Australia’s most decorated basketballer, Lauren Jackson AO OLY will be enshrined as a Legend in the Basketball NSW Hall of Fame to held on Saturday 2nd of November.
An incredible resumé at home, abroad and internationally. Jackson’s accolades include six WNBL Championships, two WNBA Championships and 3 EuroLeague Championships. She was named WNBL MVP and Grand Final MVP four times each, was a three-time MVP in the WNBA and a seven-time All-WNBA First Team nominee while clocking up 16 All-Star nominations across the WNBL, WNBA and Europe.
As a member of the Opals, Jackson was just as prolific. She claimed an Olympic bronze medal (2012), three Olympic silver medals (2000, 2004, 2008), two World Championship bronze medals (1998, 2002), a World Championship gold (2006) and a Commonwealth Games gold (2006) across 220 games for Australia while she retired as the all-time leading points scorer in Olympic women’s basketball history.
“I’m incredibly honoured and for it to be with Basketball NSW, I’m so proud to be a regional NSW girl!”
“I have so many fond memories from playing juniors in my home town of Albury, through to representing Albury in NSW competitions, being chosen to play for NSW in various Australian Junior Championships through to representing Australia
“I’m also so happy that as a female basketballer I’m able to represent all the other young girls and women before me and the next generation to come, and to continue to pave the way for these kids to do remarkable things in this beautiful sport!!!”
“I’m looking forward to celebrating the night with the Class of 2019 being inducted into the Basketball NSW Hall of Fame.” said Jackson
Joining Jackson to be elevated to the status of Legend in the Basketball NSW Hall of Fame will be Bob Elphinston OAM, a pioneer in the development of Australian basketball across all levels and is one of the most influential men in world basketball through his various roles, the most prestigious being his Presidency of FIBA from 2006 – 2010.
Elphinston was behind the development of Association representative basketball, he was a member of the formative Board of the National Basketball League, he was Secretary-General of the Australian Olympic Federation, he was a founding President of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association and he is a Life Member of Basketball NSW and an Australian Basketball Hall of Fame Member.
He was the manager of the national men’s team at 38 events, including the 1982 World Championship in Colombia and the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Elphinston also played a pivotal role in establishing the NSW State Sports Centre as well as in garnering the successful bid for the 2000 Olympic Games.
“I am incredibly honoured to be inducted as a Legend for NSW Basketball Hall of Fame”
“Joining three Legends, Al Ramsay MBE OAM, Dr John Raschke OAM and Dr Adrian Hurley OAM who have been great mentors to me in my basketball journey, makes me very proud and humble.”
“To be honoured along with Lauren Jackson AO OLY, who I regard as the best female player on the globe in her era, makes the BNSW Hall of Fame Ceremony very special.” said Elphinston
Jeff Davies, Gerry Hewson, Carl Rodwell, Damian Keogh and Shelley Gorman are five players to be inducted into Basketball NSW Hall of Fame.
Jeff Davies grew up on the Moore Park Playgrounds, he represented NSW at numerous Australian Championships U16 Boys in 1961 (Silver) & 1962 (Gold), U18 Boys in 1963 (Gold) & 1964 (Gold) where he was also named as MVP of the tournament, and Open Men in 1965 (Silver), 1966, 1967 (Gold) & 1968.
Davies’ efforts were noticed by national selectors with his inclusion in the Australian Men’s squad in 1968.
Davies played for Woolloomooloo, Paratels and St George, winning 6 NSW Championships, 9 Sydney Championships a recipient of the Jack Small Medal on four occasions in the Sydney Championships.
Gerry Hewson OAM a member of the Australian men’s national wheelchair basketball team, competing at four Paralympic Games from 1988 to 2000.
He won a gold medal as a member of the team at the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta, for which he received a Medal of the Order of Australia.
He competed in the National Wheelchair Basketball League (NWBL) in 2001, the same year he was named as the Low Point MVP for the league. In 1999, 2000 and 2001, he was also named as part of the league’s All-Star Five.
Carl Rodwell was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the 20th round of the 1969 NBA draft, with the 217th pick overall. He went to the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games and averaged 6.3 points per game as Australia finished a respectable ninth.
The six-foot-eight centre was also on Australia’s Mexico City team in 1968, though the team was unsuccessful in qualifying, Rodwell was the team’s second option behind Lindsay Gaze.
Rodwell played college basketball at UC Riverside for four seasons, where he finished his career as the school’s fourth-highest all-time scorer and rebounder. He was inducted into the UC Riverside Hall of Fame in 1991.
Damian Keogh an illustrious fifteen-year international basketball career saw Damian wear the green and gold on more than 200 occasions including three Olympic campaigns – Los Angeles in 1984, Seoul in 1988 and Barcelona in 1992. He also competed at three World Championships before retiring from Australian representation in 1994.
Keogh joined the Sydney Kings in their formative season in 1988. Keogh captained the Kings from 1989 until retiring at the end of the 1995 season, leading them to the semi-finals in 1989 and 1992. He leads the King’s all-time records in points and assists, was named the Most Valuable Player in 1990 and is one of a handful of players to have played more than 400 NBL games. A Former Board Member of Basketball NSW and Basketball Australia.
Shelley Gorman is known to many simply as ‘Gorms’, was one of the toughest and fittest players ever to wear an Australian uniform. Over 15 years and 306 games, Gorman achieved some significant milestones.
Selected to play at the 1988 Olympics at the age of eighteen, the following year Gorman was the Co-Captain of Australian basketball’s first medal-winning team, the Gems of 1989 who claimed a bronze medal at the World Championships. After her Olympic debut in 1988, Shelley won bronze and silver medals at the 1996 and 2000 Olympic teams.
