Ah Mat to Mills: Meet our First Nations men's stars

Australia has rich history of First Nations men's basketball players from trailblazer Michael Ah Mat to NBA champion Patty Mills.

Ah Mat, who died aged 40 in 1983, played for the Australian national men's team in 1964 — our first, First Nations superstar — and just 61 years later Mills led the Australian Boomer to their first Olympic Games medal, a bronze in Tokyo in 2021.

Meet our First Nations stars who blazed the trail and those that continue to blaze the trail for all Indigenous athletes.

Michael Ah Matt

Michael Ah Mat's basketball career ended just as the NBL started. He played 20 years for the South Adelaide Panthers between 1959 and 1979. At 22, he was selected to play on the Australian men's national team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. He played in all seven games. Statistics aren't great, so it's challenging to articulate Ah Mat's impact on the scoreboard, but his impact went far beyond the basketball court. He was Australia's first First Nations Olympian. Australia didn't qualify for the 1968 Games in Mexico. Ah Mat was born in Townsville, Queensland, in 1942 before moving to Darwin. He played for the Northern Territory in the Australian Championships in 1959 and then moved to Adelaide to play for the Panthers. Former Australian Olympian Darryl Pearce said, "He had an amazing sense of where he was on the court, and he could see players where no one could understand how he could actually pass the ball the way he did." Not only did Ah Mat know how to pass the ball, he passed the torch to the next generation of Australia's best basketballers. Vale, Michael.

Emmanual D'Cress

Emmanual D'Cress played one season with the Canberra Cannons in 2002. He played 18 games for the 11-19 2002-03 Cannons. He was awarded a scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport in 2001. The Western Australian junior, who played for Bunbury, was injured in a car crash with American import Korleone Young at the wheel. In a story by GrantLand in 2013, it was reported: (Young) had been at a club, drinking. A friend offered to drive him and teammate Emmanuel D’Cress home. “Man, I got it,” Young replied. In his haze, Young drove as though he were in the United States and not Australia. He went the wrong way on a roundabout. He avoided hitting another car, but swerved his Holden into a ravine. Young’s airbag deployed and knocked him out. The radio had been tuned to a fast beat before the crash. Young awoke to the radio playing in slow motion. He believes his seat belt saved his life — he carries the scar it left across his neck to this day. When he regained consciousness, his senses slowly returned. He looked at D’Cress, still knocked out. Young said he carried D’Cress nearly two miles back to his apartment. Young called his coach and informed him of the crash. D’Cress was left with a broken neck. Doctors, Young said, later told him that if he had carried D’Cress much farther, D’Cress would have never walked again. D'Cress returned to Bunbury and averaged 25.2 points per game in 17 games. He is now a coach, teaching the next generation of basketballers achieve their dreams.

Paul Vandenbergh

Paul Vandenbergh is a proud member of the Wirangu people from the Far West Coast of South Australia. Aged 24, he played one season for the Canberra in the 2001-02 season, averaging 4.1 points per game, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 22 games for the 3-25 Cannons. In 2021, he joined the AFL as Diversity Pathways Manager, continuing his commitment to creating opportunities and fostering inclusion. "Paul has extensive experience implementing programs and initiatives for young Indigenous players and is a highly regarded Indigenous leader in our game who will add to our work in bringing more Indigenous talent and multicultural talent to our game and ensure they have the right support in place," Steven Hocking said. Vandenbergh is deeply invested in his community, creating the Aboriginal Basketball Academy and helping Aboriginal children achieve excellence in basketball and school.

David Ah Chee

David Ah Chee played one season in the NBL with the Westgate Wildcats, now the Perth Wildcats, in their inaugural campaign in 1982. Ah Chee played only limited minutes, getting into the game twice for the 10-16 Wildcats. Between 1989 and 1993, he played 97 SEABL games for East Perth, scoring more than 1200 points at an average of 12.5 points per game. He still lives in Perth.

Danny Morseu

Danny Morseu is one of Australia's most accomplished First Nations basketballers. He was born on Thursday Island on New Year's Day, 1958. Morseu played 10 years in the NBL from 1979 to 1989 and for the Australian Boomers in the 1978 World Cup, the Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980 and Los Angeles in 1984, making him the first person from the Torres Strait Islands to represent Australia. He is a three-time NBL champion (1979, 1980, 1987), a two-time All-NBL Team Member (1980, 1981) and was inducted into the NBL Hall of Fame (2002). Morseu played for St Kilda between 1979-83, Geelong in '84-85 and Brisbane from '86 to '89. He averaged 13.7 points per game, 3.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and was a 73.5% free throw shooter in 217 NBL games. Morseu announced his NBL arrival, dropping 28 points in his first game. He is an uncle to Australian Boomers stars Patty Mills and Nathan Jawai.

