Brett Maher
Encyclopedia
Brett Steven Maher is a retired Australia
n basketball
player who played for the Adelaide 36ers
in the NBL
for his entire career, from 1992-2009.
where his outstanding form saw him earn a contract with the Adelaide 36ers. It turned out to be a great pickup for the 36ers as he would spend eighteen season with the club, thirteen as club captain. Including finals games, Maher played 526 games for the 36ers between 1992 and 2009, averaging 16.9 points, 4.2 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. He made his debut for the 36ers on 4 April 1992 scoring 11 points, grabbing 7 rebounds and handing out 4 assists to help the team to a 106-84 win over the North Melbourne Giants
.
He played an integral role in three of the four Adelaide 36ers
NBL championships (1998, 1998–99 and 2001-02
) and has also been the 36ers club MVP on six occasions. He was selected in 4 NBL All-Star Games
(1996, 1997, 2005
and 2006
) and he has been named in the All-NBL First Team
in 2000 and 2003, All-NBL Second Team in 1997, 1998 and All-NBL Third Team in 1999, 2002. He also won the Larry Sengstock Medal for being the Grand Final MVP in 1999 and 2002. Maher is one of only two players to ever win the NBL Grand Final MVP twice, the other being Ricky Grace
of the Perth Wildcats
who won the award in 1990 and 1993.
On 7 February 2009 in front of a sellout (and over capacity) crowd in excess of 8,000, the main court of The Dome was re-named The Brett Maher Court in honor of Maher who was playing his last home game before retiring from the NBL at the end of the 2008-09 season
. The court that now bears his name is the only home court that Maher ever played on during his NBL career as the 36ers had moved to the then named Clipsal Powerhouse from their former home at the Apollo Stadium
the same year that Maher started with the club.
Maher has also been honored as one of only two players to have their number retired by the Adelaide 36ers. His #5 singlet hangs high at the Adelaide Arena alongside the #33 of former club captain, league MVP and long time team mate Mark Davis
, who like Maher, played his entire NBL career with the 36ers.
at the 1998 FIBA World Championship
where the team finished in 9th place. He also represented Australia at the 1996
, 2000
and 2004 Summer Olympic Games
helping the Boomers to 4th in Atlanta and Sydney
and 9th place in Athens
. In all, Maher played over 100 games for the Boomers and had the honor of captaining his country at the 2001 Goodwill Games
.
about basketball with former 36ers championship winning team mate Kevin Brooks
called Inside the Game shown on Fridays 6-7pm CST and the episodes are on AustraliaLiveTV.com. He is also the expert local analyst for 36ers NBL games televised on One HD that are played in Adelaide.
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 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...
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....
for his entire career, from 1992-2009.
Professional career
Maher was spotted playing for the Sturt Sabres in the Australian Basketball AssociationAustralian Basketball Association
The Australian Basketball Association, often abbreviated to the ABA, is the second-tiered semi-professional men's and women's basketball minor leagues in Australia which sit under the professional National Basketball League and Women's National Basketball League .The ABA is representative of the...
where his outstanding form saw him earn a contract with the Adelaide 36ers. It turned out to be a great pickup for the 36ers as he would spend eighteen season with the club, thirteen as club captain. Including finals games, Maher played 526 games for the 36ers between 1992 and 2009, averaging 16.9 points, 4.2 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. He made his debut for the 36ers on 4 April 1992 scoring 11 points, grabbing 7 rebounds and handing out 4 assists to help the team to a 106-84 win over 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...
.
He played an integral role in three of the four 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...
NBL championships (1998, 1998–99 and 2001-02
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 has also been the 36ers club MVP on six occasions. He was selected in 4 NBL All-Star Games
NBL (Australia) All-Star Game
The NBL All-Star Game is a special event basketball game run as part of the Australian National Basketball League. The All-Star game is usually held once a season between two teams composed of star players from that season. The first NBL All-Star Game was held in 1988 and was held every season...
(1996, 1997, 2005
2004/05 NBL (Australia) All-Star Game
The 2004/05 NBL All-Star Game was held at the Townsville Entertainment Centre in Townsville, Queensland on 19 January 2005. The attendance for this All-Star game was 5078 spectators....
and 2006
2005/06 NBL (Australia) All-Star Game
The 2005/06 NBL All-Star Game was held at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Sydney, New South Wales on 27 December 2005. The attendance for this All-Star game was 4783 spectators....
) and he has been named in the All-NBL First Team
NBL (Australia) All NBL teams
-NBL First Teams:* 1980 Cal Stamp, Danny Morseu, Brian Banks, Herb McEachin, Ian Davies and Ken Richardson* 1981 Rocky Smith, Danny Morseu, Al Green, David Nelson and Owen Wells* 1982 George Morrow, James Crawford, Leroy Loggins, Phil Smyth and Larry Sengstock...
in 2000 and 2003, All-NBL Second Team in 1997, 1998 and All-NBL Third Team in 1999, 2002. He also won the Larry Sengstock Medal for being the Grand Final MVP in 1999 and 2002. Maher is one of only two players to ever win the NBL Grand Final MVP twice, the other being Ricky Grace
Ricky Grace
Ricky Ray Grace is an American/Australian professional basketball player who played in the Australian National Basketball League from 1990 until the 2004/2005 season.- Playing career :...
of the Perth Wildcats
Perth Wildcats
The Perth Wildcats are an Australian professional basketball team competing in the National Basketball League. The Wildcats are the only team in the league representing the state of Western Australia and are based in the state capital, Perth...
who won the award in 1990 and 1993.
