#per-icon .e { In June 2009, Hemmerling sold the team[11] to a group of eight individuals led by new club chairman Mark Lewis and new club CEO Ben Fitzsimons called the Save Our Sixers Consortium. In 1998 Smyth became the first rookie coach since Brian Kerle in the league's inaugural season (1979) to win an NBL championship, thought unlike Kerle, Smyth had limited previous senior coaching experience. In a major upset the defending NBL champions lost the series 21 to the Wildcats. } #cns-icon .E { No. The series was a hard-fought battle, with both teams winning on their home court to level the series at one-all. Game 1 36ers 122 def. fill: #ed1c24; The award was deservedly won by Giants centre and future three time 36ers championship player Paul Rees. #sem-icon .e { Please disable your ad blocker to view the video content. Titans 69 @ Clipsal Powerhouse. #per-icon .c { A return to Adelaide was always a possibility for now former Melbourne centre Isaac Humphries, who will once again suit up for the 36ers after a one-season with United. Game 3: Knicks at Heat, 3:30 p.m. (ABC) Initially it was thought that the 36ers would move into the 10,500 seat, South Australian Government owned Adelaide Entertainment Centre, which opened in 1991. Following the season, Mike Osborne was not retained as coach. } With the West Adelaide Bearcats facing financial difficulties, the club pulled out of the NBL after 1984 with a number of their players joining the 36ers. All rights reserved. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present & emerging as well as all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Community. The season was also the team's last playing out of the 3,000 seat Apollo Stadium which had opened in 1969 as a new venue was due to be opened for the 1992 season. Whyalla junior and AIS attendee, barrel chested 6'5" (195cm) forward Chris Blakemore was named the 1993 NBL Rookie of the Year, while 8th year guard (and future team coach) Scott Ninnis was voted as the NBL's Most Improved Player, scoring a career best 20.1 points and 4.4 assists per game after returning from two seasons in Melbourne with the Eastside Spectres and the Magic respectively. Melbourne Phoenix, #syd-icon .a { Razorbacks 97 @ Clipsal Powerhouse Bullets 91 @ Apollo Stadium, Adelaide def. . On February 02, 2023, Antonius Cleveland set a season high in points in a Australia - NBL game. The 36ers nickname comes from the fact that the Colony of South Australia was officially proclaimed on 28 December 1836. fill: none; Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 7:34PM. #tas-icon .st2{fill:#F9AD3B;} Mark Bradtke and Mike McKay would go on to represent Australia at the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona. #sem-icon .b { } The Eagles performed well in their first season but missed the playoffs finishing in 7th place on the ladder with a 1511 record. fill: none; #per-icon .f { fill: #303030; } Tickets; ADELAIDE 36ers Schedule 2002-03 adelaide36ers.com. fill: #f28d3a; Perth Wildcats, #sem-icon .a { The 36ers average winning margin in 1986 was 17.8 points and 25 years later during the 201112 NBL season, the 1986 36ers were named the league's greatest ever team on the NBL's official website.[2]. #sem-icon .c { } #tas-icon .st5{fill:#FAAF3C;} 2016-17 Adelaide 36ers 2018-19 Adelaide 36ers. #sem-icon .g { #adl-icon .f { That day he dished 8 assists in Adelaide 36ers's road loss against Brisbane Bullets, 106-101. NBA News. The league was founded in 1979 and is currently contested by eight teams; seven from Australia and one fro [4] With Creek and Johnson back on deck as well as the MVP form of Randle and Nathan Sobey looking a strong candidate for the NBL's Most Improved Player award, the team went on a charge, winning 14 of their next 15 games and by the end of Round 16 of the 19 round season had been confirmed as minor premiers for the first time since the 19992000, being an incredible 5 games ahead of the chasing pack. The team, known as the West End 36ers after sponsorship from the South Australian Brewing Company, had a 242 regular season record which included becoming the first team to go through the regular season unbeaten at home with a 130 record at the Apollo Stadium, earning them the nickname "Invincibles" given by leading basketball journalist Boti Nagy. A disappointing 19-point loss against the Cairns Taipans at home on Christmas Eve was the turning point for the Sixers, who went on to win 10 of their last 12 games, including seven-in-a-row, and booking themselves second spot on the ladder at the end of the regular season. fill: none; fill: none; New Zealand Breakers, #per-icon .a { #adl-icon .b { fill: none; fill: #e41e26; } Adelaide's 125 points in game 3 is the highest ever score in an NBL Grand Final game while they also hit a Grand Final record 19 three-pointers in the game. #cns-icon .E { A total of 11 teams contested the league, The free-to-air television network ABC did not return this season only showing on Fox Sports on Foxtel. fill: #ed1c24; On January 01, 2023, Robert Franks set a season high in rebounds in a Australia - NBL game. Maher also played over 100 games for the Australian Boomers and had the honour of captaining the Boomers at the 2001 Goodwill Games held in Brisbane, becoming the first 36ers player to captain his country. