Latest news with #AustralianBoomers
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Spurs Star Makes Major Career Announcement on Monday
Former Spurs Star Makes Major Career Announcement on Monday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. As the 2025-26 campaign approaches, the University of Hawaii men's basketball program is preparing for a pivotal transition. Advertisement Under the guidance of 10th-year head coach Eran Ganot, the Rainbow Warriors closed out last season with a 15-16 overall mark and a 7-13 record in Big West play, finishing ninth in the conference and missing the postseason tournament for the first time since 2009-10. Despite a strong home record (13-7 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center), inconsistency on the road (2-9) and in conference tipped the balance toward a rebuilding year. However, on Monday, Hawaii Athletics announced a landmark hire: NBA champion and FIBA luminary Patty Mills will join the Rainbow Warriors as the program's first-ever general manager. Selected 55th overall in the 2009 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, Mills signed with the San Antonio Spurs in 2012 and was a key contributor off the bench en route to their 2014 title. Advertisement Over the course of 16 seasons, Mills played for seven franchises, including the Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz, Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Blazers and most notably the Spurs. A fixture on the Australian Boomers, Mills has represented his country since 2007. As captain at Tokyo 2020, he scored an Olympic medal-game record 42 points to secure Australia's first-ever Olympic medal. Australia guard Patty Mills (5).© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images As a longtime Oahu resident during the NBA offseason, Mills brings both international basketball pedigree and deep local ties to the role. Off the court, Mills has been a committed community figure on Oahu's North Shore for over a decade. Advertisement In 2022, he sponsored the inaugural Patty Mills North Shore Classic, a four-team tournament hosted in Laie, where Hawaii clinched the title. "This role is not only a professional milestone, but a personal one as well," Mills said. In remarks shared on Monday, Ganot noted, 'Having immersed himself in the island culture for the last decade, Patty shares those values and his love for the islands is abundantly clear." Related: Ben Simmons Update Announced After Clippers Issue Big Demand Related: Shaquille O'Neal Makes Strong Statement Amid Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Rumors This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
News.com.au
07-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Boomers claim first Trans-Tasman clash
BSK: The Australian Boomers unveiled a heroic second half turnaround to claim a 12-point win in the first game of the Trans-Tasman Throwdown.
News.com.au
06-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Josh Giddey upstaged by local star in surprise appearance at Victoria's Frankston Stadium
The prospect of dropping 50 points against Chicago Bulls NBA star Josh Giddey in a Monday night domestic game seemed so implausible it wouldn't even come up as a joke in the group chat. That was until the stuff of pure fantasy became a viral reality. When the Australian Boomers Olympic point guard walked into Frankston Stadium and said 'hi, I'm Josh' as if no one in the gym knew who he was, local basketball trainer Blake Jackson knew he had to turn it on. The 22-year-old (50 points) and Frankston Youth League teammate Jesse Lans (41) combined for 21 three pointers and 91 points for Benny's Boys in a 110-84 win over 'Fill In' Giddey and The Vales. The kicker? Jackson's iconic moment might never have happened. 'I almost didn't rock up, I was tired so I didn't even tape my ankles up — the plan was to just walk around a shoot threes,' Jackson, who has only recently returned to the floor after recovering from a broken hand, told CODE Sports. 'Then I saw Josh Giddey walk in and start suiting up, I was like 'oh boy I'm gonna have to guard an NBA player tonight'. 'But it's not everyday you get the chance to do that, so I thought I'm gonna have to give it a crack.' Give it a crack, he did, the 198cm forward producing a stunning 50-piece, spurred by a big crowd that formed once word got around that Giddey was in the house. The effort — on court five, the old showcourt, 'The Dungeon' — was about as good an advertisement for his fledgling basketball training business Ninch Hoops as he could ever wish for. 'Come learn the fine basketball arts off the man who dropped 50 on Josh Giddey' The Flinders College and Peninsula Grammar product admits Giddey, who had 20 points and four threes, 'didn't try very hard, just passed it to his teammates' but there were a couple of possessions where 'he turned it on and just torched me'. Currently part of the Frankston NBL1 South squad, Jackson has dreams of going pro but, regardless of what happens in the future, he'll always have one hell of a story to tell the grandkids. 'It doesn't feel real, to be honest, definitely a cool experience,' he said
