Jordan Hunter joins the podcast to reflect on his first season with South East Melbourne, his time with the Boomers, and how he’s building a voice off the court through podcasting, filmmaking, and comedy. Hunter opens up about navigating the ups and downs of the Phoenix’s 2024/25 campaign, how the team evolved under new leadership, and the real impact of Mike Kelly’s mid-season departure. We also explore his off-season stint in Puerto Rico, international experience with the Boomers, and his pass...
Jun 20, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 236
Andrew Svaldenis joins the podcast to reflect on a 13-year NBL career that took him from Bankstown to Sydney, Hobart, Adelaide, and Geelong—appearing in 299 games and carving out a legacy as one of the league’s most consistent frontcourt battlers across the ‘80s and ‘90s. Svaldenis opens up about debuting as a teenager under Robbie Cadee, his breakout years in Hobart under Cal Bruton, and what it was like to be part of the original Sydney Kings merger. We also dig into some of his biggest games,...
Jun 11, 2025•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 305
Brad Newley joins the podcast to reflect on a remarkable career that spanned over two decades, three NBL clubs, countless international tournaments, and a stint with the NBA’s Houston Rockets. From his breakout rookie season with Townsville to Olympic campaigns with the Boomers and his late-career leadership role at Melbourne United, Newley shares the highs, challenges, and defining moments that shaped his journey. We dig into his development at the AIS, becoming the first player to ever win NBL...
Jun 01, 2025•1 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 304
Lamar Patterson joins the podcast to talk through the highs, lows, and wild turns of a pro career that’s taken him from Pittsburgh to the NBA, NBL, China, Puerto Rico, and most recently, India. Patterson opens up about his time in India’s pro league, his rollercoaster ride with the Brisbane Bullets, and why things unravelled during his stint with the New Zealand Breakers. He also shares how close he came to signing NBL deals in each of the past two seasons, what’s kept him motivated off the rada...
May 18, 2025•1 hr 38 min•Season 1Ep. 303
Nick Horvath joins the podcast to reflect on a one-of-a-kind basketball journey—from Duke University to NBL champion and beyond. Horvath opens up about writing his debut novel Sledge Vs, the highs and lows of his pro career, and what it was really like playing under legends like Mike Krzyzewski and Brian Goorjian. He shares stories from the heated South Dragons vs. Melbourne Tigers Grand Final, overcoming serious injury setbacks, and making the transition from import to local player in the NBL. ...
Apr 11, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 302
Newly appointed Australian Boomers head coach Adam Caporn joins the podcast to discuss his journey to the role, his coaching philosophy, and his vision for the national team’s future. Caporn opens up about what it meant to be offered the job, the lessons he’s taken from legendary coach Brian Goorjian , and the key changes he plans to implement as he leads the Boomers toward their next major tournament. He also dives into roster considerations, the role of Matisse Thybulle, and his partnership wi...
Mar 19, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 301
Former NBL player and current Casey Cavaliers head coach Luke Kendall joins the podcast to discuss his journey from junior basketball to professional success and now coaching. Kendall’s path saw him develop under renowned coach Mike Dunlap at Metro State, where he won a national championship before heading to the NBL. He played for the Sydney Kings, Melbourne Tigers, Perth Wildcats, and Gold Coast Blaze, winning a championship with the Kings and battling injuries that ultimately forced an early ...
Mar 14, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 300
Rising star Malique Lewis joins the podcast to discuss his incredible journey from Trinidad & Tobago to professional basketball. At just 16, Lewis left home for Spain, where he developed his game with Fuenlabrada, before making the leap to the G League with Mexico City Capitanes. Now, as a Next Star with the South East Melbourne Phoenix, he’s one step closer to his NBA dream. Lewis opens up about the challenges of leaving his family behind, why he chose the NBL over the G League and Europe, ...
Feb 21, 2025•30 min
Former Razorbacks coach Mark Watkins joins the podcast to reflect on the team's journey from expansion squad to Grand Final contenders before financial struggles led to their downfall. A key figure from the club’s inception in 1998, Watkins shares insights on recruiting NBL stars like Simon Dwight and John Rillie, the Razorbacks' 2002 and 2004 Grand Final runs, and the challenges of coaching on a budget. He also discusses the departures of key players, the franchise’s collapse, and the lessons h...
Feb 17, 2025•1 hr 43 min•Season 1Ep. 298
Former Perth Wildcats star and 2014 NBL Grand Final MVP, Jermaine Beal , joins the podcast to reflect on his basketball journey—from his standout college days at Vanderbilt, to his championship-winning years in the NBL, and beyond. We dive into his time playing alongside future NBA and NBL talent like Festus Ezeli and AJ Ogilvy, his experiences in the NBA Summer League, and his journey through professional leagues in Europe and South America before landing in Australia. Beal shares his insights ...
