In a short but rich tradition of Australian players playing their trade in the NBA, we have a plethora of Aussie talent to this day. NBA rosters have seen the inclusion of high-quality members of the Australian national team since 1991 when Luc Longley hit the scene. It seems bizarre that it might take so long for the NBA to see an influx of talent from Down Under. When we consider that the NBA has been welcoming overseas players since 1946.
CURRENT AUSTRALIAN BASKETBALL PLAYERS IN THE NBA
JOSH GIDDEY
Born: October 10th, 2002 (Age: 19) – Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Measurements: 6-8 (2.03m) – 210lb (95kg)
Position: Shooting Guard
NBA Debut: October 20th, 2021
Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder
Career: 1 season (ongoing)
Games played: 54
Minutes: 1,700 (31.5 per game)
Points: 674 (12.5 per game, 0.4 per minute)
Total rebounds: 421 (7.8 per game, 0.25 per minute)
Assists: 345 (6.4 per game)
Steals: 51 (0.9 per game)
Turnovers: 171 (3.2 per game, 0.1 per minute)
Not a bad rookie season for the young Australian thus far. He’s getting plenty of minutes per game (31.5) and averaging 12.5 points. That will surely increase as his confidence and physical prowess improve.
One area to keep an eye on is those turnovers. 3.2 per game is too many and will cause him problems if it continues. Otherwise Giddy looks like a rock-solid prospect that has a long NBA career ahead of him, all being well.
JOSH GREEN
Born: November 16th, 2000 (age 21) – Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Measurements: 6-5 (1.96m) – 200lb (90kg)
Position: Shooting Guard
NBA Debut: December 23rd, 2020
Teams: Dallas Mavericks
Career: 2 seasons (ongoing)
Games played: 106
Minutes: 1,484 (14 per game)
Points: 420 (4 per game, 0.28 per minute)
Total rebounds: 239 (2.3 per game, 0.16 per minute)
Assists: 107 (1 per game)
Steals: 61 (0.6 per game)
Turnovers: 61 (0.6 per game, 0.04 per minute)
Josh Green is currently struggling to get enough minutes to really shine. In terms of his effectiveness when he does hit the court, he scores an average of 0.28 points per minute. That’s less than Giddey, who is also getting way more minutes on the clock. It’s not really fair to make direct comparisons with such a discrepancy in minutes allowed.
Having said that, Green is much more economical when it comes to turning the ball over and only does so 0.04 times per minute. Much better than Giddey with 0.1 (1 turnover every 10 minutes) This talented guard needs to make the most of his playing time and up his game if he is to succeed.
JOE INGLES
Born: October 7th, 1987 (age 34) – Adelaide, South Australia
Measurements: 6’8” (2.03m) – 220lb (99kg)
Position: Small forward, power forward
NBA Debut: October 29th, 2014
Teams: Utah Jazz
Career: 8 seasons (ongoing)
Games played: 590
Minutes: 15,158 (25.7 per game)
Points: 5,094 (8.6 per game, 0.34 per minute)
Total rebounds: 1,914 (3.2 per game, 0.13 per minute)
Assists: 2,213 (3.8 per game)
Steals: 544 (0.9 per game)
Turnovers: 927 (1.6 per game, 0.06 per minute)
Joe Ingles is known as a very dangerous 3-point threat and general solid performer outside of that. He has a decent shooting average and is reliable and consistent, if not world-beating. Ingles started late in the NBA after 8 years playing overseas but has carved himself a place with the Utah Jazz these days.
KYRIE IRVING
Born: March 23rd, 1992 (age 30) – Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Measurements: 6’2″ (1.88m) – 195lb (88kg)
Position: Point guard
NBA Debut: December 26th, 2011
Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets
Career: 11 seasons (ongoing)
Games played: 611
Minutes: 20,804 (34 per game)
Points: 14,089 (23.1 per game, 0.68 per minute)
Total rebounds: 2,339 (3.8 per game, 0.11 per minute)
Assists: 3,503 (5.7 per game)
Steals: 816 (1.3 per game)
Turnovers: 1,598 (2.6 per game, 0.08 per minute)
Although Kyrie Irving represents the U.S.A internationally, he was born in Australia and has dual citizenship. Irving scores at a respectable pace and does just about enough in terms of his assists to keep him in work.
