The best of the NBL's career-building titans

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

For all the talent to have moved through the NBL, there are a select few that stick in the minds of fans nationwide despite spending just one season on our shores.

The NBL is finally gaining the worldwide recognition it deserves, as one of the top pathways to the pinnacle of world basketball the international game can offer – but that’s no new development.

Whether it be Next Stars like Josh Giddey or Rayan Rupert fulfilling their childhood dreams of getting drafted, the ability for local stars Jock Landale or Xavier Cooks to reach the NBA after years of sharpening their skills, or providing a platform for former NBA talents like Jarrell Brantley and Matthew Dellavedova to return to the League, Australia’s domestic competition has well and truly placed itself on the map in recent years.

The strong modern reputation of the NBL's ability to launch its stars to the next level didn’t happen overnight though. Over its almost half-century history, there's countless players who have helped establish the League as a breeding ground for exceptional talent.

A high number of these players needed just one season to showcase their abilities, then take their talents elsewhere, and NBL Media has showcased some of the most notable.

* in alphabetical order

LaMelo Ball

NBL career statistics
12 games | 17 points, 37.3 FG%, 7.5 rebounds, 7 assists, 0.1 blocks, 1.7 steals per game

The basketball world stopped and stared when LaMelo Ball announced his intention to join the Illawarra Hawks for the NBL20 season. One of the most prodigious young talents was headed to Australia in his all important draft year – and he showcased his talents to the world.

Ball became the youngest player to record an NBL triple-double at just 18 years and three months old, and then followed that impressive performance up with another triple-double in the very next game – which would turn out to be his final for the side.

Injuries may have restricted the Next Star to just 12 games in his sole season in the competition, but that was enough for him to earn the NBL Rookie of the Year award and be selected third in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets.

Since leaving the NBL, Ball was named as NBA Rookie of the Year in 2021, and an NBA All-Star in 2022.

Rick Brunson

NBL career statistics
31 games | 21.6 points, 41.8 FG%, 4.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 0.1 blocks, 2.5 steals per game

After going undrafted in 1995, Rick Brunson proved his NBA mettle overseas, prior to joining the Portland Trail Blazers in 1997, with both the Adelaide 36ers and Chinese side Quad City Thunder.

Brunson was named as Adelaide’s MVP for the 1995-96 season, in which the side was knocked out of the semi-finals by eventual champions South East Melbourne.

After earning his NBA opportunity, Brunson embarked on a journeyman career in the competition, and played for eight different teams in nine seasons – including two stints at each of Portland, New York and Chicago.

He is currently an assistant coach for the Knicks.

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Rick Brunson's 1996 season headshot.

Bennett Davison

NBL career statistics
25 games | 19.7 points, 49.2 FG%, 9.3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2.4 blocks, 1.6 steals per game

American big Bennett Davison was brought to the Melbourne Tigers in the hopes of further extending their championship window, and while Melbourne failed to earn the league’s ultimate glory in his sole season at the club, he established himself as one of the premier bigs in the competition.

Davison earned All-NBL Third Team honours alongside teammate Lanard Copeland, as the Tigers registered a fifth-placed finish.

They suffered elimination at the hands of eventual grand finalists Victoria, and having played for Turkish side Galatasaray the season before his time in Melbourne, Davison headed back to Europe.

After spells in Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Puerto Rico and Venezuela, he was set to return to Australia with the Gold Coast Blaze in 2010, but suffered a season-ending injury.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">? TIGER AIR ??<br><br>Melbourne Tigers' high flyer, Bennett Davison brought ALL THE BOUNCE to the 2000 NBL season.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FlashbackFriday?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FlashbackFriday</a> mixtape ? <a href="https://t.co/rI3o5DCEYC">pic.twitter.com/rI3o5DCEYC</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1278896540954718215?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

James Ennis

NBL career statistics
33 games | 21.2 points, 46.8 FG%, 7.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 blocks, 1.4 steals per game

The story of James Ennis’ entry into the NBA is a story of someone absolutely betting on themselves.

The now 33-year-old was selected with the 50^th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, but rather than earn his place in the NBA through the G-League, Ennis came to the NBL and put in a dominant season with the Perth Wildcats.

Following an NBL title and Wildcats MVP award, he departed the competition a fan-favourite and has gone on to play over 400 times in the NBA, with his most successful stints coming in Memphis and Orlando.

Since departing the Denver Nuggets in 2022, he’s since turned out for Israel’s Hapoel Haifa, Russia’s BC Samara and Puerto Rico’s Humacao.