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present & emerging as well as all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Community. "Honestly, it's not even about winning these NBA games. The Adelaide City Eagles changed their name after the 1982 season to the Adelaide 36ers to reflect on the history of South Australia's proclamation in 1836. They then defeated the Melbourne Tigers 21 in their Semi-final series before going down 21 in the Grand Final series to their long time nemesis Perth who won their record 6th NBL championship. Two former NBA players -- Madrid's Guerschon Yabusele and Partizan's Dante Exum -- were at the center of the action, with Yabusele slamming Exum to the ground. "These two games are huge for us and huge for Australia, but we've got a championship mark that we're trying to get.". After winning the Grand Final MVP award in 1986, Mark Davis would continue to have a major impact on the NBL when he jointly won the league's MVP award with Brisbane's Leroy Loggins. Maher, Mark Davis (who had become an Australian citizen in 1992), Brett Wheeler and Chris Blakemore had all made their debut for the Boomers in March 1995 at the Clipsal Powerhouse in the first of a 5-game series with the touring Magic Johnson All-Stars. Copyright: ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. #mel-icon .b { #sem-icon .b { } On December 12, 2022, Mitchell McCarron set a season high in efficiency in a Australia - NBL game. Both Darryl Pearce and Mark Bradtke won selection for Australia at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, helping the team to finish 4th after being defeated 4978 in the bronze medal playoff game by a United States team that included future NBA Hall of Fame players David Robinson and Mitch Richmond as well as NBA players Dan Majerle, Danny Manning and Hersey Hawkins. Melbourne Phoenix, #syd-icon .a { The 200910 season was a disaster however and the Adelaide 36ers finished on the bottom of the NBL ladder for the first time in their history with a 1018 record. That day he went for 3 blocks in Adelaide 36ers's home loss against Melbourne Tigers, 87-94. On 2 October 2022, the 36ers became the first NBL team to beat an NBA team when they defeated the Phoenix Suns. } } Bradtke had been signed by Ken Cole in 1986 as a 6'8" (203cm) 16 year with more growing to come. #adl-icon .c { fill: #fff; The 1984 NBL season saw the first time the 36ers would reach the NBL finals, finishing the regular season in 3rd place in the Western Division with a 167 record. Do you have a blog? We provide up-to-date basketball scores and statistics for every professional player and team in every major league in the world, including all NBA scores and stats since 1949. fill: #1c2651; The 36ers run in 201314 which saw them finish the regular season in second place with an 1810 record. } NBA News. fill: none; } [5] Despite being so far in front, Adelaide lost their final four games of the regular season and still finished two games ahead of the top. #adl-icon .d { To appear in this section a player must have either: In November 2015, Adelaide's daily newspaper The Advertiser ran an online poll to find the fans favourite / best ever team. Kevin Brooks was named the Grand Final MVP in what was the last ever winter season for the National Basketball League. #tas-icon .st4{fill:#FFFFFF;} } Although Perth would go on to win the 3-game series 21, a 36ers and South Australian basketball record 8,127 fans saw the 36ers win Game 2 8984. From 1985 onward, home games were usually in front of sell-out crowds, but going into the 1990s demand for 36ers tickets was greater than what Apollo Stadium could hold. fill: #e2cfa8; fill: #fff; clip-path: url(#sem-a); They won through to the 1998 NBL Grand Final series by finally disposing their Finals nemesis the Perth Wildcats in just 2 games. fill: #ffc528; Melbourne United, #nzb-icon .a { The Adelaide 36ers were previously sponsored by Pura Milk and with the naming rights of Pura Milk 36ers. The final game played at home in front of a packed Apollo Stadium saw the Adelaide 36ers win their first championship with a 11391 victory. The Adelaide 36ers have reached the playoffs 24 times in 34 full seasons, and on top of their four championships in 1986, 1998, 199899 and 200102, they reached the Grand Final in 1985, 1994, 201314 and 201718. 5 which belonged to club games record holder Brett Maher who along with his 526 games also holds the club record for points scored with 8,941 and captained the club to the 1998, 1998/99 and 2001/02 NBL Championships. "We went toe to toe when we needed to for a little bit longer. #adl-icon .b { Former Michigan State Spartans NCAA Final Four championship winner and now naturalised Australian, 6'9" (205cm) forward/centre Adam Ballinger, in his third season with the club became team captain in 200910 following the retirement of Maher. Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. The Adelaide 36ers won their first NBL championship in 1986. This record still stands as of the 2016 NBL Grand Final. The change in time slot didn't stop the defending NBL champion 36ers though as they finished the 199899 regular season with their first minor premiership since 1988 with an 188 record. Bruton said of the Suns. He also had 8 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal and finished the game with a 13 efficiency. That wasn't the case: Adelaide's players said they headed back to the hotel after their win over the Suns and talked a bit before going to bed. } The 36ers have won 5 of those 8 games with their only home losses being Game 2 of the 1986 series against Brisbane, Game 1 of 1994 against North Melbourne, and Game 2 of 199899 against Victoria. However, rather than just be a tenant where they would pay a fee to use the facility and be subject to possible date changes due to pre-booked events, both the Adelaide 36ers and BASA wished for their own venue of operations and play that would serve as the home of basketball in South Australia. Joining the club that year was import shooting guard Willie Farley as well as local juniors Oscar Forman and Jacob Holmes. Johnson, Mitchell Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. 1, Australia - NBL career RS : No.15 which was worn by American born guard Al Green who played 164 games for the club from 1985 to 1990 and was the point guard of the 1986 championship team, and the No. #per-icon .b { With the recruitment of import point guard Butch Hays to replace Al Green who had been pushed out and would join Newcastle, as well as a skinny 6'10" (208cm), 19 year old, Noarlunga Tigers player Brett Wheeler joining the team to give extra size that the team lacked outside Bradtke, the team turned their form around finishing the regular season in 4th place with a 1610 record.