Deba George

Deba George played for the Cairns Taipans in 2005-06, 2008 and 2012. He made his NBA debut at 21 after playing all of his junior basketball in Cairns. The point guard from Thursday Island played 33 games for the Taipans, averaging 1.6 points per game in limited minutes. At 39, George played his second season for the Darwin Salties in the 2024 NBL1 season, averaging just under 8.5 points per game, two assists, and 1.5 rebounds. The Salties withdrew from the NBL1 North conference at the end of the season. Before Darwin, he played 38 games in two seasons for the Cairns Marlins, averaging around 13.5 points per game.

Claude Williams

Claude Williams was a trailblazing multi-sport athlete who made significant contributions to Australian basketball, particularly in Sydney's NBL teams during the league's formative years. Born in Camperdown, New South Wales, Williams excelled in various sports before finding his true calling in basketball. His impact on the sport extended far beyond his playing days, cementing his legacy as a trailblazer for Indigenous athletes in Australian basketball. Williams represented NSW in 1976, 1977, 1979, and 1981. He was a key player in the Sydney SuperSonics' 16-game winning streak in 1983. Williams debuted with the City of Sydney Astronauts at the age of 27. During six seasons in the NBL, Williams played for the Astronauts and the Sydney SuperSonics, amassing career averages of 9.8 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 101 games. He also played 12 games for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NRL between 1973-74. He retired in 1986, and in 2021, the Sydney Kings established the Claude Williams Most Valuable Player award, presented to the best player on the court during the Kings' annual Indigenous Round clash. It serves as a powerful reminder of Williams' contributions and continues to inspire young Indigenous athletes to pursue their basketball dreams.

Timmy Duggan

Timmy Duggan was the first Territory-born basketballer to play in the NBL. He was a prodigy for the Tracy Village Jets in the Darwin Basketball League in the mid-90s and was already playing against adults in the DBA Men's League competition as a 14-year-old. His family has connections with the Warramungu people of Central Australia and the Nykinya people of Kimberley. The diminutive guard was an outstanding shooter, learning his craft on a netball hoop in the backyard of his parents' place just down the road from the stadium. "The basketball hoops were built from scratch. It was then up to me to have a crack," he said. Timmy was awarded an OAMfor his extraordinary work with First Nations kids in the Territory through his Hoops 4 Health program that he created in 2002. "They would be bursting with pride if they were alive,' he added. "My grandparents are members of the Stolen Generation, and I always think back to their struggles and experiences to keep me ticking along. It gives me a sense of purpose and obligation to guide, mentor and coach. I think of their journey and realize that my issues are minute compared to what they went through. The (thought of the) intergenerational trauma actually makes me stronger." He played for the Cairns Marlins during five ABAseasons, starting in 1997, suited up in 42 NBL games. He was the only Indigenous Australian to play in the NBL in the '90s. When it came to shooting the ball, there were few better pure shooters than T. Duggan.

Chris Patton

The 208cm forward Chris Patton, now 33, played four seasons in the NBL, three for Melbourne United (2014-15 to 2017-18) and a season for the Cairns Taipans 2017-2018. He played 65 games but earned limited minutes after debuting at age 23. Patton went to college in the United States, graduating from UC Riverside in California in 2014. He was born in Melbourne in 1991 and played his junior basketball for Dandenong. His career highs came for the Taipans when he scored 10 points and grabbed two rebounds. Patton has played NBL1 for Kilsyth.

Tyson Demos

Illawarra-born Tyson Demos, now 36, played nine seasons in the NBL for Gold Coast Blaze from 2007 to 2010 and for his hometown Hawks from 2010 to 2016. Demos played all of his junior basketball for the Illawarra Hawks. He was also invited to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. Demos played for Australia at the 2007 FIBA Under-19 World Championships in Serbia. In 2015, he suffered a knee injury and didn't play in his last NBL career season. But he returned for the Hawks in the NSW Waratah (Representative) League in 2017, the last season of his playing career. Demos was appointed as an assistant coach for the Illawarra Hawks for the 2019-2020 NBL season.

Chris Cedar

Chris Cedar made his NBL debut with the Townsville Crocodiles at 19, marking the beginning of a six-season stint with his hometown team. Cedar was born in Townsville in 1998. He played for the Crocodiles in Townsville in 2008, 2010-13 and 2016. His rookie season in '07-08 saw him average 1.3 points per game as the Crocodiles finished fifth in the league with a 17-13 record. While his initial contributions were modest, Cedar's presence on the team was significant, as he played alongside his brother Michael, creating a unique family dynamic within the squad. The 2011/12 season proved to be a breakthrough for Cedar. Under new coach Paul Woolpert, and with changes to the team's roster, Cedar saw increased opportunities on the court. He played in all 31 games of the season, averaging career-highs of 4.6 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.

