David Andersen, a three-time EuroLeague champion 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 Head of Player Relations and Special Projects for the NBL.
Reflecting on his career, Andersen shared his observations with Basketball Sphere: “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, especially after I went abroad, its popularity declined significantly in the 2000s. Teams struggled a lot, some went bankrupt, and the entire league was in disarray for several years. Then, as soon as Larry K (NDLR: Larry Kestelman is an entrepreneur) took the reins in 2014, basketball began to flourish again. He had a clear vision and invested massively in the NBL, first with Miami University, then with the entire league. It was a bold gamble that proved very beneficial for Australian basketball.”
Andersen joined Melbourne United in 2016, after the Rio Olympics and 17 years spent in the NBA and Europe. Upon his return, he witnessed a considerable shift and resurgence in basketball. “The league has developed more locally, and we started organizing international events, like NBA games (we almost beat OKC in 2017, in OKC). Since then, the league has continuously progressed, with increased international recognition, notably thanks to Next Stars, in which I participate as an assistant. We have also played more NBA games and now Euro Games. So, the league is doing very well,” stated David Andersen.
The Next Stars program is highlighted as an excellent avenue for the NBL to attract top talent, both domestic and international.
“This championship is of a very high level. It blends the NBA’s 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 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 recruited in EuroLeague. The NBL wasn’t really a priority in the early 2000s. Now, everything has changed!”
