David Andersen, a three-time Euroleague winner and four-time Olympian for Australia, returned to his home country to secure two NBL titles with Melbourne United in 2018 and 2021. Since retiring in October 2021, he has taken on the role of NBL Player Relations and Special Projects Manager.
“When I started in the NBL in 1998, the league was emerging from the golden era of the 90s with Jordan and was very popular. Since then, and especially after I went abroad, its popularity significantly declined in the 2000s. Teams struggled greatly, some went bankrupt, and the entire league was in disarray for several years,” he recalls to Basketball Sphere. “Then, as soon as Larry K (Editor’s note: Larry Kestelman is an entrepreneur) took the reins of the NBL in 2014, basketball began to flourish again. He had a clear vision and invested heavily in the NBL, first with the Miami University, then with the entire league. It was a bold gamble that has been very beneficial for Australian basketball.”
“I joined Melbourne United (MU) in 2016, after the Rio Olympics and 17 years spent in the NBA and Europe! Upon my return, I noticed a significant change and a considerable boom in basketball. The league developed more locally, and we started organizing international events, like NBA games (we nearly beat OKC in 2017, in OKC). Since then, the league has continuously progressed, with increased international recognition, notably thanks to Next Stars, which I participate in as an assistant. We have also played more NBA games and now Euro Games. The league is doing very well,” said David Andersen.
The Next Stars program is an excellent way for the NBL to attract very good talent, both local and international.
“This league is of a very high level. It blends the NBA style of play with that of European basketball. I would say it’s the second-best in terms of production and promotion. As for the quality of players and tactics, it’s probably slightly behind Euroleague. The NBL is much more followed globally, so yes, you can get noticed and be recognized quickly by performing well in the NBL. In my time, it was more difficult: we played for the national team and were scouted during world tournaments, or we were recruited in the Euroleague. The NBL wasn’t really a priority in the early 2000s. Now, everything has changed!”
