Advertisement - scroll for more content
With the WNBA entering a transition period with three new teams, a $2.2 billion media rights deal and a restructured collective bargaining agreement on the horizon, the Washington Mystics have hired the leadership to take the franchise into its next era. Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger tabbed NBA senior vice president and head of player development Jamila Wideman as general manager and former Chicago Sky assistant Sydney Johnson as coach. “Where we are as a league and what we also forecast the next 10 to 15 years of the ‘W’ will look like played a humongous role in the selection of Jamila and Sydney,” Winger said. “If we thought the league was going to be status quo for the next 10 years, we wouldn’t have pursued the visionaries that Jamila and Sydney are.”
Sam Vecenie: Think there hasn’t been enough NBA Draft buzz about Alex Toohey so far. Comes off of two 20+-pt NBL Blitz games and consolidates with a 15/3/3 game in Sydney’s opener. Think I’d have him as a R1 guy right now. Has a 6-11 wingspan and 9-foot standing reach + jumper looks great.
Bucks to sign Jaylin Galloway
Shams Charania: The Milwaukee Bucks are planning to sign forward Jaylin Galloway on a two-way NBA contract out of the Sydney Kings in the National Basketball League, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The 6-foot-7 wing has been an emerging player in Sydney over the last four years. pic.twitter.com/cBPKZqivEo
24 Calibre has today announced NBA megastar Derrick Rose will be touring Australia for 'Derrick Rose, Live' this August across Sydney and Melbourne. The NBA icon and MVP award winning player will appear at the Timber Yard in Melbourne on 25th August and at the Darling Harbour Theatre in Sydney on 27th August and the as part of an exclusive speaking event series.
Olgun Uluc: Vasiljevic has been a teammate of Xavier Cooks for the past three seasons in Sydney. Cooks, who’s about to enter the second season of a multi-year deal with the Wizards, will also play some games at Summer League, I’m told.
Advertisement
Tyrese Proctor staying in college
Duke guard Tyrese Proctor, a former five-star prospect from Sydney, Australia, will return to school for the 2023-24 season, the freshman announced Monday on social media.
The USA claimed their fourth consecutive FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup title in Sydney and 11th in total as they defeated China 83-61 in front of a sold out Sydney Superdome. A huge crowd of 15,895 looked on as USA added to their amazing legacy with another top of the podium finish. China competed well in the early stages and had Yueru Li eventually finishing with 19 points and 12 rebounds. However, USA put their foot on the gas either side of half-time and led by A’Ja Wilson’s 19 points, plus 17 points from Kelsey Plum and 8 assists from Chelsea Gray, they had too much for their opponents and completed an unbeaten campaign.
If the Nuggets stay healthy, he believes they can challenge the likes of the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference and even be a smokey for the NBA title. “We’re just trying to win a championship, that’s where everybody’s mind is at with us,” Murray told news.com.au at the launch of the pop up “NBA Gallery” on Sydney’s Eddy Avenue, which features several artworks honouring Australians who have played in the NBA.
In collaboration with Fanatics, the NBA today announced a multi-year partnership to open the first brick-and-mortar NBA Stores in Australia, with the first location in the Emporium in Melbourne opening in August, with a second flagship store to open in Sydney later this year.
Brooklyn Nets guard Seth Curry is coming to Australia as part of a promotional campaign with Under Armour and Foot Locker, and he will also host basketball skills and developmental camps for youths in both Sydney and Melbourne.
Advertisement
Green’s rookie season was indeed a whirlwind of epic proportions. The Sydney, Australia native was drafted on Nov. 18 – a draft conducted virtually for the first time due to the coronavirus pandemic. From there, Green started training camp with his new teammates on Dec. 6. And his first of three preseason games occurred on Dec. 12 in Milwaukee against reigning NBA two-time Most Valuable Player, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the powerful Bucks. “I think this whole year, the draft class, it was tough coming into training camp for three days and then having your first preseason game against Giannis,” Green said. “So I think overall it was a tough year, but I wouldn’t want to have it any other way.”
Andrew Lopez: On the Pelicans podcast, Pels GM Trajan Langdon said team originally wanted to bring Didi Louzada over after just one year but COVID changed those plans. Felt it was better to keep him in Sydney for the start of this season.
Olgun Uluc: On top of Ryan Smith’s purchase of the Utah Jazz, the NBA also announced Mike Cannon-Brookes - a Sydney-based tech entrepreneur - as a new minority owner of the team. Cannon-Brookes will become the first Australian to own a minority interest in an NBA franchise.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement