BASKETBALL PLAYERS from Australia

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Australian Basketball Players of all time. This list of famous Australian Basketball Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Australian Basketball Players.

1. Lauren Jackson (b. 1981)

With an HPI of 46.31, Lauren Jackson is the most famous Australian Basketball Player.  Her biography has been translated into 32 different languages on wikipedia.

Lauren Elizabeth Jackson (born 11 May 1981) is an Australian former professional basketball player. Arguably the most notable Australian women's basketball player, Jackson has had a decorated career with the Australia women's national basketball team (the Opals) and has had multiple stints in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) between 1997 and 2024. Between 2001 and 2012, she played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). With the Australian Opals, Jackson played at the Summer Olympics in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2024, winning three silver medals and two bronze medals. In the WNBL, she is a seven-time champion (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2010, 2024) and a four-time league MVP (1999, 2000, 2003, 2004). In the WNBA, she won two championships (2004, 2010) and three league MVPs (2003, 2007, 2010). The daughter of two national basketball team players, Jackson was awarded a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in 1997, where she debuted in the WNBL when she was 16. She helped the AIS win the WNBL championship in 1999 before joining the Canberra Capitals, where she won championships in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2006 during her first stint. She won her sixth championship in 2010 with Canberra and her seventh in 2024 with the Southside Flyers. She earned WNBL Grand Final MVP in 2002, 2003, 2006 and 2010. In 2001, Jackson entered the WNBA draft and was selected by the Seattle Storm. She played 12 seasons for the Storm, with her final WNBA season coming in 2012. She helped the team win championships in 2004 and 2010 while earning Finals MVP in 2010. Jackson ranks among the top WNBA players in games played, minutes played, field goals, three-point shots, and turnover percentage. She collected multiple individual accolades and was named to multiple WNBA Anniversary Teams. Jackson has also played in Korea, Russia, Spain and China. In 2016, Jackson retired from basketball. She came out of retirement in 2022 and returned to the WNBL and the Opals. She retired again in 2024 following the Paris Olympics. Jackson was inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019, Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020, and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.

2. Kyrie Irving (b. 1992)

With an HPI of 44.84, Kyrie Irving is the 2nd most famous Australian Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 51 different languages.

Kyrie Andrew Irving ( KY-ree; Lakota: Ȟéla, lit. 'Little Mountain'; born March 23, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named the Rookie of the Year after being selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. An eight-time All-Star and three-time member of the All-NBA Team, Irving won an NBA championship with the Cavaliers in 2016. He is widely considered one of the best ball handlers of all time. Irving played one year of college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils before joining the Cavaliers in 2011. He won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the 2014 All-Star Game. In the 2016 NBA Finals, Irving made the championship-winning three-pointer to complete the Cavaliers' historic comeback over the Golden State Warriors. After another Finals appearance in 2017, Irving requested a trade and was dealt to the Boston Celtics. He played with the Celtics for two seasons, after which Irving signed with the Brooklyn Nets as a free agent in 2019. After four seasons with the Nets, he requested a trade and was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks in 2023, where Irving reached his fourth NBA Finals with the team in 2024. He has also played for the United States national team, with which Irving won gold at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. In February 2020, he was elected as one of the seven vice-presidents of the National Basketball Players Association, replacing Pau Gasol. Irving's decision not to get vaccinated for COVID-19 led to him missing the majority of the 2021–2022 NBA season. Throughout his career, Irving has promoted numerous conspiracy theories. Some of these conspiracies, including tweeting a link to the movie Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, have been characterized as antisemitic. For a time prior, Irving promoted a theory that the Earth is flat, which he later recanted. Irving has written, directed, and acted in a number of advertisements as "Uncle Drew", which became a feature film in 2018. He has starred as himself in Kickin' It (2012) and has done voicework in We Bare Bears (2016) and Family Guy (2018).

3. Belinda Snell (b. 1981)

With an HPI of 37.34, Belinda Snell is the 3rd most famous Australian Basketball Player.  Her biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Belinda Snell (born 10 January 1981) is an Australian former professional basketball player. She played 10 seasons in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) in addition to the WNBA and Europe. She was a member of the Australia women's national basketball team, winning two silver medals at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, a gold medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, a gold medal at the 2006 World Championships, and a bronze medal at the 2014 World Championships.

4. David Andersen (b. 1980)

With an HPI of 36.91, David Andersen is the 4th most famous Australian Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 30 different languages.

David Emil Andersen (born 23 June 1980) is an Australian-Danish former professional basketball player. One of Australia's most experienced and successful players, Andersen won 12 league championships (9 European national domestic league championships and 3 EuroLeague championships) abroad and played in Italy, Russia, Spain, Turkey and France. He also played in the NBA, spending two years in the league between 2009 and 2011. In 2018 and 2021, he won championships with Melbourne United in the National Basketball League (NBL).

5. Andrew Bogut (b. 1984)

With an HPI of 36.23, Andrew Bogut is the 5th most famous Australian Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 36 different languages.

