Andrew Gaze
Encyclopedia
Andrew Barry Casson Gaze (born 24 July 1965) is Australia
's best known basketball
player, and one of its most successful. He is considered as the greatest player in the history of the NBL.
Son of Australian basketball player and coach, Lindsay Gaze
, Andrew began his career in the NBL
at age 18, being named Rookie of the year in 1984. He was the top scorer in the league for a total of 14 seasons. Not an outstanding athlete, Gaze's heavy scoring was due to exceptional shooting, including from three-point range. A crowd favourite, one of Gaze's trademark plays for the Tigers was a pass to American import Lanard Copeland
for an alley oop
. Playing under his father with the Tigers, Gaze led the team to two titles and were perpetual finalists.
Gaze also excelled at the international arena, and in 2000 became (jointly with American Teresa Edwards
) the third basketball player to compete at five Olympics, after Puerto Rican Teófilo Cruz
and Brazilian Oscar Schmidt
. He led the Boomers to their best performance, fourth at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics
. (The Boomers also came fourth in 1988 and 2000.) He was selected as flag-bearer for the Australian team at the opening ceremony at the 2000 Sydney Olympics
. He is the scoring record holder in Olympic competition, and second-highest scorer of all-time in World Championship play.
In 1988–99, Gaze played a season of U.S.
college basketball
at Seton Hall
, where his team made the 1989 NCAA finals
, losing in overtime to Michigan
. He tried out with the NBA
's Seattle SuperSonics
, but was not offered a contract and ultimately waived. In 1993–94 he played seven games for the Washington Bullets
. He had another short stint in the NBA in lockout-shortened 1998–99
with the San Antonio Spurs
, but received very little court time and was injured for the latter part of the season. He received a championship ring after the Spurs won the 1999 NBA title, although he was left off the playoff
roster.
After the Sydney Olympics, Gaze retired from international competition, but continued to play in the NBL. On 12 May 2005, he announced his retirement from the game after 612 games in the NBL and 20 years of professional basketball.
Soon after, he released his autobiography, A Kid, a Ball, a Dream, co-authored with Grantley Bernard.
Today, Gaze has carved out a career as a media personality, appearing on commercials for Dodo Internet and Voltaren and commentating NBL
basketball matches for SEN 1116
and (occasionally) Fox Sports. Also, Gaze now coaches for the Melbourne Tigers' junior basketball club. Gaze appeared in series five of Dancing with the Stars
.
In July 2007, Gaze was approached by members of the Australian Labor Party
to stand as a candidate in a by-election
for the Electoral district of Albert Park
. Gaze had previously considered running for election for Labor. He is a republican.
He currently is a presenter on Channel Seven
's Guide to the Good Life
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's best known basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player, and one of its most successful. He is considered as the greatest player in the history of the NBL.
Son of Australian basketball player and coach, Lindsay Gaze
Lindsay Gaze
Lindsay John Casson Gaze is an Australian basketball player and coach. He played for Australia in three Olympics between 1960 and 1968 and coached the Australian basketball team at four Olympics between 1972 and 1984...
, Andrew began his career in the NBL
National Basketball League (Australia)
The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia....
at age 18, being named Rookie of the year in 1984. He was the top scorer in the league for a total of 14 seasons. Not an outstanding athlete, Gaze's heavy scoring was due to exceptional shooting, including from three-point range. A crowd favourite, one of Gaze's trademark plays for the Tigers was a pass to American import Lanard Copeland
Lanard Copeland
Lanard Copeland is a retired American-born Australian professional basketball player. He played in the NBL from 1992-2008....
for an alley oop
Alley oop (basketball)
An alley-oop in basketball is an offensive play in which one player throws the ball near the basket to a teammate who jumps, catches the ball in mid air and immediately scores a basket, usually with a slam dunk...
. Playing under his father with the Tigers, Gaze led the team to two titles and were perpetual finalists.
Gaze also excelled at the international arena, and in 2000 became (jointly with American Teresa Edwards
Teresa Edwards
-External links:******...
) the third basketball player to compete at five Olympics, after Puerto Rican Teófilo Cruz
Teófilo Cruz
Teófilo Cruz Downs was a Puerto Rican professional basketball player. Cruz has played in the NCAA, and the National Superior Basketball League of Puerto Rico with Santurce Crabbers, Guaynabo Mets, Canovanas Indians, Río Piedras Cardinals, and Mayagüez Tainos. Cruz has played internationally in...
and Brazilian Oscar Schmidt
Oscar Schmidt
Oscar Daniel Bezerra Schmidt is a retired Brazilian basketball player. He is also known as Oscar Schmidt Bezerra in Spain, where he played for Fórum Valladolid for the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons, and simply Oscar or Mão Santa in his homeland. At his peak, he was 2.05 m tall and weighed...
