Ben Pepper
Encyclopedia
Ben Pepper is an Australia
n basketball
player, who played for the twelve seasons in the National Basketball League
.
began his pro career in the NBL with the Newcastle Falcons
in the 1996 NBL season. After an impressive debut season he would go on to win the NBL's Most Improved Player
and the NBL's Sixth Man of the Year awards in 1997.
Pepper then decided to try his luck with the NBA and entered into the 1997 NBA Draft
. He was selected by the Boston Celtics
with the 56th overall pick in the draft, one of four Australians drafted that year. Interestingly, Pepper was one of three 7'0" tall Australian centres selected in the 1997 draft, the others being Chris Anstey
and Paul Rogers
. A fourth Australian, CJ Bruton
, was also selected in the draft.
The Celtics unfortunately never signed Pepper and he came back to the NBL and played for the North Melbourne Giants
in the 1998 season. After the season the Giants merged with cross-Melbourne
rivals the South East Melbourne Magic
to become the Victorian Titans where he became one of the most dominant centers in the competition. He narrowly missed out on an NBL Championship when the Titans were defeated 2-1 in the 1998-99 NBL Grand Final Series by the Adelaide 36ers
.
Pepper signed with the Wollongong Hawks
for the 2001-02 NBL season
and spent two seasons there before switching back to Victoria to play for the Victoria Giants in 2003-04
. When the Giants folded after the 2004 season, he was signed up by the New Zealand Breakers
for the 2004-05
and 2005-06
NBL seasons and was named Breakers MVP for the 2005-06 season.
After two seasons in New Zealand, Pepper was signed by the Townsville Crocodiles
. In his first year with the Crocs he had the 5th best field goal percentage in the league, shooting at 58.2%. He retired from the NBL after the 2007-08 NBL season
.
Despite being a dominant player in the NBL for numerous years Ben Pepper rarely played for the Australian Boomers
. In 1997 he was a member of the gold medal winning Australian team at the FIBA Under-21 World Championship
held in Melbourne.
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...
n 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, who played for the twelve seasons in the National Basketball League
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....
.
Professional career
Ben Pepper, a 7'0" (213 cm) tall centreCenter (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
began his pro career in the NBL with the Newcastle Falcons
Newcastle Falcons (Australia)
Newcastle Falcons were an Australian basketball team, that played in Newcastle, in the National Basketball League. The team played in the NBL's inaugural season in 1979, and left the league in the late 1990s, after new owners based in Albury couldn't resolve the club's ongoing financial...
in the 1996 NBL season. After an impressive debut season he would go on to win the NBL's Most Improved Player
NBL (Australia) Most Improved Player
* 1988 Darren Lucas * 1989 Mark Bradtke * 1990 Shane Heal * 1991 Andrew Parkinson * 1992 Andrew Svaldenis * 1993 Scott Ninnis...
and the NBL's Sixth Man of the Year awards in 1997.
Pepper then decided to try his luck with the NBA and entered into the 1997 NBA Draft
1997 NBA Draft
The 1997 NBA Draft took place on June 25, 1997 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Although the Celtics had the second worst record in the 1996-97 season and the best odds of winning the lottery with two picks, the Spurs, usually a model of winning and consistency, lost David Robinson to an injury early...
. He was selected by the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
with the 56th overall pick in the draft, one of four Australians drafted that year. Interestingly, Pepper was one of three 7'0" tall Australian centres selected in the 1997 draft, the others being Chris Anstey
Chris Anstey
Christopher John Anstey is a former Australian professional basketball player. At 7'0" his career included stints in the NBA, Russia and Spain. Anstey was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 1997 NBA Draft. He played for the Melbourne Tigers in the Australian NBL...
and Paul Rogers
Paul Rogers (basketball)
Paul Andrew Rogers is a retired Australian basketball player who played in the National Basketball League...
. A fourth Australian, CJ Bruton
CJ Bruton
Calvin Thomas Bruton Jr., commonly known by the name C. J. Bruton , is an American-Australian professional basketball player in the National Basketball League. Bruton moved to Australia at the age of three when his father Calvin Bruton, Sr...
, was also selected in the draft.
