Growth of Australian basketball impresses Weaver

The NBL has become the ultimate destination league according to former Sydney Kings coach Will Weaver.

Weaver has strong links in both the NBL and the NBA. He led the Kings in the 2019/20 season and has also served on the coaching staff with the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and Houston Rockets.

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As the NBL continues to grow its pipeline of players and coaches going to the NBA, Weaver explained how the league is a serious player on the global stage. 

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“Australia is so embedded with the NBA and with world basketball,” Weaver told NBL Media.

“Anyone that's been around it, it's obvious how many positives there are and how few negatives there are.

“I was just sitting with a staff member from the NBA who was talking about how next year's crop of talent…it's (NBL) the destination. It's the place that very few other leagues can match in terms of the trajectory that their young players are on.

“A big part of that is the same reason why so many veterans have chosen to stay there over the years and foregone more money and maybe more status in other leagues.

“I don't think anybody now feels surprised at the success that the NBL has.”

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The NBL Next Stars program has become a proven and consistent pathway to the NBA, and has produced five draft picks in the last four years including LaMelo Ball (pick 3, 2020), RJ Hampton (pick 24, 2020), Josh Giddey (pick 6, 2021), Ousmane Dieng (pick 11, 2022) and Rayan Rupert (pick 43, 2023).

This season’s Next Stars is loaded with talent including Rocco Zikarsky (Brisbane Bullets), Alex Toohey (Sydney Kings), Bobi Klintman (Cairns Taipans), AJ Johnson (Illawarra Hawks), Ariel Hukporti (Melbourne United), Mantas Rubstavicius (New Zealand Breakers) and Alexandre Sarr (Perth Wildcats).