Michael Cedar

Michael Cedar is a North Queensland basketball legend. He played Townsville in the NBL and Mackay, Gladstone and the Logan Thunder in the Queensland State League more than 300 times. He was born in Townsville in 1986 and debuted for the home-town Crocodiles at 19 in 2005. Cedar scored almost 1300 points in 219 NBL games, averaging 7.3 points in just over 18 minutes per game. Many of those games were alongside his brother, Chris. Michael played his last NBL game in 2012-13, helping the Crocs to a 10-18 record. His top score in the NBL was 31. In 2012, he joined the Mackay Meteors in the QBL and was dominant. Cedar won the league MVP and led the Meteors to the championship. In 2021, the 35-year-old Cedar averaged 12.9 points, 2.5 assists and 5.8 rebounds.

Patty Mills

Canberra-born Patty Mills is an Australian basketball icon of Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal Australian descent. He started his basketball career with a local Indigenous club called "The Shadows" when he was just four years old. He is the first Indigenous Australian to be a flag bearer for Australia at the Olympic Games and Australia's first First Nations NBAChampion with the San Antonio Spurs. Mills led Australia to its first men's Olympic Games medal, a bronze at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021. Mills, 36, has been the face of Australian basketball for a generation. He's played for the Spurs, Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, and Utah Jazz. He played one year in the NBLfor the Melbourne Tigers in 2011. Mills is a true basketball champion. He won NBA Sportsmanship Award (2022), The Don Award Winner (2021), is a three-time Gaze Medalist (2008, 2010, 2021), two-time First-team All-WCC (2008, 2009), WCC Newcomer of the Year (2008), WCC All-Freshman Team (2008), and his No.13 retired by Saint Mary's Gaels. Mills isn't just an Olympic flag-bearer; he is a champion for all First Nations Peoples in Australia, continuing the legacy of the late Michael Ah Mat. Mills' great uncle is Indigenous land rights activist Eddie Mabo.

Kerry Williams

Kerry Williams was born in Cairns in 1987. He made his NBL debut for the home-town Marlins in the 2008-09 season, averaging 18 minutes per game and 6.2 points. He played a career-high 22 minutes per game in the 2009-10 season to help the Taipans to an 11-17 record in his second season. During four seasons in the NBL, he averaged 4.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists. Williams was a member of the Cairns Marlins squad that clinched both the 2004 Queensland Basketball League (QBL) and Australian Basketball Association (ABA) Championships. That team is widely regarded as the Marlins greatest of all time as it featured Aron Baynes (NBA), Aaron Grabau, Aaron Fearne, Curt Ahwang, and Nathan Jawai (NBA).

Nate Jawai

Nate Jawai's journey from the remote Cape York Peninsula to the bright lights of the NBA and Europe's elite competitions is extraordinary. Jawai's professional career began with the Cairns Taipans in the NBL in 2007 when his dominant play quickly caught the attention of international scouts. His NBA draft selection in 2008 marked a historic moment as he became the first Indigenous Australian to reach the NBA. Jawai's imposing physical presence, he stands at 2.08m, earned him nicknames "Aussie Shaq" and "Outback Shaq," drawing comparisons to the legendary Shaquille O'Neal. He was drafted 41st overall by the Indiana Pacers in 2008, but his rights were traded to Toronto Raptors. Jawai spent several seasons in Europe before returning to the NBL in 2015 for the Perth Wildcats. He won an NBL championship in 2016. He returned home to finish his NBL career with the Cairns Taipans in 2022. Jawai's great uncle is Indigenous land rights activist Eddie Mabo, and his place in Australian basketball history is assured.

Tamuri Wigness

Tamuri Wigness played two seasons in the NBL for the Brisbane Bullets between 2020 and 2022. He was born in Cairns in March 2002, and as an 18-year-old, he averaged 11.2 minutes on the floor during his rookie season and 6.8 minutes in his second season. Wigness remains a highly touted prospect of the future, who has experience playing in the NBA Global Academy across three years. During an NBA All-Star weekend, Wigness twice appeared at Basketball Without Borders Global Camps. In 2019, the guard was named in the All-Tournament side. Playing for Australia, Wigness won gold at the FIBA U16 Asian Championships. Wigness was also a part of the gold medal-winning Australian teams at the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Asian Championship and the 2019 FIBA Oceania Under-18 Championship, as well as competing for his home nation at the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup and the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup. He now plays in the NBL1 North conference.