Josh Giddey

NBL career statistics
28 games | 10.9 points, 42.5 FG%, 7.4 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 0.4 blocks, 1.1 steals per game

Josh Giddey is the current major flag-bearer for the constantly expanding group of Australian talent in the NBA, and prior to being drafted by Oklahoma City in 2021, he spent one season in Adelaide as part of the NBL Next Star program.

Giddey led the competition in assists per game in his first season as a professional, and recorded three triple-doubles at just 19 years of age.

His performances saw him selected with the sixth pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and in his opening season he became the first rookie to record a triple-double in three consecutive games since Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson achieved the feat in 1961,

Injuries restricted Giddey to just 54 games – all starts – in his first season for the Thunder, but he was still named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team following his NBL Rookie of the Year win.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Josh Giddey: very skilled.<br><br>The former Next Star's skills will be on show at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAAllStar?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAAllStar</a> as part of the Skills Challenge ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBLxNBA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBLxNBA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/joshgiddey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@joshgiddey</a> <a href="https://t.co/FeWGaegsMw">pic.twitter.com/FeWGaegsMw</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1491254972951916549?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Stephen Jackson

NBL career statistics
4 games | 6 points, 52.6 FG%

Stephen Jackson may have played almost 1000 games in the NBA by the end of his career, but before he even got to the League he embarked on a globe-trotting journey that included a short stop in Sydney.

Jackson played in the Continental Basketball Association – a now defunct American minor league – prior to turning out for the Kings.

Following four games in Sydney, he stopped off in Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and another stint in the American CBA, before earning his NBA opportunity in 2000 with the New Jersey Nets.

He won an NBA title in 2003 and retired from the traditional game in 2014 with a total of 930 NBA games played (754 starts) before transitioning to 3x3 basketball.

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Former King Stephen Jackson was a member of San Antonio's 2003 title-winning side.

Rimas Kurtinaitis

NBL career statistics
21 games | 24.7 points, 44.2 FG%, 5.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.8 blocks, 1.8 steals per game

One of the NBL’s favourite sons, the impact Rimas Kurtinaitis left on the NBL far exceeds the 21 games he played in the competition for the Townsville Suns.

It’s easy to hypothesise the career of Kurtinaitis, like many Eastern European players of the 1980s and 1990s, he became something of a victim of the tensions between the Soviet Union and United States throughout the Cold War era.

He arrived in the NBL as the first ever European import, and left partway through the Suns’ first ever season in the competition to join Spanish powerhouse side Real Madrid.

The Lithuanian sharpshooter was already 33 when he came to Australia, and arrived with a glut of awards to his name, including five USSR League titles, and an appearance in the NBA Three-Point contest in 1989.

He won the Spanish Liga ACB with Real Madrid the season after his departure from the Suns, and has become one of the most successful European coaches in the world, since his playing retirement in 2006.

Jock Landale

NBL career statistics
41 games | 16.5 points, 54.6 FG%, 7.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.4 blocks, 0.6 steals

Jock Landale had already established himself as one of Australia’s top talents in his two seasons plying his trade in Europe. His season at Melbourne United simply hammered that fact home.

Landale ended a trophy-laden two seasons with Serbian side Partizan and Lithuanian side Zalgiris to come to the NBL, in what turned out to be nothing but an exceptional pitstop prior to making his mark in the NBA.

The centre helped lead United to a league-best 28-8 record in the regular season and was named in the All-NBL First Team prior to leading the side to NBL21 glory. He was named as the Grand Final MVP for his performances against the Perth Wildcats and earned a contract with the San Antonio Spurs.

Following a sole season in San Antonio, Landale was traded to the Phoenix Suns, and recently signed a three-year deal with the Houston Rockets.

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuYMVJLLOLH/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuYMVJLLOLH/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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Jordan McRae

NBL career statistics
27 games | 19.9 points, 44.1 FG%, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.9 blocks, 1 steal per game

After being selected with the third to last pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Jordan McRae brought his talents to the newly minted Melbourne United.

The score-first guard couldn’t quite guide Melbourne to a post-season appearance, however his performances saw him awarded with a place in the All-NBL Second Team and an NBA G-League opportunity.

McRae’s NBA journey is a story of hard work and being ready to take your opportunity. He signed two separate 10-day contracts with the Phoenix Suns in 2016, before putting pen to paper on a third 10-day contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

From that initial chance with Cleveland, McRae earned himself an NBA title and an extra season with the side.

He was last seen in the NBA as a member of the Detroit Pistons in the 2019-20 season and most recently played for Greek side AEK Athens.

McRae also set the single-game scoring record for the G-League in 2016, when he dropped 61 points in a win for the Delaware 87ers.

