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Structure
Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 10 general entries.
Special Topics
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Australian Basketball
Ballarat Braves & Christchurch Sirens. Christchurch Sirens were the first team from New Zealand to join the WNBL. Unlike the NBL which in 2008 boasts two overseas teams in New Zealand Breakers & Singapore Slingers, the WNBL until 2007/8 consisted of only Australian teams. Ballarat Braves joined the league in the same season, bringing the Victorian teams up to 3 along with Dandenong Rangers & the Bulleen Boomers.
Gold Coast Blaze. Coached by Brendan Joyce with Dave Claxton as CEO, the Blaze reached the final 8 in its debut season. Joyce joined Blaze after a long sojourn at Wollongong. Joyce won the Coach of the Year award in his first year at the Blaze helm.
Melbourne Tigers. Lindsday Gaze and son Andrew Gaze are two of the most recognizable faces and names in Australian Basketball. Lindsay Gaze coached the Australian Men's team and coached Melbourne Tigers for 21 years. He was replaced by his assistant of 12 years Al Westover, Westover took the Tigers to a Premiership in 2007/8, winning in five games against the Sydney Kings. Andrew Gaze has won more MVPs and was the leading point scorer than anyone in the NBL history. Both genuine ambassadors of the game, they joined forces in 2002 along with some other money men to save the Melbourne Tigers from financial ruin.
Mark Worthington. Worthington was reported for striking Perth Wildcats Import Shaun Redhage. He was subsequently suspended for one game. Worthington known for his relentless attack on the ball, also came under scrutiny for elbowing Tigers Centre Chris Anstey in the Grand Final Series but was not reported.
Luc Longley. Luc Longley played with Chigaco Bulls alongside Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen, and won 3 NBA Championships with them in 1995-96, 1996-97 & 1997-98 seasons. Longley played few games for Australia, often being injured or unavailable to play due to his NBA commitments. The first Australian to play in the NBA, he has paved the way for others like Andrew Bogut to join the NBA.
For awhile, part owner of the Perth Wildcats, Longley also has an interest in Australian Rules Football. In 2007, he lost most of his memorabilia in a fire which destroyed his Fremantle home. His collection of cars and an antique fire engine was saved.
Chris Lucas. Adelaide Lightning owner Vince Marino sacked Coach Chris Lucas and replaced him with Vicki Valk after having a fallout over the perceived pressure to play Marino's daughter Angela. Rumour abounded that Lucas had been instructed to play Marino and to create a position on the team so she could return to Adelaide, after playing the previous season in Perth. Adelaide lost to Dandenong in the first home game. Angela Marino left training in tears, and the next training Vince Marino sacked Lucas. Valk & new assistant Tania Dhu coached the team after such a dramatic start to a premiership. Chris Lucas was appointed assistant coach to Carrie Graf in Canberra for the 2008/9 WNBL season.
Atlanta. The Rollers & The Gliders are the Men & Women's National League Teams which compete in International Wheelchair Basketball. They play in their own National League Competition which field both men & women on the one team.
Ballarat. Australian National Championships are held for U14 Club Boys & Girls, U16 Boys & Girls, U18 Boys & Girls plus U20 Men & Women. Whilst the Under 14s are held as club championships and have the top two teams from each state attend, the U16, U18 & U20 are state representative teams. Each state would be represented by Metro U18 Women, Country U18 Women, Metro U18 Men, and Country U18 Men at the July 2008 Championships. Teams from New Zealand, Tasmania, Northern Territory & the Australian Capital Territory also attended. The U18 Men had their first tournament in 1954.
Brisbane Bullets. The Bullets brought joy and premierships to Brisbane under Eddy Groves ownership. A rapid down turn in the price of his ABC Learning Centre shares, a company he and his wife started, forced him to hand in the licence to the NBL when another buyer could not be found in time for the 2008/9 season.
Groves' money problems were prompted with the prime mortgage problems.
Canberra Capitals. Carrie Graf hailed as a future Australian head coach and had coached Canberra successfully for many years. Well regarded and renown for her players attention by a piercing, whilst Graf is a formidable coach concentrating on tough relentless defence.
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