Auckland Tuatara | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Head coach | ||||||||||||||||||||
League | NZNBL | ||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | 16 August 1989||||||||||||||||||||
Listed height | 196 cm (6 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Listed weight | 90 kg (198 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||
High school | Bunbury Senior (Bunbury, Western Australia) | ||||||||||||||||||||
College | Concordia (CA) (2008–2012) | ||||||||||||||||||||
NBA draft | 2012: undrafted | ||||||||||||||||||||
Playing career | 2006–2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Shooting guard | ||||||||||||||||||||
Coaching career | 2025–present | ||||||||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||
As player: | |||||||||||||||||||||
2006 | Bunbury Slammers | ||||||||||||||||||||
2007 | Australian Institute of Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||
2009 | South West Slammers | ||||||||||||||||||||
2012–2018 | Cairns Taipans | ||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | AZS Koszalin | ||||||||||||||||||||
2017 | Avtodor Saratov | ||||||||||||||||||||
2018–2020 | Brisbane Bullets | ||||||||||||||||||||
2019 | Canterbury Rams | ||||||||||||||||||||
2020–2022 | South East Melbourne Phoenix | ||||||||||||||||||||
2022–2024 | New Zealand Breakers | ||||||||||||||||||||
2023–2024 | Auckland Tuatara | ||||||||||||||||||||
As coach: | |||||||||||||||||||||
2025– | Auckland Tuatara | ||||||||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
Medals
|
Cameron Richard Gliddon (born 16 August 1989) is an Australian basketball coach and former professional player, currently the head coach of the Auckland Tuatara in the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). He played four years of college basketball for Concordia University before returning to Australia and joining the Cairns Taipans of the National Basketball League (NBL), where he won the NBL Rookie of the Year Award in 2013. After six seasons with the Taipans, he played two seasons for the Brisbane Bullets (2018–20), two for the South East Melbourne Phoenix (2020–22), and two for the New Zealand Breakers (2022–24). He also played in Poland, Russia and the New Zealand NBL throughout his career. In September 2024, he retired from playing and was appointed head coach of the Auckland Tuatara.
Gliddon was born in Perth, Western Australia, and grew up in Bunbury. [1] He attended Bunbury Senior High School and played for the Bunbury Slammers in the Western Australian Basketball League (WABL). [2] [3] [4]
Gliddon debuted for the Slammers in the State Basketball League (SBL) in 2006, playing five games. [5] In 2007, he moved to Canberra and played for the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL), averaging 7.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 17 games. [6] He returned to the Slammers in 2009, playing six games. [7]
For the 2008–09 season, Gliddon moved to the United States to play college basketball for Concordia University. As a freshman, Gliddon finished second on the team for three-pointers made with 65. In 35 games (13 starts), he averaged 9.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game. [1]
As a sophomore in 2009–10, Gliddon led the GSAC for three-pointers made with 85, as he tied for sixth-most in school single-season history. In 32 games (26 starts), he averaged 10.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game. [1]
As a junior in 2010–11, Gliddon recorded a career-high eight made three-pointers against Concordia Chicago on 29 December 2010. In 36 games (20 starts), he averaged 9.1 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game. [1]
As a senior in 2011–12, Gliddon led the Eagles to the NAIA national championship, going on to be named the All-Tournament MVP and to the All-Tournament Team, as well as the first-team All-NAIA D1. In 38 games (all starts), he averaged 14.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game. [1]
On 3 May 2012, Gliddon signed a three-year deal with the Cairns Taipans of the National Basketball League. [8] [9] He was not well known upon signing with the Taipans but quickly developed into a key player, playing all 28 games in the 2012–13 NBL season and breaking into the starting five. [10] He averaged 7.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists and ranked third in the league for steals with 1.4 per game. He scored in double figures nine times, including scoring a career-high 26 points against the Perth Wildcats. [10] He was subsequently named the NBL Rookie of the Year. [11] [12] He became the NBL's second rookie of the year from Bunbury, joining Mark Worthington (2006). [10]
A recurring back injury sidelined Gliddon for three matches during the 2013–14 NBL season but recovered to have a strong second half of the season. He improved to 12 points per game and shot around 50 per cent from the field, and increase from 35.9 per cent in 2012–13. [13] He was named the Taipans Club MVP, becoming the youngest player to win the award since Nathan Jawai in 2008. [14] In 25 games, Gliddon averaged 12.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. [15]
On 1 April 2014, Gliddon took up the option of the third year of his three-year contract, re-signing with the Taipans for the 2014–15 NBL season. [16] Prior to the season, Gliddon was named team captain. [17] He helped the Taipans clinch their first ever NBL minor premiership, [18] finishing the regular season in first place with a 21–7 record. [19] They went on to reach the 2015 NBL Grand Final series, where they lost 2–0 to the New Zealand Breakers. [20] Gliddon appeared in all 32 games for the Taipans in 2014–15, averaging 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. [21]
On 27 March 2015, Gliddon re-signed with the Taipans on a three-year deal; the contract included a European out-clause after the 2015–16 NBL season. [22] He led the Taipans in scoring with 13.5 points per game (46 per cent) in 2015–16, and was the team's best shooter from outside (38.9 per cent) and at the charity stripe (87.5 per cent). He was subsequently named the Taipans Club MVP, becoming the third player to be named the club MVP multiple times. [23] The Taipans missed the finals in 2015–16 after finishing with a 12–16 record.