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMApQteD1de/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMApQteD1de/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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Brock Motum

NBL career statistics
24 games | 17.5 points, 51.2 FG%, 7.1 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.4 blocks, 0.6 steals per game

Brock Motum returned to Australia following a four-year collegiate career and one season in Italy, and his addition to the Adelaide 36ers helped catapult the side up the ladder, following a sluggish seven straight losses to start the season.

Motum earned All-NBL First Team honours for his role in Adelaide’s third-placed finish, before the club suffered finals elimination at the hands of eventual champions New Zealand.

Since departing the NBL, Motum has played in Lithuania, Turkey, Spain, France and Japan, and won titles with Lithuanian giants Zalgiris, and Turkish powerhouses Adadolu Efes and Galatasaray.

He has also pulled together an exceptional career representing Australia at the international level and has represented the Boomers at both the World Cup and Olympic Games.

Gettyimages 593223674
Brock Motum celebrates during Australia's 2016 Olympic bronze medal match against Spain.

Doug Overton

NBL career statistics
26 games | 24.3 points, 49.1 FG%, 5 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 0.1 blocks, 1.6 steals per game

Although his playing career began over three decades ago, Doug Overton can lay a strong claim to being seen as the original Next Star.

Overton was selected with the 40^th pick in the 1991 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, but after failing to earn a roster spot, he linked up with the Illawarra Hawks for the 1992 NBL season.

He earned All-NBL First Team honours to catapult himself back into NBA reckoning, signing with the Washington Bullets ahead of the 1992-93 NBA season, and went on to play 499 NBA games across eight different teams.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Doug Overton was the original Next Star ?<br><br>Back in 1992, he went from the <a href="https://twitter.com/illawarrahawks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@illawarrahawks</a> ??Washington Bullets, and then onto an 11 year NBA career.<br><br>Overton averaged 24.3 points, 5.0 rebounds + 6.2 assists finishing in the All-NBL First Team in his only season with the Hawks ? <a href="https://t.co/Vctw1kvTHQ">pic.twitter.com/Vctw1kvTHQ</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1157828415271006208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Duop Reath

NBL career statistics
30 games | 15.6 points, 48.7 FG%, 7.1 rebounds, 1 assist, 1.6 blocks, 0.6 steals per game

Duop Reath’s performance at this past NBA Summer League could well have seen him play his way into an NBA contract. Since his departure from the Illawarra Hawks, the Olympic bronze medal winner has been building his game to the exceptional level it is today.

The 27-year-old returned to Australia following a four year college career and three years in Europe. He won the Serbian League and Adriatic League as a member of Crvena Zvezda in 2021.

After helping guide the Hawks to the semi-finals of the NBL22 season, Reath has since represented Chinese side Qingdao Eagles and Lebanese club Al Riyadi Club Beirut, with whom he most recently won the Lebanese Basketball League, against Jo Lual-Acuil Jr's Dynamo Lebanon.

Jae’Sean Tate

NBL career statistics
34 games | 16.8 points, 64.3 FG%, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.5 blocks, 0.9 steals per game

Jae’Sean Tate arrived in the NBL following a successful debut professional season in Belgium, and the former Antwerp Giants forward excelled under head coach Will Weaver.

Tate’s Sydney Kings finished top of the ladder, and he earned an All-NBL First Team selection for his performances at the four spot for the side – but they suffered defeat to the Perth Wildcats in the Championship Series.

Both Weaver and Tate then headed to Houston, and following an All-Rookie First Team selection in his first season in the NBA, Tate remains there to this day. In three seasons, he has made 179 appearances (142 starts) for the side.

Chris Williams

NBL career statistics
38 games | 23.6 points, 53.4 FG%, 12.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, 2.2 steals per game

It’s easy to argue that there has been no season more imperious in NBL history than Chris Williams’ sole campaign for the Sydney Kings – which is made all the more impressive considering it was his first season out of college.

Williams repeated NBL legend Derek Rucker’s efforts of being named NBL MVP in his first ever professional season but, on top of that, also added a championship and Larry Sengstock Medal to his cabinet.

Following his impressive season with the Kings, Williams embarked on a journeyman career around Europe and Asia, where has also added title honours in Germany and South Korea to his resume.

He also became the second player in Chinese CBA history to record a quadruple-double (15 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, 11 steals) in the history of the competition in 2009, and was named to the Kings’ 25^th Anniversary Team in 2013.

Williams unfortunately passed away in 2017 aged just 36 due to heart complications.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">RIP to one of the greatest to set foot on an NBL court. Chris Williams took the league by storm in '03. Our thoughts go to his fam & friends <a href="https://t.co/f2N75Ppb2c">pic.twitter.com/f2N75Ppb2c</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/842171760535527424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>