Andrew Michael Bogut (born 28 November 1984) is an Australian former professional basketball player who spent the majority of his career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 7-foot (213 cm) tall center was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the first overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft. He earned All-NBA Third Team honors with the Bucks in 2010. He was traded to the Golden State Warriors in 2012, and was named NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2015, when he won an NBA championship with the Warriors. Bogut played college basketball for two years with the Utah Utes, and earned national player of the year honors in 2005. He declared for the NBA draft, and became the first Australian to be the NBA's first overall pick. In his first year with the Bucks, Bogut was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2006. He earned all-league honors in 2010 after averaging a career-high 15.9 points along with 10.2 rebounds per game. He missed most of 2011–12 with an ankle injury, when he was traded to Golden State. After the Warriors won the NBA Finals in 2015, Bogut helped the Warriors win an NBA-record 73 games in 2015–16 and make his second Finals. He was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, where he played briefly before other short stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers. In 2018, he returned to his home country to play for the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League (NBL) and won the NBL MVP honours. Following the 2018–19 NBL season, Bogut signed back with the Warriors and made his third Finals in 2019. He then returned to the Kings for a second season before retiring in 2020. Described as one of the leading faces of Australian basketball, Bogut has been credited for serving as a cornerstone of the Australian national team, for paving the way for an entire generation of Australian players in the NBA and in playing a leading role in re-vitalising the Australian NBL.

6. Luc Longley (b. 1969)

With an HPI of 35.44, Luc Longley is the 6th most famous Australian Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Lucien James Longley (born 19 January 1969) is an Australian professional basketball coach and former player. He was the first Australian to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he played for four teams over 10 seasons. He most notably played for the Chicago Bulls, with whom he won three championships from 1996 to 1998. Longley represented Australia as a player at three Olympic Games in 1988, 1992 and 2000; he has worked as an assistant coach for the Australian national basketball team. Longley began his career in Australia with a brief stint playing for the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1986. He played collegiately for the New Mexico Lobos and was drafted 7th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1991 NBA draft. He played three middling seasons with the Timberwolves before he was traded to the Bulls in 1994. He became the Bulls' starting centre during their historic 1995–96 season when they set the NBA record for most wins in a regular season with 72. Longley was an important component of the team's success and stayed in the Bulls' starting lineup during their championship three-peat. After the demise of the Bulls after their 1998 championship win, he had brief stints playing with the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks.

7. Ben Simmons (b. 1996)

With an HPI of 33.74, Ben Simmons is the 7th most famous Australian Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 30 different languages.

Benjamin David Simmons (born 20 July 1996) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for one season with the LSU Tigers, after which he was named a consensus first-team All-American and the USBWA National Freshman of the Year. Simmons was selected with the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. After sitting out a year due to an injured right foot, he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2018 and was selected three times to the NBA All-Star Game. As the result of a holdout from the 76ers following the 2020–21 season, which led him to be traded to the Nets, Simmons is the most-fined player in NBA history, in terms of total financial loss. Simmons attended Box Hill Senior Secondary College in his hometown of Melbourne, Victoria, before moving to the United States to attend Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. In his only season in college, LSU began the season with high expectations, but they failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament. Simmons left school to enter the NBA draft, becoming the third Melbourne-born number one overall pick in 11 years, alongside Andrew Bogut and Kyrie Irving. Simmons is the son of an American-born father, Dave, who played professional basketball in Australia. A dual citizen of Australia and the United States, Simmons has played for the Australian national team.

8. Joe Ingles (b. 1987)

With an HPI of 33.50, Joe Ingles is the 8th most famous Australian Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.

Joseph Howarth Ingles ( ING-ghəlz; born 2 October 1987) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also represents the Australian national team. He primarily plays at the small forward position. He is the Utah Jazz all-time leader in three-pointers made. Ingles was part of the Australian basketball team that won bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

9. Dante Exum (b. 1995)

With an HPI of 32.52, Dante Exum is the 9th most famous Australian Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 27 different languages.

Danté Exum ( DAHN-tay EK-səm; born 13 July 1995) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He chose to bypass college and was ultimately selected by the Utah Jazz with the fifth overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. Exum has played for the Australia national team and won a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

10. Patty Mills (b. 1988)

With an HPI of 31.81, Patty Mills is the 10th most famous Australian Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 30 different languages.

Patrick Sammie Mills (born 11 August 1988) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Mills was born and raised in Canberra, and is of Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal Australian descent. In 2007, he became the third Indigenous basketball player to play for the Australian national team. Mills was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 55th overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft after playing two years of college basketball for the Saint Mary's Gaels. Mills played for the Portland Trail Blazers for two seasons. In 2011, during the NBA lockout, he played for the Melbourne Tigers of the National Basketball League (NBL) and for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China. Mills returned to the United States in March 2012 and signed with the San Antonio Spurs. He became a strong contributor off the bench and helped the Spurs win the 2014 NBA championship. In 2021 he led the Australian Boomers to their first ever Olympic medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. While with the Boomers, he is often referred to as "FIBA Patty" for his high level performances in the Olympics where he is the 5th highest scorer in Olympic basketball history. Mills is well known for his three-point shooting and his leadership qualities.