In the WNBL Gorman was recruited to the Sydney Flames in 1993 and played a total of 4 seasons with the Flames before heading to play overseas. Her accolades in the WNBL included 5 WNBL Championships (1993 with the Flames) and was the league MVP in 1994 (with the Flames), selected into the WNBL All-Star Five in 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993 (Flames), 1994 (Flames) 1995 (Flames) and 1998/1999. Gorman was an inspirational player who helped turn the Flames into a household name and into an irresistible force in the WNBL.
Contributors Barrie Meadows, Andrew Lazaris and Eve Craddock will be inducted along with those five players.
Barrie Meadows, Barry has dedicated his life to the game of basketball, from the early teaching days in the sixties through to the current day. Now in his eightieth year, Barrie is still active in the Jannali Basketball Club, which he founded in 1972 and coaching 2-3 teams a week at the grassroots level in the Sutherland District Basketball Association domestic competitions.
Awarded Life Member of the Sutherland District Basketball Association in 1986, Life Member NSW CHS Basketball in 1997 and Life Member Sydney East Secondary School Association in 2004.
Meadows has been instrumental in the development of basketball in schools, he has held numerous Head Coach positions in both the boys and girls programs in both the NSW Combined High Schools and NSW All Schools.
Andrew Lazaris OAM, Andrew has been involved in the sport of basketball for over 45 years. He commenced playing basketball for Woolloomooloo Playground where the first-ever basketball competitions in NSW commenced.
Lazaris played most of his early basketball with Eastern Suburbs Basketball Association and played an instrumental role in the amalgamation of Eastern Suburbs Basketball Association and Sydney Basketball Association to form the new City of Sydney Basketball Association (CSBA) in 1980. Lazaris became President of the CSBA in 1985 a position he has held every year since then. The CSBA under Andrew’s leadership has become one of the strongest and most successful basketball associations in NSW.
Lazaris was heavily involved financially in supporting the newly formed Sydney Supersonics (now the Kings) so that the CSBA could have a team in the National Basketball League.
In 1985 Lazaris became part of the first-ever private consortium of a sporting team in Australia. This consortium which included the CSBA then went on to own and manage the team which became the Sydney Kings in 1988. Andrew was also team manager during this time. This consortium then successfully managed and ran the Sydney Kings for 18 years.
Eve Craddock, Eve began her basketball career in Shoalhaven where she became a Board member in 1974, was elected President of the Association in 1986 & 1985 and was a delegate to the Barrengarry Conference, the only conference still in operation today.
Nationally her efforts were recognised with appointments as the manager to the Australian Junior Women’s team in 1987 and the Head of Delegation for the Australian Senior Women’s Team who toured China in 1987.
Craddock also held a State badge in refereeing and was a long-time member of various technical committees at Australian Championships.
The only coach to be inducted into the 2019 Class, Rob Beveridge, Rob was the Head Coach of the NSW Institute of Sport from 1997 through to 2007, he was the Head Coach for the NSW U20 Men on 8 occasions, winning 4 Gold and 4 Silver medals.
Beveridge’s greatest achievement in coaching was as Head Coach of the Australian Junior Men’s Team which won the 2003 World Junior Championship in Thessaloniki, Greece, setting world records with the highest ever score and winning margin in a Gold Medal game in International Basketball. In addition, Australia was the only team that handed the USA its only loss for the tournament with a comprehensive 21-point win in the quarter-finals.
After winning the World Junior Championship, Beveridge was appointed as an Assistant Coach with the Australian Senior Men’s Basketball Team (Boomers) for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where they won a Gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006 and coached at the World Championship in Japan, 2006. In addition, he was Assistant Coach for Wheelchair Basketball during the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games where Australia won a silver medal.
In the Technical Officials category, we welcome Steve Bignell (referee) and Lauretta Claus (statistician).
Steve Bignell, Highly regarded former referee Steve Bignell freely admits he wasn’t the most gifted athlete to run the boards during his decorated 28-year NBL career. Bignell is one of just six referees in NBL history to surpass the incredible 600-game mark – having racked up 606 in total – and refereed a host of big games during his career.
Bignell officiated at numerous Australian Championships, U14 Boys in 1978, U18 Girls in 1980, U6 Girls in 1981, Women’s Club in 1982 & 1983, U18 Boys in 1985. He was awarded his Australian Badge in 1981 and gained his FIBA badge in 1986.
Lauretta Claus, Lauretta will also be known for the tireless efforts in the area of developing statisticians, her love for statistics started way back at Bankstown when the Bruins participated in the Eastern Conference League and the NBL.
Claus was appointed Chairperson of the Australian Basketball Statistics Committee back in 1992, she is the Statistics Advisor for the NBL a position she has held since 1998 and the WNBL since 2002, Lauretta still holds all these positions today.
She has overseen many international events as the Statistics Coordinator, including FIBA Women’s World Cup in 1994, Wheelchair Basketball World Cup in 1988, Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Goodwill Games in 2004, Commonwealth Games in 2006 & 2018.
The 2019 Basketball NSW Hall of Fame Class
LEGENDS
PLAYERS
- Jeff Davies
- Gerry Hewson OAM
- Carl Rodwell
- Damien Keogh
- Shelley Gorman
CONTRIBUTORS
- Barrie Meadows
- Andrew Lazaris OAM
- Eve Craddock
COACH
- Rob Beveridge
TECHNICAL OFFICIALS
- Steve Bignell (referee)
- Lauretta Claus (statistician)
The 2019 Basketball NSW Hall of Fame Dinner will be held on Saturday 2nd of November as part of the Basketball NSW State Conference.
Tickets are now on sale, please visit https://www.bnsw.com.au/stateconference/