Australia has a lot to offer aside from its destinations, they also have global talents when it comes to basketball. Since Luc Longley became the nation’s first NBA player in 1991, the Australians have advanced significantly. His pioneering work in the 1990s paved the way for other Australians, including Mark Bradtke, Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, and Chris Anstey, to name a few. Australian representation in the NBA has not decreased as it enters its 75th season. Three Australians (Bogut, Irving, and Simmons) have been selected first overall in the NBA Draft over the past 15 years. There are eight Australians on NBA rosters for the 2021–22 season. In addition, we have here the top basketball players from Australia.
Australian Basketball Players Currently Playing in the NBA
Josh Giddey
Australian-born professional basketball player Joshua Giddey plays for the National Basketball Association’s Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA). The Thunder selected him with the sixth overall pick in the NBA draft of 2021. Giddey, who accomplished the feat at the age of 19 years, 84 days, is the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double. Additionally, he accomplished three consecutive triple-doubles as a rookie, becoming the first player to do so since Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson in 1961.
Giddey declared on April 27, 2021, for the NBA draft, where he was expected to be selected in the lottery. The Oklahoma City Thunder selected Giddey with the sixth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, and he signed a contract with the Thunder on August 8. Five minutes into his NBA Summer League debut that day, he suffered an ankle injury, and as a precaution, he was forced to withdraw from the rest of the competition. On October 20, Giddey faced the Utah Jazz in his NBA debut. He had four points, 10 rebounds, and three assists in the end.
Giddey became the third-youngest player to record at least 10 assists in a game on October 27th, behind only LeBron James, who did so twice, with 18 points and 10 assists in a 123-115 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. This was Giddey’s first double-double. For games played in October and November, Giddey was named the NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month.
Joe Ingles
Joe Ingles is renowned for being a very dangerous 3-point threat and an all-around reliable performer. He is dependable and consistent, if not the best in the world, and he has a respectable shooting average. Ingles entered the NBA later than expected after eight years spent playing abroad, but he has since established himself with the Utah Jazz.
On October 27, 2014, the Utah Jazz acquired Ingles from the Los Angeles Clippers after he played with them during the preseason. Two days later, Ingles made his NBA debut. He played four minutes in a loss to the Houston Rockets but only attempted one three-point shot, missing it. He scored his first two NBA points in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks the following day. Ingles started playing for the Jazz in March 2015, and on March 23, in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, he set a season-high with 18 points.
Ingles re-signed with the Jazz on July 25, 2017, to a multi-year deal. Ingles began the entire first half of the season as a starter before making his first appearance off the bench on January 19, 2018, against the New York Knicks. Ingles scored 27 points in a 124-123 loss to the Golden State Warriors on October 19, 2018, including seven 3-pointers. Ingles and the Jazz reached an agreement on a one-year, $14 million contract extension on October 21 of this year, extending his deal until 2021–2022. Ingles’ streak of 418 straight games played came to an end on January 8, 2021, when he missed a game due to an Achilles injury.
Ingles was part of a three-team trade that brought him to the Portland Trail Blazers on February 9, 2022. He was unable to participate in any team games because of a knee injury. Ingles agreed to a one-year, $6.5 million contract with the Milwaukee Bucks on July 6, 2022.
Kyrie Irving
Despite having dual citizenship and being an international representative for the United States, Kyrie Irving was born in Australia. Irving contributes just about enough in the way of assists to keep himself employed while scoring at a respectable rate. He also gets his fair share of steals, takes rebounds well, and only turns the ball over 2.6 times per game while playing reasonably well in possession. He received the Most Valuable Player award at the 2014 All-Star Game (MVP). The Cavaliers’ historic victory over the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals was secured by Irving’s game-winning three-point field goal.
Patty Mills
Patty Mills, an Australian, is credited with creating the offensive “three goggles” gesture in 2010. He began his career in the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers on a two-way deal, and during the NBA lockout, he spent time traveling back to Australia and China. Mills’ first season with the Brooklyn Nets has been successful thus far after spending nearly ten years with the San Antonio Spurs. Overall, the Australian team captain’s play doesn’t exactly light up the world. As a point guard, he averages fewer than 10 points per game.
That’s acceptable if you’re going to generate lots of opportunities for your teammates, but he only averages 2.3 assists per contest. With just 1 turnover per game, Mills is very frugal, but he falls short in other areas. If his outstanding performance at the most recent Olympic Games in Tokyo will propel him to greater heights, only time will tell.
Ben Simmons
Simmons has been outstanding in his only four NBA seasons. He has already made three NBA All-Star teams. Unfortunately, his relationship with the Philadelphia 76ers has deteriorated, and he has made no effort to conceal his desire to switch teams. Regardless of politics, Simmons is a fantastic athlete. He is one of the league’s top defenders in addition to having an innate ability to get to the rim. He is consistent in all facets of his game and scores as effectively as anyone around here. Simmons stands out from the competition in terms of helping teammates.