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Basketball is already a hugely popular sport in Indigenous communities, but a new program by NBA champion and three-time Olympian Patty Mills aims to improve young Indigenous lives on and off the court.
Key points:
- There are currently three Indigenous men playing in the NBL
- Former NBL player Tyson Demos says he did not have many Indigenous basketball-playing role models
- The NBA is partnering with Mills’s organisation to try to unearth more talent like the Spurs star
The Indigenous Community Basketball League (ICBL) is launching this Sunday in eight locations around the country.
Former Illawarra Hawks player Tyson Demos is the director of basketball operations and said he has seen “some serious untapped talent” in remote Indigenous communities.
“If we can provide those legitimate pathways maybe we can see the next Patty Mills or Nate Jawai,” Demos said of two Indigenous stars who have made it all the way to the NBA.
Mills has spent most of his 12 seasons in the US with one of the NBA’s most diverse and successful franchises, the San Antonio Spurs, and the world’s top league has officially partnered with Mills’s new organisation, Indigenous Basketball Australia (IBA).
“Not everyone has had the same opportunities as I have, which is why I’m so dedicated to using my platform, my profile and my voice to develop innovative programs like IBA, which will allow my people to really own their story,” Mills said.
“I have spent over 10 years in the NBA, an organisation that has not only supported and championed me as an athlete, but celebrated my cultural identity as an Australian, an Indigenous man of the land.
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“I am ecstatic and filled with immense pride to have the world’s most renowned professional basketball league join forces with IBA.”
Indigenous Australian basketballers are under-represented at the elite level.
There are currently three Indigenous men playing in the NBL, while the AFL boasts 87 and the NRL 58.
For women, there are five Indigenous players in the WNBL, compared to 22 in the AFLW and 13 in the NRLW.
Before going professional, Demos went to the Institute of Sport with Mills.
“From coming through the junior system I saw there are barriers that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids face in mainstream basketball. That’s why Patty started Indigenous Basketball Australia and I want to give back now too,” Demos said.
The league will connect with around 1,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youths in Cairns, Thursday Island, Logan, Dubbo, Woodville (NT), Alice Springs, Darwin and Perth.
“Indigenous communities already play a lot of basketball but this will help grow participation,” Demos said.
While creating opportunities at the grassroots level, the program also delivers educational and health programs to help young kids be as successful in whatever they do in life.
“ICBL is not only a basketball competition — it’s a one-of-a-kind program where kids will participate in unique inspirational and motivational sessions before every game, they’ll be given lunch and then learn about culture, education, health, leadership, safety and wellbeing,” Demos said.
Growing up, Demos did not have many Indigenous basketball role models and said if the next generation can see people like them succeed, Indigenous basketball will grow.
“I really looked up to Cathy Freeman, especially back then being a female and Indigenous, I took massive inspiration from her, also Michael Armitt and Uncle Danny [Morseu] — they were the first Indigenous basketball Olympians and they paved the way for people like Patty Mills,” he said.
Competition to reach the regions
IBA deliberately chose to run the competition outside the capital cities to increase reach and engagement.
“It’s very important to promote sport in all communities and we have partnered up with local organisations and community leaders to help deliver these programs,” Demos said.
“Working in the community, basketball really helps capacity building, helping teach kids life skills like teamwork, discipline, communication, but it’s also a fun way for these kids to get out and be active.”
Mills hopes it will help aspiring players make it into basketball leagues in Australia and around the world.
“It’s game-changing and we’re creating history for my people,” Mills said.
“Early adolescence is crucial for a child’s cognitive, emotional and social development — our program will help these kids and their communities unlock their full potential in a safe and discrimination-free environment.”
The initiative also includes developing coaches, volunteers and referees and expansion plans are already in the works.
The competition runs over six weeks before the semi-final and grand final in late March.
Top performers will be selected to represent their state at the National Indigenous Basketball Tournament in April on the Gold Coast, Queensland.