Jan 24, 2025•55 min•Season 1Ep. 297
Former Tall Blacks head coach and New Zealand Breakers legend Paul Henare joins the podcast to reflect on his illustrious basketball journey. From being a cornerstone of the New Zealand Breakers’ early days to coaching in Japan’s rapidly growing B.League, Henare shares his unique insights into the game across multiple continents. We dive into the 2002 Tall Blacks squad that stunned the basketball world with a fourth-place finish at the FIBA World Championships, the evolution of the New Zealand B...
Dec 13, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Season 1Ep. 296
Former Perth Wildcats and Cairns Taipans assistant Jamie O'Loughlin joins the podcast to share his insights into the NBL's elite coaching landscape. With a career spanning back-to-back NBL championships with the Wildcats and navigating the unique challenges of coaching less-resourced teams like the Taipans, O'Loughlin provides a deep dive into what it takes to succeed at the highest levels of Australian basketball. Jamie reflects on the Wildcats’ championship runs, the arrival of Bryce Cotton, a...
Nov 26, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 295
Head coach of Japan's Nagoya Dolphins, Shawn Dennis, joins the podcast to discuss the evolution of Japanese basketball and its strong connection with Australian players and coaches. Since its launch in 2016, the B.League has become one of the highest-paying leagues worldwide, attracting both seasoned Australian coaches and NBL talent. Dennis, going into his sixth season in Japan, joins host Dan Boyce to shed some light on how the NBL and B.League could benefit from closer collaboration, Japanese...
Nov 12, 2024•53 min•Season 1Ep. 294
New Perth Wildcats owner Mark Arena joins the podcast to break down the intricate details behind purchasing an NBL team and his vision for the club's future. As a lifelong Wildcats fan and successful tech entrepreneur, Arena shares insights into the business side of sports ownership and how he plans to elevate the Wildcats' brand, both locally and internationally. In this episode, Mark discusses: What makes owning a sports team financially advantageous (2:30) The complex process of buying the Wi...
Oct 08, 2024•51 min•Season 1Ep. 292
NBL legend Mark Dalton, who played 17 seasons across five NBL teams, joins host Dan Boyce on the podcast to review the early performances of all ten NBL teams. Together, they explore each team's potential ceiling for the season and discuss the key challenges that could prevent them from reaching their full potential. With a career that included stints with the Canberra Cannons, Sydney Kings, Brisbane Bullets, and Wollongong Hawks, Dalton brings a wealth of experience and insight to the conversat...
Oct 04, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 291
Boomers coach Brian Goorjian returns to the podcast to provide an inside look at how he prepared the Australian Boomers for the Paris Olympics. Despite being in a tough group with Spain, Greece, and Canada, the Boomers managed to reach the quarter-finals. However, they were knocked out after a hard-fought crossover game against Serbia, a team widely regarded as one of the top contenders in the tournament. Goorjian reflects on re-tooling the roster after the FIBA World Cup, the brutal decisions i...
Aug 27, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Season 1Ep. 290
Jeremy Loeliger served as the NBL’s CEO from 2015 to 2019 before transitioning to Commissioner from 2019 to 2024. Loeliger was instrumental in launching the NBL Next Stars program, driving the NBLxNBA preseason games, expanding the league’s reach with international tours, and building strong global partnerships. His leadership also led to groundbreaking CBA agreements with the Players’ Association and introduced new audiences to the game through NBL Oz Gaming. In this episode, Dan Boyce sits dow...
Aug 15, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 289
Keli Leaupepe carved his own path to the NBL after being unable to earn a scholarship to Basketball Australia's Centre of Excellence. The versatile forward spent four years at Loyola Marymount University (LMU), delivering a solid performance in his junior season, where he averaged 9.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. As he prepares to take the court for the Sydney Kings this season, Dan Boyce caught up with him to find out what he's working on, why he chose to play for the Kings and what motiva...
Aug 03, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 288
Growing up the son of Kiwi basketball legend Pero Cameron, Flynn Cameron followed in his father's footsteps, making his mark in the NBL as a rookie last season. Currently on a three-year deal with Melbourne, the talented young guard spent five years in college, playing two seasons at DePaul University and then moving to the University of California, Riverside. Coming off a strong showing at the FIBA Olympic Qualifing tournament where New Zealand fell short against Luka Doncic and Slovenia, he jo...
