
Breakers part ways with tallest player in NBL history
The Senegalese former NBA centre, who stands 229cm tall, was released by mutual agreement after largely struggling to deliver on his potential after joining midway through the 2024-25 campaign.
Fall started with the Breakers on their US tour in September and averaged 11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks across 18 appearances once he joined for the season proper.
Prior to his NBL stint, he played 40 NBA games at the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers from 2019 to 2022.
His exit leaves the Breakers on the hunt for two imports for the new season that tips off in September, with a starting centre and shooting guard looming as priorities.
Back for a third season, American guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright will be key to the Breakers' hopes of recovering from a disappointing ninth-placed finish in the last campaign.
It's also expected to be a big season for Mexican teen star Karim Lopez, who is back for a second year in the NBL's Next Star program and is tipped as a first-round NBA draft pick in 2026.

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The Age
12 hours ago
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'The opportunity may start in the form of a game or games, and that may end up in other opportunities down the track around the use of players and development opportunities both ways. 'It's a great market, with potential for growth. It's got the World Cup, which will see a significant rise in popularity of the game, and as a brand, we want to be connected to the growth of the game in different markets. 'If you're not there promoting your brand to a broader audience, you run the risk of being contained to your local market only, which is critical to have a strong local market, but we are a global game. 'You've got to put yourself on that stage if you want to be recognised as a team that's got the potential for growth.' Upon Petaia's signing with the Chargers, Reds coach Les Kiss suggested his old prodigy had the capacity to thrive in the NFL, and that moves into the US could create recruitment opportunities. 'I think in certain positions, yes. It wouldn't be right across – you wouldn't find any nines there – but you could certainly find the types of athletes with a power base,' Kiss said. 'Any opportunities you can get to broaden your reach and deepen your influence, why not tap into it? We're always searching for opportunities, whether it's in Europe or broader into the US market.' While the American dream is yet to come to fruition, the Reds have orchestrated a touring calendar that has proved to be a retention and recruitment goldmine. The club already has lasting ties with Japan through the Saitama Wild Knights, while there is the possibility of another Tonga clash being arranged this year, following last year's venture. The Reds also travelled to Ulster and Bristol in January, and Hanham said they were hopeful of securing another fixture when they embarked for Benetton in November 2026 – ideally in France. In turn, the club has extended the bulk of its team, which finished fifth this year. Loading Hanham said the goal of the Reds' global escapades was to develop a program featuring '25 to 26 quality games a year' to help build a 'sustainably successful football program and team that can win consistently'. He said given the Super Rugby Pacific season only ran for 16 rounds before finals, there was a 'high performance need' to fill a gap and ensure players remained engaged and committed. 'We want to be doing this for well over a decade because once we can do this consistently, that's going to help with a number of things for our football program,' Hanham said. 'The appeal in being part of the Reds now is you get to play in these international tour matches. It's starting to have a positive impact on player renegotiations and retention, and, in some cases, recruitment of players.