Solving the riddle that is Chris Goulding

What is it about Chris Goulding.

To use a famous wartime quote by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Goulding, 36, is "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma: but perhaps there is a key."

Goulding has been in and around the Australian program for more than 20 years. He represented Australia in the under-18, under-19, and under-20 national teams, including competing at the 2007 FIBA Under-19 World Championship in Serbia.

In 2014, he played for the Australian Boomers at the FIBA World Cup in Spain, averaged 12.5 points in 20 minutes per game. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, his minutes dropped to 11 per and his averaged halved, to six.

In 2018, he won a gold medal with the Boomers at the Commonwealth Games, and in 2019, he competed in the FIBA World Cup in China, where his minutes went back up to 17.8 per game.

In February 2021, Goulding played for the Boomers' Olympic team that won a historic bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics but he played just 5.7 minutes per game, buried deep on a deep roster.

Outside of the Olympic Games, Goulding gets plenty of minutes for the Boomers, including this week's Asia Cup qualifiers. He didn't make the 2024 Paris Olympic team and only played limited minutes in Tokyo and Rio behind Australia's NBA stars.

It raises the question, is Goulding Australia's go-to scorer when NBA talent isn't available for the bigger tournaments? But the FIBA World Cup contradicts that notion when there is NBA talent in the squad. The World Cup is only second to the Olympics but he gets at least three-times more minutes.

Goulding a legit scorer — as his numbers show — when he's the primary scoring option for the Boomers against less opponents: 31 on 10 three pointers against Korea and 27 on Thailand on nine threes in the Asia Cup qualifiers during the NBL's FIBA break in November, 2024.

So, what is it with Chris Goulding?

Goulding is polarising. He is a 6'4" (1.92m) 92kg shooting guard. He's an elite shooter but, arguably, not an elite defender. Goulding averages right around 0.5 steals during his more than 400-game NBL career. But he's too small to guard bigger 3s and is outsized against some of the world's toughest two-guards. For example, American Anthony Edwards is 6'4" but weighs 102kg, or Serbian 6'5" Bogdan Bogdanović, who also weighs 102kg. Edwards has size and athleticism over Goulding while Bogdanović has an inch and 10kg.

It means Goulding is a match-up challenge at the defensive end at that level. Unless Goulding is winning his match-up on the offensive end — basically, knocking down threes — it's hard for him to get minutes. But he can't get minutes unless he's knocking down threes. Chicken, meet the egg.

Goulding's only taste of the NBA came in the 2013 Summer League after a workout in Melbourne with Australian-born NBA superstar Kyrie Irving, then with the Cleveland Cavaliers, along with legendary skills coach Phil Handy. Goulding said at the time: "I’m feeling very lucky to be given this opportunity by Phil Handy and the Cavaliers. I couldn't be happier to be going. By taking this opportunity I’m not expecting anything, but using it to learn under an NBA coaching staff and listen to what they have to say about my game moving forward." He rejoined the Melbourne Tigers for the 2013-14 NBL season.

Melbourne United teammate Matthew Dellavedova knows how important Goulding offense is to their success. Dellavedova told NBL.com.au earlier this year: "Once he makes one or two everyone on the floor offensively and defensively knows we’re trying to get him the ball to get him another look.

"The high release one, the ones off the dribble, he’s got all kinds of shots and it’s on us to try to continue to get him as many looks as possible, and then also use his gravity to get some easy looks as well.

"It's been a focus all year, he’s had an amazing season, and we all know what he can do when he gets even a little bit of an opening, but there’s a defence that’s locked in on him and they have a game plan as well. It’s always a battle to try and figure out ways to get him more looks, but that’s part of the fun.

"That’s what we want, the more three-point attempts we can get from him, the better. It’s just trying to get the volume up."

Goulding is in his 18th NBL campaign. He's scored 6000 points — and counting — at an average clip of 13.1 per game on 42.2% from the field and 38% from behind the arc. Not all-world but without doubt a more than solid shooter. But it's enough to make the NBL's Top 25 Players of All-Time.

And there's reputation: Goulding has been criticised for flopping and that's tough to shake whether it's fair or not. It only takes a quick Google search to find that accusation — there's mixtapes of Goulding on defense taking minimal contact and maximising the response. There are also clips of legitimate defensive plays being labelled flops. That happens when you're undersized, outsized or relying on gamesmanship to make plays.