Jul 19, 2024•47 min•Season 1Ep. 287
Patrick Ewing Jr joins Dan Boyce on the Aussie Hoopla podcast to discuss why he's come to Australia to coach in the NBL1, his time playing in the NBA and of course, growing up with an NBA legend as a father. As part of the coaching staff at South West Metro, he's also helping to develop Aussie NBA prospect Roman Siulepa. He gives his thoughts on what he can bring to the NBL this season as Next Star and his potential NBA future. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Topics i...
Jun 22, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 286
Scott Ninnis joins Dan Boyce on the Aussie Hoopla podcast to talk about taking over as head coach of the 36ers, how he is a different coach to the man who lasted two seasons at the helm of the Sixers from 2008-2010 and much more. As a player, Scott played thirteen seasons in the NBL. He averaged 9.2 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 318 NBL games. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Topics include... How Scott is going about recruiting the final roster spots for th...
Jun 01, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 285
Andrew Bogut , one of the greatest basketballers Australia has ever produced, is renowned for his open and honest approach to whatever topics he is given. He joins Dan Boyce on the Aussie Hoopla podcast to discuss many of the topics mainstream NBL media give a biased view of or fail to cover at all. He's the most influential person in Aussie Hoops outside of Larry Kestelman and we get to hear his take on some of the hottest topics going around the league right now. Visit dunk.com.au for your nex...
May 23, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 284
Cam Oliver joins the podcast to discuss his time playing for the Cairns Taipans, how it shaped him as a player and a person, and how it helped him reach the NBA. Since leaving Australia, Cam has played in Spain, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, France and China, and he shares some of the highs and lows from each of these stops. Currently looking for a team to play with in 2024/25, he confirms that he'd love to return to the NBL. During his first NBL season, Oliver averaged 17.0 points, 9.1 rebounds...
Apr 17, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 283
Harry Froling joins the podcast to give an update on his health after suffering a fractured skull and bleeding to the brain following an alleged assault outside a popular Wollongong nightclub. A year into his recovery he also talks about his brother Sam's chances of making the Boomers Olympic squad, the issues the NBL faces with poor refereeing and the issues that arise from Larry Kestleman owning the league and NBL teams at the same time. Harry Froling won the NBL rookie of the year award in 20...
Mar 12, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 282
Sam MacKinnon played sixteen seasons across five NBL teams. This included the South East Melbourne Magic, West Sydney Razorbacks, Townsville Crocodiles, Brisbane Bullets and Melbourne Tigers. He averaged 14.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 459 NBL games. Injuries forced him to retire at only 33 years of age but despite that, he still etched out a Hall Of Fame career where he sits in the top 10 all-time for rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. The all-round talent also represented Aust...
Mar 02, 2024•59 min•Season 1Ep. 281
Michael Hill played seven seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Canberra Cannons and the Brisbane Bullets. He averaged 9.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 235 NBL games and was a key part of Brisbane’s 2007 championship, where he averaged 20 minutes per game coming off the bench. After winning an NBL championship in 2007 his NBL career was cut short thanks to the ineffective salary cap solution which was the NBL Points System. A system that was initially developed to create parity am...
Jan 25, 2024•50 min•Season 1Ep. 280
Demitrius Conger signed with the Illawarra Hawks for the 2017–18 NBL season. In 27 games for the Hawks, he averaged 19.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals with the Hawks, who narrowly missed out on making the playoffs, finishing in fifth place (12-16). Conger went on to finish second in league MVP voting and earned All-NBL First Team honours. He spent the following season playing in Adelaide, where he saw a drop in his production, but was a vital part of a team who narrowly missed...
Jan 19, 2024•54 min
Jesse Wagstaff recently played in his 450th NBL game, becoming one of only 30 people to ever achieve the feat, as well as being only the seventh player to ever do it for one club. He joins the podcast to reflect on the occasion and review many of the 15 seasons he's played with the Wildcats He joins host Dan Boyce to also discuss this season's Wildcat squad and his thoughts on where they sit within the current season. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Topics include... ...
Jan 04, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 278
Luc Longley needs no introduction, he's either the Greatest Australian Basketball player of all-time or not far from it depending on how you view things. Three NBA championships, was a key part of the Australian Boomers program from 1988-2000 and is currently part owner of the Sydney Kings. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Topics include... Luc explains his plans to improve social basketball through a unique partnership with Hahn and a half pub / half basketball court ...
Dec 11, 2023•26 min
Martin Cattalini made his NBL debut with the Perth Wildcats at 19 years of age and went on to play fifteen seasons in the NBL. He averaged 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists across 453 NBL games. He currently sits among the league's all-time leaders in total points (24th), total games played (28th) and total rebounds (39th). Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Topics include... How he became the local kid playing for his hometown Perth Wildcats (2:00) Narrowly los...
Dec 04, 2023•1 hr 13 min