On 7 February 2009 in front of a sellout (and over capacity) crowd in excess of 8,000, the main court of The Dome was re-named The Brett Maher Court in honor of Maher who was playing his last home game before retiring from the NBL at the end of the 2008-09 season
2008-09 NBL Season
-2008-09 league participants:* On 30 June 2008 the Brisbane Bullets confirmed they would be handing back the team's license to the NBL. The NBL confirmed there will be no Brisbane team participating in the 2008/09 season....
. The court that now bears his name is the only home court that Maher ever played on during his NBL career as the 36ers had moved to the then named Clipsal Powerhouse from their former home at the Apollo Stadium
Apollo Stadium
Apollo Stadium was an indoor arena located at 41 Kingston Avenue, Richmond in the Adelaide Metropolitan Area, South Australia...
the same year that Maher started with the club.
Maher has also been honored as one of only two players to have their number retired by the Adelaide 36ers. His #5 singlet hangs high at the Adelaide Arena alongside the #33 of former club captain, league MVP and long time team mate Mark Davis
Mark Davis (NBL)
Mark Davis is a naturalised Australian former basketball player who played from 1985 to 2001 with the National Basketball League's Adelaide 36ers, gaining the nickname of "Chairman of the Boards" for his record breaking rebounding achievements.-Professional career:Davis was signed by then Adelaide...
, who like Maher, played his entire NBL career with the 36ers.
International career
During his career Maher also won selection for the Australian BoomersAustralia 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...
at the 1998 FIBA World Championship
1998 FIBA World Championship
The 1998 FIBA World Championship was the 13th FIBA World Championship, an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation and hosted in Athens, Greece from July 29 to August 9, 1998...
where the team finished in 9th place. He also represented Australia at the 1996
Basketball at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Basketball contests at the 1996 Olympic Games were held from July 20, 1996 to August 4, 1996. Games took place at the Morehouse College Gymnasium and the Georgia Dome. For the second straight Olympic games, the American men's team composed almost entirely of NBA players won the gold medal...
, 2000
Basketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics
-Group B:-Championship bracket:-Classification matches:-Preliminary round:The four best teams from each group advanced to the quarterfinal round.-Group A:-Group B:-Championship bracket:...
and 2004 Summer Olympic Games
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
helping the Boomers to 4th in Atlanta and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and 9th place in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. In all, Maher played over 100 games for the Boomers and had the honor of captaining his country at the 2001 Goodwill Games
2001 Goodwill Games
The 2001 Goodwill Games was the fifth and final edition of the international multi-sport event. The competition was held in Brisbane, Australia from 29 August to 9 September 2001. A total around 1300 athletes took part in 14 sporting competitions....
.
Media work
Since retiring, Maher now also co-hosts an Internet Television show on Australia Live TVAustralia Live TV
Australia Live TV is an Australia based online television network run from Chapel Lane Studios in Hindmarsh, South Australia, Adelaide The company started with one sports Internet television show KG and the General but now hosts several shows -Programming:...
about basketball with former 36ers championship winning team mate Kevin Brooks
Kevin Brooks
Kevin Brooks may refer to:*Kevin Brooks , American basketball player*Kevin Brooks , former Dallas Cowboys football player*Kevin Brooks , writer of Candy*Kevin Brooks...
called Inside the Game shown on Fridays 6-7pm CST and the episodes are on AustraliaLiveTV.com. He is also the expert local analyst for 36ers NBL games televised on One HD that are played in Adelaide.
Personal
Brett Maher is married to Tanya, and had three children, Cheyenne, Hudson and Indiana. In 2003 Hudson was diagnosed with a rare bone marrow disease called haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) when just 3 months old and has since died, spurring the founding of The Hudson Maher Foundation that Brett Maher hopes can stop the disease from coming more common.Honour roll
| NBL career: | 1992–2009 |
| NBL Grand Final appearances: | 4 (1994, 1998, 1998–99, 2001–02) |
| NBL Championships: | 3 (1998, 1998–99, 2001–02) |
| NBL Grand Final MVP: | 2 (1998–99, 2001–02) |
| All-NBL First Team: | 3 (2000, 2003, 2006) |
NBL career stats
| Games: | 526 |
| Rebounds: | 2,313 (1,593 def, 720 off - 4.3pg) |
| Points: | 8,941 (16.9pg) |
| Free Throws: | 1,499 |
| Field Goals: | 3,140 |
| 3 Points: | 1,162 |
| Steals: | 703 (1.3pg) |
| Assists: | 2,267 (4.3pg) |