PLAYER
Glen Saville OLY
Very few individuals made as significant an impact on a region than the great Glen Saville had on Illawarra in the south coast of New South Wales.
After winning a silver medal for Australia at the FIBA Under-19 World Championships in 1995, ‘Sav’, as he came to be known, joined the Illawarra Hawks that same year and began a career which stands as one of the greatest the National Basketball League has ever seen.
The 200cm small forward was nothing less than an absolute superstar for the regional club, playing an astounding 527 games – the most in Illawarra history – and finished his stint as one of the most beloved Hawks ever for his enormous talent, his athleticism and relentless attitude on the court.
He would be named the Most Valuable Player on five occasions in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005, made an All-NBL team eight times and was the NBL Defensive Player of the Year in 2003, but his greatest achievement was winning the 2001 NBL Grand Final Series MVP in which he lead the he Hawks to an historic championship. In such, Illawarra becoming the first team from New South Wales to secure an NBL crown.
One season with the Sydney Kings in 2007–2008 just added to his extraordinary resume, with Saville a huge part of an incredible squad that went a franchise-record 27-3 in the regular season and just fell short of winning the title. After the Kings folded following the 2007–08 season, Saville returned to Wollongong for the 2008–09 season. He completed his career in 2013 as the all-time games record-holder for the Hawks with 527 games and his 563 NBL games ranks fourth all-time.
Glen also excelled on the international stage. He played for Australia at the East Asian and Goodwill Games 2001 and represented the Boomers at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
One of only five men to have had his jersey number retired by the Hawks, Glen Saville’s elevation to the BNSW Hall of Fame is a just reward for someone who meant so much to the Illawarra region.
Credit: Matt McQuade
Basketball NSW Hall of Fame Dinner
Date: Saturday, November 25th, Novotel Northbeach Wollongong
Time: 6:30pm for a 7:00pm start
Dress: Cocktail
Tickets: CLICK HERE to Purchase. Tickets are from $165 per person or $1550 per table of ten. Includes a three-course dinner, a 3-hour beverage package and a commemorative HoF booklet.