William McDowell-White

William McDowell-White, 26, is of Arrernte descent. The Arrernte people are a group of First Nations Peoples living in the Arrernte lands, at Mparntwe (Alice Springs) and surrounding Central Australia. He is the son of former AFL legend Darryl White, who grew up in Alice Springs in the 1980s. William was born in Brisbane during his father's AFL career with the Brisbane Lions. McDowell-White's professional career began with the Sydney Kings in the NBL, where he joined as a development player for the 2016-17 season. He then signed a four-year deal with Brose Bamberg in Germany's top-tier Basketball Bundesliga, spending significant time with their farm team, Baunach Young Pikes. Standing at 6'5" (196 cm), he possesses the size to play multiple positions, which allows him to impact the game in various ways. He is only second player in New Zealand Breakers' history to record a triple-double after signing with them in 2021. McDowell-White had a brief stint with the Houston Rockets Summer League team in 2019. He is currently playing for Alba Berlin in Germany. In 2013, McDowell-White played for Australia at the FIBA Oceania Under-16 Championship and at the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship.

William "Davo" Hickey

William "Davo" Hickey, 25, is now 58 games into an NBL career, including stints with the South East Melbourne Phoenix, Melbourne United and now the Illawarra Hawks. After growing up in the regional NSW town of Cowra, his first NBL opportunity came as a development player at South East Melbourne for the 2019/20 season. Still, he only managed to hit the court on two occasions. Following a standout 2021 NBL1 South season at the Ballarat Miners, he received another development player chance with United. Hickey made seven appearances in that 2021/22 season before another strong NBL1 South season, this time at the Casey Cavaliers. Then, after staying in the 'Gong for an NBL1 East season, he earned a role when Justin Tatum took over as coach for the rest of the NBL24 season and played some stunning basketball, including playing big minutes and putting up impressive numbers come finals time for the Hawks. He backed that up with a brilliant NBL1 East season for the Albury-Wodonga Bandits, where he was named to the All-First Team and Best Defensive Player, putting up 22.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and 7.9 assists.

Keanu Pinder

What a ride it has already been for Keanu Pinder, the boy from Derby in the Kimberley, to become a genuine star of the NBL in his second season at the Perth Wildcats. Pinder's Indigenous heritage is a source of great pride. His basketball talent started to shine when he moved to Perth to begin playing in the SBL (now NBL1 West) and state programs. Pinder delivered 10.9 points and 7.5 rebounds in NBL22 to be the league's Most Improved Player and then went up another level in NBL23. He was a legitimate MVP contender before suffering ankle and eye injuries. He produced 16.9 points and 9.3 rebounds to be the Most Improved Player once more and be named to the All-NBL Second Team before joining his home state Wildcats for NBL24. He played well, too, for 13.6 points and 6.6 rebounds a game on a team that reached the post-season ahead of preparing for a second season with the 'Cats in NBL25.

Biwali Bayles

Biwali Bayles was born in Brisbane and grew up in the Sydney suburb of Redfern. Once he finished high school, he spent a season playing college basketball at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where he averaged 6.2 points and 2.6 assists a game in his lone season. He returned to Australia following that 2020/21 season to begin his NBL career at the Sydney Kings, where he went on to help the team to the 2022 championship. He spent the 2023 NBL1 North season playing with the North Gold Coast Seahawks, where he put up 15.6 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.7 rebounds a game, before now joining the Hawks for the NBL24 season as a development player. Bayles played for the Sydney Comets in NBL1 2024, winning the team MVP award. He's back at the Comets for the 2025 NBL1 season.

Kobe McDowell-White

Kobe McDowell-White is the younger brother of William McDowell-White and son of AFLBrisbane Lions three-time premiership star Darryl White. McDowell-White joined the Illawarra Hawks on a two-year deal on October 9, 2024, with an option to extend to a third. He was the Hawks' final signing for NBL25. Kobe is the first signing under the Hawks' First Nations development player scholarship program and is a pivotal step for the Club in developing its new First Nations pathway. Promoting and celebrating First Nations culture and players is a key pillar of the just-launched Hawks Helps community program. "It is a dream come true to be here in the NBL with the Illawarra Hawks," Kobe told the Illawarra Hawks website. "It is great to be in this environment and improve my game and myself both on and off the court. Playing in this environment with these players has already improved my skills, even in this short time."

First Nations Basketball Trailblazers

Kobe McDowell-White is the latest men's player to follow in the footsteps of our First Nations basketball stars from Michael Ah Mat, to Patty Mills, Claude Williams and Nate Jawai.

basketball.com.au acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their ongoing connection to the lands, waters, and communities. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and recognise their enduring cultural heritage, beliefs, and deep spiritual ties to this land. We extend this respect to all First Nations peoples and affirm my commitment to reconciliation, truth-telling, and honouring the legacy of the world’s oldest continuous cultures.‍