He also takes rebounds well and gets his fair share of steals while remaining reasonably competent in possession and only turning the ball over 2.6 times per game.
He won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the 2014 All-Star Game. In the 2016 NBA Finals, Irving made the championship-winning three-point field goal to complete the Cavaliers’ historic comeback over the Golden State Warriors.
JOCK LANDALE
Born: October 35th, 1995 (age 26) – East Malvern, Victoria, Australia
Measurements: 6’11″ (2.11m) – 256lb (116kg)
Position: Center
NBA Debut: October 20th, 2021
Teams: San Antonio Spurs
Career: 1 season (ongoing)
Games played: 54
Minutes: 589 (10.9 per game)
Points: 265 (4.9 per game, 0.45 per minute)
Total rebounds: 138 (2.6 per game, 0.23 per minute)
Assists: 45 (0.8 per game)
Steals: 10 (0.2 per game)
Turnovers: 31 (0.6 per game, 0.05 per minute)
Jock Landale had to take the pathway that so many international players do to reach the NBA. He played internationally and participated in NBA summer leagues. He was named the NBL Grand Final MVP and signed his first NBA contract with the Spurs. It is hard to gauge his level yet as he has not logged enough minutes. A lot of this was a result of COVID-19 protocols rather than a lack of talent.
At first glance, Landale is incredibly economical and does not turn to the ball over easily. He scores at a very respectable rate and shows all the signs of being a solid performer once he can get his feet on the court regularly.
PATTY MILLS
Born: August 11th, 1988 (age 27) – Canberra, A.C.T Australia
Measurements: 6’1″ (1.85m) – 180lb (81kg)
Position: Point guard
NBA Debut: January 4th, 2010
Teams: Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Brooklyn Nets
Career: 13 seasons (ongoing)
Games played: 820
Minutes: 17,013 (20.7 per game)
Points: 7,520 (9.2 per game, 0.44 per minute)
Total rebounds: 1,390 (1.7 per game, 0.08 per minute)
Assists: 1,894 (2.3 per game)
Steals: 533 (0.7 per game)
Turnovers: 798 (1.0 per game, 0.05 per minute)
Patty Mills, one of the originators of the offensive “three goggles” gesture in 2010 hails from Australia. He started in the NBA on a two-way contract for the Portland Trail Blazers and spent time back in Australia and China when the NBA found itself in a lockout.
After nearly a decade with the San Antonio Spurs, Mills’ first season with the Brooklyn Nets is a success so far. Overall, the Australian national captain doesn’t really set the world alight with his playing. He scores less than 10 per game from point guard.
That’s fine if you’re going to create a ton of chances for your teammates instead but he only racks up 2.3 assists per game. Mills is very economical when it comes to turnovers with only 1 per game but otherwise fails to impress.
Time will tell if his inspired performance at the recent Olympic Games in Tokyo will lead him to bigger and better things.
BEN SIMMONS
Born: July 20th, 1996 (age 25) – Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Measurements: 6’11″ (2.11m) – 240lb (108kg)
Position: Point guard
NBA Debut: October 18th, 2017
Teams: Philadelphia 76ers
Career: 4 seasons (ongoing)
Games played: 275
Minutes: 9,326 (33.9 per game)
Points: 4,382 (15.9 per game, 0.47 per minute)
Total rebounds: 2,217 (8.1 per game, 0.24 per minute)
Assists: 2,127 (7.7 per game)
Steals: 464 (1.7 per game)
Turnovers: 925 (3.4 per game, 0.1 per minute)
In just 4 NBA seasons, Simmons has been dominant. He is already a three-time NBA All-Star. Sadly, his relationship with the Philadelphia 76ers has soured and he has made no attempt to hide his desire to leave for another franchise.