Following the conclusion of the Taipans' season, Gliddon joined AZS Koszalin of the Polish Basketball League. [24] In 10 games for Koszalin, he averaged 7.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
Heading into the 2016–17 NBL season, Taipans coach Aaron Fearne demanded more of Gliddon in his third season as captain. During pre-season, Gliddon claimed the Ray Borner tournament MVP Medal. [25] The Taipans returned to the finals in 2016–17 after finishing the regular season in second place with a 15–13 record. They went on to lose to the third-seeded Perth Wildcats in the semi-finals, bowing out in straight sets. Gliddon once again appeared in every game on the season, averaging 10.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals in 30 contests.
Following the conclusion of the Taipans' season, Gliddon joined Russian club Avtodor Saratov of the VTB United League. [26] He appeared in five games for Avtodor, averaging 1.4 points and 1.6 rebounds per game.
In 2017–18, Gliddon started in all 28 games and led the Taipans with an average of 12.6 points per game, scoring a total of 353 points. He led the NBL in free throws, only missing one throughout the entire season, finishing 48-from-49. [27] Gliddon finished in the Top 13 in the NBL's MVP voting, [28] and was named the Cairns Taipans co-MVP alongside Mitch McCarron. [27] The Taipans missed the finals in 2017–18, finishing in sixth place with an 11–17 record.
On 28 March 2018, Gliddon parted ways with the Taipans. [29]
On 17 April 2018, Gliddon signed a three-year deal with the Brisbane Bullets. [30] [31] On 4 November 2018, he scored a career-high 30 points and hit the game-winning three-pointer with under a second left on the clock as the Bullets defeated the Adelaide 36ers 93–90. [32] He helped the Bullets finish the regular season in fourth place with a 14–14 record, going on to lose 2–0 to the Perth Wildcats in the semi-finals despite his 18 points in game one and 10 points in game two, which was his 200th game in the NBL. [33] [34]
On 17 June 2020, Gliddon was released from the final year of his contract with the Bullets in mutual agreement. [35]
On 13 February 2019, Gliddon signed with the Canterbury Rams for the 2019 New Zealand NBL season. [36] He was named the NBL's Most Outstanding Guard and earned All-Star Five honours. [37] In 18 games, he averaged 14.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
On 16 July 2020, Gliddon signed a two-year deal with the South East Melbourne Phoenix. [38]
On 7 June 2022, Gliddon signed a two-year deal with the New Zealand Breakers. [39] In December 2022, he played his 300th NBL game. [40]
Gliddon joined the Auckland Tuatara for the 2023 New Zealand NBL season. [41] On 21 April, he scored a game-high 31 points with nine 3-pointers in a 97–77 loss to the Southland Sharks. [42]
Gliddon returned to the Breakers for the 2023–24 NBL season. [43] He returned to the Tuatara for the 2024 New Zealand NBL season. [44]
On 6 September 2024, Gliddon announced his retirement after 342 NBL games. He hit 638 three-pointers throughout his career, third most in the NBL's 40-minute era, trailing only Chris Goulding and Bryce Cotton. [45]
In 2007, Gliddon represented Australia at the FIBA Under-19 World Championship in Serbia. [46]
Gliddon was in contention for the Australian Boomers' 2016 Rio Olympics team, [47] going on to make his debut for the senior national team in 2017 at the FIBA Asia Cup, where he won a gold medal. [48] [49] In 2018, he helped the Boomers win gold at the Commonwealth Games. He contributed eight points, seven rebounds and five assists in the gold medal game. [30] In 2019, he was a member of the Boomers' FIBA World Cup team. [50]
On 13 September 2024, Gliddon was appointed head coach of the Auckland Tuatara for the 2025 New Zealand NBL season. [51] [52]
Gliddon has one brother and two sisters. [1]
Kirk Samuel Penney is a New Zealand former professional basketball player. He is the all-time leading scorer for New Zealand's national team and he ranks 12th all-time in points scored at the FIBA World Cup. In 2024, he was inducted in the FIBA Hall of Fame.
Calvin Thomas "C. J." Bruton Jr. is an American-Australian professional basketball coach and former player. He played the majority of his career in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) where he won six league championships and was a five-time All-NBL Team selection. Bruton played for numerous NBL teams over his career: Perth Wildcats, Brisbane Bullets, Wollongong Hawks, Canberra Cannons, Sydney Kings and New Zealand Breakers.
Robert Loe is a New Zealand professional basketball player for Melbourne United of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for Saint Louis University and represents the New Zealand national team. He also holds a British passport.
