25 Most Famous Australian Basketball Players

25 Most Famous Australian Basketball Players

Australia’s general populace has traditionally favored basketball as a sport. Because of the policies and programs put in place in the nation that have helped the sport thrive, the country is home to some of the top basketball players in the world.

The athletes have left their stamp on the sport, and their accomplishments have had a significant impact on how the game is played both domestically and internationally.

These athletes stand out for their skills as a whole, expertise, effect on the court, hard work, and aesthetic appeal. They have served as an example for the next generation and have outstanding court mobility.

They range from great point guards to hyper centers and point forwards with incredibly sharp vision, and they represent a variety of generations of talent who play and leave their achievements for admiration.

Despite their shortcomings, they had nothing short of outstanding careers, and their effect can still be seen in the modern sports industry. Here are 25 of the top basketball players from Australia.

1. Andrew Bogut

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Andrew Bogut is an Australian former basketball player who played in the NBA for most of his career. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the first overall pick in 2005 and earned All-NBA Third Team honors in 2010. He was traded to the Golden State Warriors in 2012 and won an NBA championship with them in 2015.

He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team that year. Bogut is considered one of the leading faces of Australian basketball and has been credited with helping to pave the way for other Australian players in the NBA. He also played a leading role in revitalizing the Australian NBL.

2. Ben Simmons

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Ben Simmons is an Australian professional basketball player who currently plays for the Brooklyn Nets. He was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. After missing his rookie season due to a foot injury, he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2018.

He has been selected to the NBA All-Star Game three times. In 2021, he held out from playing for the 76ers, which led to him being traded to the Nets. Simmons is a dual citizen of Australia and the United States and has played for the Australian national team.

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3. Patty Mills

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Patrick Mills is an Australian professional basketball player who is known for his three-point shooting and his leadership qualities. He was born and raised in Canberra, Australia, and is of Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal Australian descent.

He made his professional debut in 2007 when he became the third Indigenous basketball player to play for the Australian national team.

Mills was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round of the 2009 NBA draft. He played for the Trail Blazers for two seasons before playing in the National Basketball League (NBL) and the Chinese Basketball Association during the 2011 NBA lockout.

In 2012, he returned to the United States and signed with the San Antonio Spurs. He helped the Spurs win the 2014 NBA championship and became a key contributor off the bench.

In 2021, Mills led the Australian Boomers to their first-ever medal in international competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He is now playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

4. Lauren Jackson

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Lauren Jackson is an Australian professional basketball player who has won numerous championships in both the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She led the AIS team to a WNBL championship in 1998 and then joined the Canberra Capitals, with whom she won four more WNBL championships.

Jackson also played for the Seattle Storm in the WNBA. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.

5. Matthew Dellavedova

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Australian-born Matthew Dellavedova plays for Melbourne United in the NBL as a professional basketball player. He was a basketball player for Saint Mary’s College. As a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, he won the NBA title. At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, he took home a bronze medal with the Australian national team.

6. Liz Cambage

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Elizabeth Cambage is an Australian basketball player who currently plays for Maccabi Bnot Ashdod in Israel. She is known for her scoring ability and holds the WNBA single-game scoring record with 53 points.

Cambage has also played for the Australian national team, the Opals, and won a gold medal in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, silver in the 2018 World Cup, and bronze in the 2012 Olympics.

Check Out: 15 Greatest Female Basketball Players of All Times

7. Dante Exum

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Dante Exum is an Australian basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA. He was drafted by the Utah Jazz with the fifth overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft after choosing to bypass college. He has played for the Australian national team and won a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

8. Joe Ingles

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Joseph Ingles is an Australian basketball player who most recently played for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA. He is a small forward and is known for his three-point shooting. He is the all-time leader in three-pointers made for the Utah Jazz. Ingles has also played for the Australian national team and was part of the team that won bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

9. Luc Longley

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Lucien Longley is an Australian basketball coach and former player. He was the first Australian to play in the NBA, where he played for four teams over 10 seasons. He is best known for playing for the Chicago Bulls, with whom he won three championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998.

He also played for Australia at three Olympic Games. After retiring from playing, he became an assistant coach for the Australian national team.

10. Chris Anstey

Christopher Anstey is a former Australian professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Russia, and Spain. He was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 18th overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft.

He also played for the Melbourne Tigers, South East Melbourne Magic, and Victoria Titans in the National Basketball League (NBL). He retired at the end of the 2009–10 season while with the Tigers and later became the team’s head coach in 2012.

11. Shane Heal

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Shane Douglas Heal is an Australian basketball coach and former player. He is best known for his international career, where he represented Australia at four Olympic Games and numerous FIBA World Championships. He also played in the NBA for two seasons, with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the San Antonio Spurs.