There was also the one-game FIBA ban in 2018 for his part in a wild brawl against the Philippines in the Asia Cup qualifiers. Boomers teammate Thon Maker was suspended for three games, Daniel Kickert five, and Basketball Australia fined $135,000. The brawl kicked off after Goulding, in a bumping match with his Filipino opponent, took an exaggerated charge in the middle of the lane.

Without doubt, controversy follows Goulding.

Melbourne United coach Dean Vickerman had to defend his star guard against another flopping accusation in an away game against the Illawarra Hawks on October 24, 2024.

Code Sports Basketball reported Goulding was accused of embellishing contact when he fell to the court, clutching his ankle with 2.21 left in the game, the home crowd chanting ‘flop’, NBL fans storming social media to pile-on and Hawks coach Justin Tatum sarcastically saying: “We’re just happy that Chris Goulding didn’t hurt himself flopping in front of us”. It earned Tatum a hearing at Basketball Australia.

“I don’t need him to change anything in the way that he plays,” Vickerman declared.

“Two point guards out and he comes and drops 25 — that should be the narrative.”

For this reason, Goulding is the teammate you want but definitely not someone you want to play against.

2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan

In the big tournaments, especially the Olympics, it comes down to rotations and who he's going to take minutes from. In Japan, Goulding averaged 11.8 minutes per game behind Joe Ingles (31 minutes), Matisse Thybulle (23.1 minutes) and Dante Exum (20.7 minutes) — all three are either bigger or better defenders (Thybulle) and can multiple positions on the defensive end. Goulding isn't a 1, especially when Boomers legend Patty Mills (32.7 minutes) is backed by Matthew Dellavedova (14.1 minutes). That's a tough, tough line-up to crack with Australia chasing its first medal.

2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil

Goulding suffered the same fate in Brazil, averaging 9.3 minutes per game behind prime Ingles (33.9 minutes), 6'7" Ryan Broekhoff (18.1 minutes), Mills (29.6 minutes) and prime Dellavedova (22.6 minutes). Goulding split minutes with multiple-times NBL Defensive Player of the Year Damian Martin (10.1 minutes) and Kevin Lisch (14.1 minutes).

2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France

Goulding didn't make the cut for Paris. The Boomers in just four years between Tokyo and Paris levelled up. Mills played 30.8 minutes at the 1 and 2, but Chicago Bulls point guard Josh Giddey (29.3 minutes), Atlanta Hawks defensive stopper Dyson Daniels (26.8 minutes), a resurgent Dante Exum (22.7 minutes), 6'7" Dallas Mavericks guard Josh Green, coming off the NBA Finals, are generation next. Goulding's Olympic window has closed. He'll be 40 in 2028.

So, what is it with Chris Goulding?

Size.

He's a tweener, not a point guard and often outsized by world-class 2s and 3s, but he can shoot the rock. Goulding is a proven scorer, 46 for Melbourne United in NBL25, nine threes and 10 threes in the Asia Cup Qualifiers this month are exhibit A, B and C but at big tournaments against the world's best when our best are all available make it all but impossible for Goulding to get big minutes.

He's an all-NBL superstar because he's not often out-sized at the 2 and can guard the 3. Forget the reputational stuff, it's nonsense. It's all about match-ups at the Olympic Games and in the NBA.

But he's a winner and his resume speaks for itself: 3× NBL champion (2007, 2018, 2021); NBL Grand Final MVP (2018); 3× All-NBL First Team (2014, 2016, 2024); 3× All-NBL Second Team (2021–2023); NBL scoring champion (2014); NBL All-Star Game MVP (2012); QBL champion (2006); QBL All-League Team (2010); 2× SEABL East YPOY (2008, 2009); and All-SEABL Team (2009).

Goulding will go down in history as one of NBL's best to ever do it but, the reality is, he's always been just two or three inches and 10kg away from being one of Australia's greatest ever players. In basketball, at the very top of the international funnel, size matters on the wings — the riddle wrapped in a mystery.

About the Author

Peter Brown is the head coach of the Sydney Comets Women’s Youth League team in the Waratah Basketball League in NSW. He is also the assistant coach for the Comets NBL1 women’s team in the NBL East Conference. Peter is a 30-year journalist, starting as a sports reporter at the NT News in the early 1990s. He played junior basketball for the Northern Territory at national championships from U16 to U20 and for the Territory’s senior men’s team at numerous international tournaments. Peter has been a basketball fan since the early 80s, especially the NBA. Basketball is his passion — and his opinions his own. Email peter.brown@basketball.com.au with feedback. Any email feedback on articles sent to Peter can be published on basketball.com.au for others to read.