The National Basketball League (NBL) is a men's professional basketball league in Australasia, currently composed of ten teams: nine in Australia and one in New Zealand. It is the premier professional men's basketball league in Australia and New Zealand.
Andrew Barry Casson Gaze is an Australian former professional basketball player and coach. He played 22 seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL) with the Melbourne Tigers from 1984 to 2005, winning the league's MVP award seven times and winning the scoring title 14 times. He also guided the Tigers to two NBL championships, in 1993 and 1997, and was named an All-NBL First Team member for a record 15 consecutive years. Gaze has been described as one of the greatest players Australia has ever produced.
Melbourne United is an Australian professional basketball team based in Melbourne, Victoria. United compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at John Cain Arena.
The Brisbane Bullets are an Australian professional men's basketball team in the National Basketball League (NBL) based in Brisbane, Queensland. They competed from 1979 to 2008, and returned to the league in 2016. Brisbane were one of ten NBL foundation teams and have won three NBL championships, being successful in the 1985 and 1987 seasons, and again in 2007. They have also competed in the 1984, 1986 and 1990 grand finals and have reached the playoffs 22 times.
The Adelaide 36ers are an Australian professional men's basketball team in the National Basketball League (NBL). The 36ers are the only team in the league representing the state of South Australia and are based in the state's capital of Adelaide. The club was originally called the Adelaide City Eagles when they joined the NBL in 1982, but changed their name to the 36ers the following year. The 36ers nickname comes from the fact that the Colony of South Australia was officially proclaimed on 28 December 1836. Since 2019, the 36ers play their home games at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
Mark Robert Bradtke is an Australian retired professional basketball player who played mainly in Australia's National Basketball League, but also had a single stint in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996–97. As well as his outstanding play, Bradtke was known in the early part of his NBL career for his mullet haircut.
Brian Warwick Goorjian is an American-Australian professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League (NBL). He is also coach of the Australia men's national basketball team. He is the most successful coach in Australian basketball and his career has been called the most successful in NBL history by Basketball Australia. In an NBL coaching career spanning over 20 years, Goorjian has won six championships: two with the South East Melbourne Magic, three with the Sydney Kings and one with the South Dragons. He previously served as the head coach of the Australia men's team from 2001 to 2008 before returning as coach in 2020.
Lanard Copeland is an American-Australian professional basketball coach and former player. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, he played in the National Basketball League (NBL) from 1992 to 2008.
Ricky Ray Grace is an American-Australian former professional basketball player who spent the majority of his career in the Australian National Basketball League with the Perth Wildcats.
Samuel Mackinnon is an Australian basketball coach and former player. He played in the National Basketball League (NBL) between 1994 and 2010, where he won two NBL championships and was named the NBL Most Valuable Player in 2007. He currently serves as an assistant coach of the South East Melbourne Phoenix in the NBL.
Daryl Corletto is an Australian-British professional basketball player.
Brett Rainbow is an Australian former professional basketball player. He played six seasons for the Melbourne Tigers of the National Basketball League (NBL), winning an NBL championship in 1997.
Christopher James Goulding is an Australian professional basketball player for Melbourne United of the National Basketball League (NBL). He made his debut in the NBL in 2006 as a development player with the Brisbane Bullets, going on to play for the Perth Wildcats and Gold Coast Blaze, before settling in Melbourne. In the NBL, Goulding is a three-time championship winner and a two-time All-NBL First Team honouree. He also won the league's scoring title in 2014 and claimed Grand Final MVP honours in 2018. Goulding is a regular with the Australian Boomers, but he also holds a British passport thanks to his father, which allowed him to play as a local in Spain and Italy between 2014 and 2016.
Daniel Geoffrey Craig Johnson is an Australian professional basketball player who last played for the Forestville Eagles of the NBL1 Central. He debuted in the National Basketball League (NBL) in 2008 with the Melbourne Tigers. After two seasons, he joined the Adelaide 36ers where he played the next 13 seasons. With the 36ers, he is a seven-time All-NBL Team member, including three All-NBL First Team recognitions. Johnson is also a long-time Australian state league player and has had many stints overseas.
Mitchell Creek is an Australian professional basketball player for Trabzonspor of the Türkiye Basketbol Ligi (TBL). He began his National Basketball League (NBL) career in 2010 and played his first eight seasons with the Adelaide 36ers. After a stint in Germany in 2018, he joined the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League. During the 2018–19 season, he had stints in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves. He played for the South East Melbourne Phoenix between 2019 and 2024.
Daniel James Dillon is an Australian former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats before playing professionally in Australia, Romania, Poland, Japan, and France.
Bennie Lewis III is an American-Australian basketball player. He played college basketball for Benedict College in the United States before playing the majority of his career in Australia.
Scott Ninnis is an Australian professional basketball coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of the Adelaide Lightning of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). He won three National Basketball League (NBL) championships during his career: 1986 and 1998 with the Adelaide 36ers and 1992 with the South East Melbourne Magic. He coached the 36ers for two years and was an assistant coach with the club when they won the 1998–99 and 2001–02 NBL championships. He returned to the 36ers' coaching staff in 2023 as an assistant and was appointed as interim head coach midway through the 2023–24 season. Despite re-signing with the 36ers to be head coach, he was sacked in August 2024.
Mike Kelly is an American-Australian professional basketball coach and former player. He played college basketball for Orange Coast College and Westmont College before playing professionally in Australia. He played 13 seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL) between 1993 and 2006, winning an NBL championship with the South East Melbourne Magic in 1996 while earning grand final MVP honours. In 1997 and 1998, he earned back-to-back NBL Best Defensive Player selection. He moved into coaching after retiring as a player, where he served as a college assistant for seven years before returning to the NBL in 2013. In 2018, he won an NBL championship as an assistant with Melbourne United. Two years later, he won NBL Coach of the Year as head coach of the Cairns Taipans. He was appointed head coach of the South East Melbourne Phoenix in 2023 but left in October 2024 after starting the 2024–25 NBL season with a 0–5 record.
Ian Stacker is an Australian former professional basketball player and coach. Listed by the NBL in 1983 as 181 cm and a guard, he had an eight-year playing career before becoming a successful coach in the National Basketball League (NBL), winning the NBL Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2003 with the Townsville Crocodiles.