The Celtics unfortunately never signed Pepper and he came back to the NBL and played for the North Melbourne Giants
North Melbourne Giants
The North Melbourne Giants were an Australian basketball team, that played in Melbourne, Victoria, in the National Basketball League.-History :The team was formed in 1980 as the Coburg Giants and were renamed in 1987 as the North Melbourne Giants...
in the 1998 season. After the season the Giants merged with cross-Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
rivals the South East Melbourne Magic
South East Melbourne Magic
The South East Melbourne Magic were an Australian basketball team, that played in Melbourne, Victoria, in the National Basketball League. The team was the result of a merger of two Melbourne clubs for the 1992 season...
to become the Victorian Titans where he became one of the most dominant centers in the competition. He narrowly missed out on an NBL Championship when the Titans were defeated 2-1 in the 1998-99 NBL Grand Final Series by the Adelaide 36ers
Adelaide 36ers
The Adelaide 36ers are Adelaide's men's professional basketball team, established as the Adelaide City Eagles when they joined the National Basketball League in 1982. The Adelaide 36ers tally of four championships is equal with the Melbourne Tigers and second behind the Perth Wildcats as the most...
.
Pepper signed with the Wollongong Hawks
Wollongong Hawks
The Wollongong Hawks are a team competing in Australia's National Basketball League , based in the New South Wales city of Wollongong. They won the NBL championship in 2001 and finished as runners-up in 2005 and 2010...
for the 2001-02 NBL season
2001-02 NBL Season
Here are the results and statistics from the National Basketball League season of 2000-2001.-End of Season Ladder:This is the ladder at the end of season, before the finals. In all, 154 games were played, 28 for each team. The top 6 teams qualified for the finals series.-First Round:1st played...
and spent two seasons there before switching back to Victoria to play for the Victoria Giants in 2003-04
2003-04 NBL Season
Here are the results and statistics from the National Basketball League season of 2003-2004.-End of Season Ladder:This is the ladder at the end of season, before the finals. In all, 198 games were played, 33 for each team...
. When the Giants folded after the 2004 season, he was signed up by the New Zealand Breakers
New Zealand Breakers
The New Zealand Breakers are a professional basketball team competing in the Australasian National Basketball League. The Breakers joined the NBL for the 2003/04 season as one of two expansion clubs. The club is based in the city of Auckland, New Zealand and play their home games at the North...
for the 2004-05
2004-05 NBL Season
Here are the results and statistics from the National Basketball League season of 2004-2005.-End of Season Ladder:This is the ladder at the end of season, before the finals. In all, 176 games were played, 32 for each team...
and 2005-06
2005-06 NBL Season
Here are the results and statistics from the National Basketball League season of 2005-2006.-End of Season Ladder:This is the ladder at the end of season, before the finals. In all, 176 games were played, 32 for each team. The top 8 teams qualified for the finals series.KeyThe quarter finals were...
NBL seasons and was named Breakers MVP for the 2005-06 season.
After two seasons in New Zealand, Pepper was signed by the Townsville Crocodiles
Townsville Crocodiles
The Townsville Crocodiles are a professional Australian basketball team based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in the National Basketball League...
. In his first year with the Crocs he had the 5th best field goal percentage in the league, shooting at 58.2%. He retired from the NBL after the 2007-08 NBL season
2007-08 NBL Season
2007-08 is the 30th NBL season.On 21 November 2006, the NBL announced that Gold Coast Blaze will join the league, expanding it to 13 teams.-2007-08 league participants:-Pre-season Transactions:...
.
Despite being a dominant player in the NBL for numerous years Ben Pepper rarely played for the Australian Boomers
Australia national basketball team
The Australian national basketball team is the men's basketball side that represents Australia in international competitions. The team is known in Australia as the Boomers, an Australian slang term for Kangaroo. Australia is ranked 9th in the world and finished 7th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic...
. In 1997 he was a member of the gold medal winning Australian team at the FIBA Under-21 World Championship
FIBA Under-21 World Championship
The FIBA Under-21 World Championship was a men's under-21-only basketball competition organized by FIBA. It was formerly the FIBA 22 & Under World Championship before FIBA lowered the age limit to 21 years in December 1998, and had its name changed to World Championship for Young Men. The...
held in Melbourne.