Politics aside, Simmons is an incredible athlete. Not only does he possess an innate ability to get to the rim but he is also one of the league’s best defenders.
He scores as efficiently as anybody here and is pretty reliable in all aspects of his game. It is in his ability to assist teammates that Simmons really blows away the competition.
Yes, Simmons gives the ball away almost as much as anybody on this list but that is a fair exchange for the number of points and assists he provides.
MATISSE THYBULLE
Born: March 4th, 1997 (age 25) – Scottsdale, Arizona (moved to Sydney, NSW, Australia aged 2)
Measurements: 6’5″ (1.96m) – 201lb (91kg)
Position: Shooting guard
NBA Debut: October 23rd, 2019
Teams: Philadelphia 76ers
Career: 3 seasons (ongoing)
Games played: 196
Minutes: 4,270 (21.8 per game)
Points: 939 (4.8 per game, 0.22 per minute)
Total rebounds: 382 (1.9 per game, 0.09 per minute)
Assists: 217 (1.1 per game)
Steals: 314 (1.6 per game)
Turnovers: 122 (0.6 per game, 0.03 per minute)
As a small child, Matisse Thybulle spent most of his life in Australia and retains dual citizenship to this day.
He played for the Australian National Team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, helping them to secure the bronze medal. We can surmise from this that he takes his Australian heritage very seriously.
Playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, Matisse Thybulle has marked himself as a solid member and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
He has displayed excellent athleticism and game-understanding when coming off the bench. Quality defensive potential is also on display and he is very economical when it comes to losing the ball but those rebounds could use a boost.
He almost matches Simmons for steals and is on course to be a defensive rock. But that won’t grab the headlines or make him more attractive to the fans and other franchises. Matisse needs to up his offensive game to really start to stand out as he is not yet proving that he can cut it at both ends of the court.
HISTORICAL PLAYERS OF NOTE
LUC LONGLEY
Lucien James Longley is an Australian former NBA player and professional basketball coach. He was the first Australian to play in the National Basketball Association, where he made appearances for four different teams across 11 seasons. He played 567 games in total.
Most notable of these was his stint with the Chicago Bulls. He went there in 1994 and soon became their starting center. He was there for their historic 1995/96 season when they set the NBA record for most wins in a regular season (72).
Longley was an important element of the team’s overall success and stayed in the Bulls’ starting lineup. He went on to win three championships with them from 1996 to 1998.
Longley also represented Australia as a player at three separate Olympic Games and worked as an assistant coach for the Australian national basketball team.
ANDREW BOGUT
Andrew Michael Bogut spent the majority of his professional career playing in the NBA. He was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks as the first overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. This made him the NBA’s first-ever Australian to be the number one pick.
The 7-foot (2.13m) center earned all-league honors in 2010 after averaging a career-high 15.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Bogut has long been credited for his service to the Australian national team and for paving the way for an entire generation of Australian players in the NBA.
He has been a cornerstone of the national side and helped to revitalize the Australian NBL.
LAUREN JACKSON
Lauren Elizabeth Jackson is an Australian former professional basketball player. She entered the WNBA Draft in 2001 and was selected by the Seattle Storm. She won two WNBA titles with the Storm, in 2004 and 2010, the latter also earning Jackson the WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award.
Jackson made the Australian under-20 team when she was only 14 years old and was first called up to the Australian Women’s National Basketball Team when she was just 16 years old.
She was a member of the 2000, 2004, and 2008 (captain) Olympic teams that won silver medals and again in 2012 when they took bronze. Sporting an already impressive resumé that included winning five WNBL championships from 2010 to 2016.
Jackson ranks among the top WNBA players in
Games played
Minutes played
Field goals
Three-point shots
Turnover percentage
She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
FINAL THOUGHTS
While it might be true that, generally speaking, international competition is not at the level we see in the NBA, there are certainly overseas players who have made enormous contributions to the league. Australian players have been among them and continue to show their skills and talents in the NBA.
Here at The Jump Hub, we say – Long may it continue.