. He led the Boomers to their best performance, fourth at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
. (The Boomers also came fourth in 1988 and 2000.) He was selected as flag-bearer for the Australian team at the opening ceremony at the 2000 Sydney Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. He is the scoring record holder in Olympic competition, and second-highest scorer of all-time in World Championship play.
In 1988–99, Gaze played a season of U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
at Seton Hall
Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
, where his team made the 1989 NCAA finals
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
, losing in overtime to Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. He tried out with the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
, but was not offered a contract and ultimately waived. In 1993–94 he played seven games for the Washington Bullets
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
. He had another short stint in the NBA in lockout-shortened 1998–99
1998-99 NBA season
The 1999 NBA season was the 53rd season of the National Basketball Association . Due to a lockout, the season did not start until February 5, 1999 after a new six year Collective Bargaining Agreement was reached between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association...
with the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
, but received very little court time and was injured for the latter part of the season. He received a championship ring after the Spurs won the 1999 NBA title, although he was left off the playoff
1999 NBA Playoffs
The 1999 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1998-99 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs by defeating the eighth-seeded Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks four games to one...
roster.
After the Sydney Olympics, Gaze retired from international competition, but continued to play in the NBL. On 12 May 2005, he announced his retirement from the game after 612 games in the NBL and 20 years of professional basketball.
Soon after, he released his autobiography, A Kid, a Ball, a Dream, co-authored with Grantley Bernard.
Today, Gaze has carved out a career as a media personality, appearing on commercials for Dodo Internet and Voltaren and commentating NBL
National Basketball League (Australia)
The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia....
basketball matches for SEN 1116
SEN 1116
SEN 1116 , the acronym standing for Sports Entertainment Network, is a commercial AM radio station based in Melbourne, Australia, operating on 1116 kHz...
and (occasionally) Fox Sports. Also, Gaze now coaches for the Melbourne Tigers' junior basketball club. Gaze appeared in series five of Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (Australian TV series)
Dancing with the Stars is a Logie Award-winning, Australian light entertainment reality show airing on the Seven Network and filmed live from the HSV-7 studios in Melbourne...
.
In July 2007, Gaze was approached by members of the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
to stand as a candidate in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
for the Electoral district of Albert Park
Electoral district of Albert Park
The Electoral district of Albert Park is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It covers the inner city suburbs of South Melbourne, Albert Park, Port Melbourne and St Kilda...
. Gaze had previously considered running for election for Labor. He is a republican.
He currently is a presenter on Channel Seven
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
's Guide to the Good Life
Guide to the Good Life
Guide to the Good Life is a weekly Australian television series that airs on Channel Seven.The series, sponsored by insurance company APIA, features various lifestyle segments including food, travel, motoring, home and finance advice. The program is aimed towards older viewers, the same demographic...
.
Records and awards
- Record for most Olympic Games for an Australian basketballer (5)
- Scored 18,908 points in the NBL over 612 games in a 22-season span at an average of 30.9 points per game
- Received Most Valuable Player (MVP) award a record 7 times
- Australian International Player of the YearAustralian International Player of the YearThe Australian International Player of the Year is an award for the best Australian Boomers squad member. All members of the senior national team vote after each game and the player who receives the most votes is awarded the Gaze Medal....
(1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000) - won the NBL Most Efficient PlayerNBL (Australia) Most Efficient Player* 1990 Andrew Gaze * 1991 Andrew Gaze * 1992 Andrew Gaze * 1993 Andrew Gaze * 1994 Andrew Gaze * 1995 Andrew Gaze * 1996 Andrew Gaze...
award every year from 1990 to 1997. The award was then discontinued, making Gaze the only ever person to win the award. - Crowned Moomba MonarchMoombaMoomba is Australia's largest free community festival and one of the longest running festivals in Australia. Held annually in the city of Melbourne, Australia, Moomba is celebrated during the Labour Day long weekend , and has been celebrated since 1955...
(popularly called King of Moomba) by the Melbourne festival committee in 1994. - Former Consultation Committee Member of the Human Rights Consultation Committee of Vicotria which formulated the Draft Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities, a precursor to the Victorian Charter of Rights.
External links
- http://www.interbasket.net/players/gaze.htm
- Sports-Reference Profile
- Andrew Gaze's Full Biography
- Gaze.com.au – Official Homepage
- Follow the Bouncing Ball – interview with Andrew Gaze ABC Radio National transcript of The Sports Factor broadcast August 2005
- Gaze's NBA Statistics