Adelaide topped the ladder at the end of the regular season. Despite wining game one of their semi-final against Illawarra, they suffered the misfortune of being eliminated by the finals’ lowest seed in the three game series.

After putting together yet another career season in 2018, Creek and the 36ers once again tasted grand final defeat. After overcoming the Perth Wildcats in the semi finals, they took Melbourne United all the way to game five of the grand final, before falling at the final hurdle.

Mitch Creek celebrates a dunk in the 2018 NBL grand final series against Melbourne United.

Outside the NBL: 2018-19
After playing in seven games for BG Gottingen in the German Basketball Bundesliga in the NBL off-season, Creek exercised the European out-clause in his 36ers contract to sign on with s. Oliver Wurzburg of the same division, bringing an end to his successful eight year association with Adelaide.

After impressing in the NBA Summer League with the Dallas Mavericks, Creek then exercised the NB out-clause in his contract with Wurzburg to sign for the Brooklyn Nets.

After initially signing on an Exhibit-10 deal with the Nets, Creek made his NBA debut against the New York Knicks, and went on to play four games for the team before getting waived. He then added one more NBA appearance with the Minnesota Timberwolves, before returning to Australia.

Creek defends Milwaukee forward  Giannis Antetokounmpo while representing the Brookly Nets.

South East Melbourne Phoenix: 2020-present

Any new team entering an elite-level competition needs a big-name signing to get fans on board and bums on seats, and that’s exactly what Creek was for the newly-minted South East Melbourne Phoenix.

Named as the team’s inaugural marquee signing, Creek took the reigns as first option on offence for the NBL’s newest team and absolutely thrived with the spotlight on him.

Also named as co-captain for the entirety of his stint at the Phoenix so far, Creek returned from Europe and the US as a far more complete player – particularly on offence. After never averaging more that 14 points per game with Adelaide, Creek has dropped below the 20 points per game mark just once in his three-and-a-half seasons in the green and black.

Mitch Creek partakes in a media opportunity after signing with the South East Melbourne Phoenix in 2019.

You can watch Creek take to the NBL floor for the 300th time live and free on 10 Peach and 10play | Live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel on Sunday at 4pm AEDT.