Ayinde X. Ubaka is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the California Golden Bears and spent seven seasons playing professionally overseas.
Kevin John Lisch is an American former professional basketball player and coach, most known for his time spent in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) as a player. He also holds an Italian passport and is an Australian citizen.
Stephen Weigh is an Australian former professional basketball player who spent 10 seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL). He started his NBL career in 2008 after a two-year college stint at Utah. He won his only NBL Championship in 2010 with the Wildcats before joining the Adelaide 36ers in 2011. After two seasons with the 36ers, Weigh returned to his home state of Queensland and played out his final five seasons with the Cairns Taipans.
Torrey Craig is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the USC Upstate Spartans, where he was named an honorable mention All-American and Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year in 2012.
Bryce Jiron Cotton is an American professional basketball player for the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL). In the NBL, he is a four-time winner of the Most Valuable Player Award and has won three championships. He is also a two-time grand final MVP, seven-time All-NBL First Team recipient, and has seven scoring titles.
Scottie Jordan Wilbekin is an American-born naturalized Turkish professional basketball player for Fenerbahçe Beko of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL) and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Florida Gators, where he was named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in 2014. Wilbekin played professional basketball in Australia, Greece, Turkey and Israel. He led Darüşşafaka to win the 2018 EuroCup title, while earning the EuroCup Finals and the Regular Season MVP awards.
Corey Maynard is an Australian former professional sportsman who played basketball and Australian rules football. He played college basketball for Bryant University before playing professionally in the National Basketball League (NBL) for the Cairns Taipans and Townsville Crocodiles. He switched to football in 2016 to play in the Australian Football League (AFL) for the Melbourne Football Club. He retired in 2019.
Thomas Lachlan Jervis is an Australian professional basketball player who last played for the Rockingham Flames of the NBL1 West. He played college basketball for Bevill State Community College and Troy University in the United States before debuting in the National Basketball League (NBL). He won two NBL championships with the Perth Wildcats between 2013 and 2016. After two seasons with the Brisbane Bullets, Jervis returned to the Wildcats in 2018 and won his third championship. He retired from basketball in 2019 but made a comeback in January 2021 to re-join the Wildcats. Jervis is also well known for his time spent in the State Basketball League (SBL) with the East Perth Eagles, having played for them every year between 2009 and 2016, helping them win their maiden championship in 2014.
Anthony Fisher is an Australian former professional basketball player. He played the majority of his career in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) and Queensland Basketball League (QBL), playing for the Ballarat Miners (2011–2015) and Cairns Marlins. He was a member of the Marlins' championship-winning team in 2016. He also had stints in the National Basketball League (NBL) with the Perth Wildcats and Cairns Taipans. After four years as a development player and extended squad member of the Taipans, he earned a full-time contract with the club in 2019.
Jeremy Paul Kendle is an American professional basketball player for the Al-Ittihad SC Aleppo of the Syrian Basketball League. He played three seasons of college basketball for Bellarmine University, becoming the only player in school history to be named to the NABC All-America Team two years in a row. He was also a key member of the Bellarmine Knights' 2011 championship-winning team, helping the school claim their first NCAA Division II National Championship.
Shaun Bruce is an Australian professional basketball player for the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League (NBL). He began his NBL career in 2012 and has played for the Cairns Taipans, Brisbane Bullets, Adelaide 36ers and Sydney Kings. He helped the Kings win back-to-back NBL championships in 2022 and 2023.
Nathan Adam Sobey is an Australian professional basketball player for the South East Melbourne Phoenix of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Wyoming Cowboys before debuting in the NBL in 2014 for the Cairns Taipans. He was a member of the Australian Boomers team that won bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The 2019–20 NBL season was the 42nd season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979.
The 2019–20 Cairns Taipans season was the 21st season for the Cairns Taipans in the NBL, and their second season under the guidance of head coach Mike Kelly. The team consisted of their imports, eight regular roster players and their two development players. The squad was widely considered to be the underdogs of the NBL, with their roster lacking depth and having four rookies on their roster. These predictions also coupled with the Taipans' previous season, during which they struggled to compile wins and finished with a 6–22 record.
The 2018–19 NBL season was the 20th season for the Cairns Taipans in the National Basketball League (NBL).
Bul Kuol is a South Sudanese-Australian professional basketball player for the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League (NBL). Born in Sudan, he moved to Australia when he was nine years old and grew up in Canberra. He played college basketball in the United States for five years, four at California Baptist and one at Detroit Mercy. He joined the Cairns Taipans in 2021 and played three seasons for the club. In 2023, he had a stint with Le Mans of the French Pro A.
Cameron Tragardh is an Australian former professional basketball player who played 13 seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL). He made his debut in the NBL in 2003 and played for the Townsville Crocodiles, Brisbane Bullets, Wollongong Hawks, Melbourne Tigers, and Cairns Taipans across his career. He was named NBL Most Improved Player in 2008 and NBL Best Sixth Man in 2015. He was also named to the All-NBL Team twice.