NBA star set to visit local Perth basketball court
Dyson Daniels, the electrifying 22-year-old guard for the Atlanta Hawks who took the NBA by storm this past season, is set to hit the court and greet fans at Ace Ballerz in Wanneroo on Saturday, August 2.
Born in Bendigo, Victoria, Daniels is one of the most exciting young Australian talents in the NBA, a rise that saw him crowned the 2024–25 NBA Most Improved Player — the first Australian to receive the award.
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Nicknamed The Great Barrier Thief for his defensive skills, Daniels also recently became the youngest player ever to record more than 200 steals in an NBA season, surpassing the great Magic Johnson by 236 days. Daniels, widely considered to be one of the best defenders in the NBA, is set to be in Wanneroo in August. Credit: Supplied
His 202 steals in the 2024–25 season were the most recorded by any NBA player in the past 15 years. He also led the league in deflections with 366 and finished as runner-up in the 2025 NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Daniels' visit to Ace Ballerz in Wanneroo, located at Drovers Marketplace on the corner of Wanneroo Road and Joondalup Drive, is sure to be warmly welcomed by the Perth basketball community.
Ace Ballerz was founded by local mother Alaina Habaybeh, who was inspired to give back to the sporting community that supported her family during a recent illness.
The family-run sports hub aims to provide kids and teens with a welcoming space to play, socialise, and connect with their community.
Early bird tickets are expected to go on sale through Ace Ballerz in mid-June.
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The Advertiser
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"That will upset some people, and it will set the hairs racing and potentially of people debating the merits," he said. "It would be completely naive of us sitting here in Australia to not explore it. "I'm not suggesting that we're going to do it yet. "I'm not suggesting there's been a decision made, and ultimately it won't just be my decision or Cricket Australia's decision. "It will be the whole of leadership of Australian cricket and it has to be beneficial for everyone." Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg has warned some nations will go "bankrupt" if they continue to play the longest format of the game, stressing he sees a future with less Test nations. Admitting he has become a "little unpopular" since taking over from Nick Hockley in March, the former Australian Cricketers' Association boss believes "scarcity in Test cricket is our friend, not our foe". 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"I was in Darwin on Sunday night (for the first T20)," Greenberg said. "I went there primarily because it meant a lot to the people of the Northern Territory. "They hadn't had international cricket there for the best part of 17 years. "The one thing when you go there at this time of year is you take the one biggest variable away, which is the weather. "Great facilities ... I can see that (Tests) happening." Greenberg has also been exploring privatisation of the Big Bash League, noting other T20 competitions around the world are backed by money outside the governing cricket boards. "That will upset some people, and it will set the hairs racing and potentially of people debating the merits," he said. "It would be completely naive of us sitting here in Australia to not explore it. "I'm not suggesting that we're going to do it yet. "I'm not suggesting there's been a decision made, and ultimately it won't just be my decision or Cricket Australia's decision. 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I can see that (Tests) happening." Greenberg has also been exploring privatisation of the Big Bash League, noting other T20 competitions around the world are backed by money outside the governing cricket boards. "That will upset some people, and it will set the hairs racing and potentially of people debating the merits," he said. "It would be completely naive of us sitting here in Australia to not explore it. "I'm not suggesting that we're going to do it yet. "I'm not suggesting there's been a decision made, and ultimately it won't just be my decision or Cricket Australia's decision. "It will be the whole of leadership of Australian cricket and it has to be beneficial for everyone."
The Advertiser
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West Australian
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JACKSON BARRETT: International white-ball matches in the Top End could help revitalise short-form cricket
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