12. Mark Bradtke

Mark Bradtke is an Australian retired basketball player who played mainly in Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL). He played for the Adelaide 36ers, Brisbane Bullets, and Melbourne Tigers. He also had a single stint in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996–97.

Bradtke was known for his outstanding play and his mullet haircut. In 2013, he was inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame for his contributions to basketball both in the NBL and for Basketball Australia.

13. Andrew Gaze

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Andrew Gaze is an Australian former professional basketball player who played 22 seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL). He played for the Melbourne Tigers for a bigger part of his career, from 1984 to 2005. He won the league’s MVP award seven times and the scoring title 14 times.

He also led the Tigers to two NBL championships. He was named an All-NBL First Team member for a record 15 consecutive years. Gaze is considered one of the greatest basketball players Australia has ever produced.

14. David Andersen

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David Andersen is an Australian-Danish former professional basketball player. He is one of Australia’s most experienced and successful players, having won 12 league championships across Europe. He won 9 European national domestic league championships and 3 EuroLeague championships while playing in Italy, Russia, Spain, Turkey, and France.

He also played in the NBA for two seasons, from 2009 to 2011. In 2018 and 2021, he won championships with Melbourne United in the National Basketball League (NBL).

15. Brad Newley

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Brad Newley is an Australian professional basketball player who plays for the Frankston Blues of the NBL1 South and Melbourne United of the National Basketball League (NBL). He started his career in Australia, playing for the Australian Institute of Sport and the Townsville Crocodiles.

He was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the 2007 NBA draft but never played in the NBA. Instead, he played in Europe for several years, in Greece, Turkey, Lithuania, and Spain. In 2016, he returned to Australia and played for the Sydney Kings until 2021.

16. Andrew Vlahov

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Andrew Vlahov is an Australian former professional basketball player who played his entire 11-year career for the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL). He is one of the most successful players in NBL history, having won three championships with the Wildcats in 1991, 1995, and 2000. 

17. Erin Phillips

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Erin Phillips is an Australian athlete who plays Australian rules football for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the AFL Women’s (AFLW) competition, hosts a radio show, and is a former professional basketball player. She played nine seasons in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) for five different teams and is a two-time WNBA champion.

She also represented Australia on the women’s national basketball team, winning a gold medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women and serving as a co-vice captain at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

18. Damian Martin

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Damian Martin is an Australian former professional basketball player who played 11 seasons for the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL). He is considered one of the NBL’s all-time best defenders. He won 6 NBL championships and 6 NBL Best Defensive Player awards during his career.

19. Phil Smyth

Philip Smyth is an Australian former professional basketball player and coach. He won three National Basketball League (NBL) championships as a player with the Canberra Cannons. Later, he became a three-time championship-winning head coach of the NBL’s Adelaide 36ers. Smyth was also a four-time Olympian with the Australian national basketball team.

20. Luke Schenscher

Luke Schenscher, a former professional basketball player from Australia, spent four years competing at Georgia Tech. He had a brief NBA career playing for the Portland Trail Blazers and the Chicago Bulls. He and the Perth Wildcats won the NBL title in 2010.

21. Chris Goulding

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Christopher Goulding is an Australian professional basketball player who plays for Melbourne United in the National Basketball League (NBL). He started his NBL career in 2006 with the Brisbane Bullets as a development player. He then played for the Perth Wildcats and Gold Coast Blaze before joining Melbourne United.

In the NBL, Goulding has won three championships, been named to the All-NBL First Team twice, and won the scoring title in 2014. He also won the Grand Final MVP award in 2018.

22. Aron Baynes

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Aron Baynes is an Australian professional basketball player who currently plays for the Brisbane Bullets of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for Washington State University before starting his professional career in Europe.

In 2013, he joined the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and won an NBA championship with them in 2014. He has also played for the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, and Toronto Raptors. Baynes is also a member of the Australian national basketball team.

23. Nathan Sobey

Nathan Sobey is an Australian professional basketball player who plays for the Brisbane Bullets of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the University of Wyoming’s Cowboys.

He was a member of the Australian national basketball team, known as the Boomers, which won bronze at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

24. Jason Cadee

Jason Cadee is an Australian professional basketball player who plays for the Gold Coast Rollers of the NBL1 North. He is also under contract with the Adelaide 36ers of the National Basketball League (NBL).

25. Daniel Kickert

Daniel Kickert is an assistant coach with the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League and a former professional basketball player from Australia.

Throughout his 15-year career, he played with Melbourne United (2014–16), Brisbane Bullets (2016–18), and Sydney Kings (2018–21) of the National Basketball League (NBL). He also played for Australia at the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup and the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

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