They say in basketball, ‘Height is might’. In most sports, having a towering figure almost always helps. During past competitions, I recognised this attribute among my compatriots. I’ve seen Ben Simmons amass triple doubles in the NBA. I witnessed Nick Kyrgios blowing away opponents through to the Wimbledon Final, where he took a set off Nole. I noted how Oz won the FIBA Asia Cup with their B team. I heard that Nathan Cleary walloped the competition on his way to a possible premiership hat trick. Have you also heard of this guy, Logan Martin?

Past and present

Growing up overseas, I knew that Sydney hosted the 2000 Olympics. This was the second time that our country had the honour. See also: Melbourne, 1956. I read about the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The Socceroos gave it their all and made the quarters. They lost the tie against the Samurais. The paper said that they were the new pride and joy of international football.

Pinoys

Pinoys have had much more success in billiards, where Bata Reyes was the 1999 8-ball king in Cardiff, Wales. In 2004, Alex Pagulayan duplicated the feat, though he flew under the Canadian flag. Paeng Nepomuceno was also a world renowned bowler. In more recent news, a Pinay won weightlifting at the Tokyo Games. Jordan Clarkson is one of the top sixth men in the NBA. He’s also an elite marksman. As mentioned in an earlier profile, he has played with Kobe and LeBron. Though only quarter Pinoy, he has represented the country at the international level. Let’s not forget Manny Pacquaio. He’s the first boxer to win eight division titles. Pac-Man has carried the legacy of our brawling forebears, which include Pancho Villa and Flash Elorde. These fighters have proved that we can duke it out on the world stage.

While we Aussies have the National Basketball League, the Pinoys boast the world’s second oldest hoops competition. The PBA is Asia’s first play for pay league, which gives it seniority over the Euroleague. Recently, the NBL has made waves for developing future NBA mainstays. This includes Josh Giddey and LaMelo Ball, who would become an NBA All-star.

Australia has a world class cricket team that competes in the best of five Ashes series with England. In basketball, we have a zonal duopoly with the Tall Blacks. In football, we are among the top three nations on in the region. We are the perennial leaders in the swimming pool. In 2008, Stephanie Rice nabbed three gold medals. Hurdler Sally Pearson also won gold at the London Olympics. Who could forget Cathy Freeman? She lit the Olympic torch. She wore that memorable track suit. She likewise got gold at that Olympics. She was a role model for all Aussies.

World Class

While Ben Simmons was an All Star point guard, did you know that Andrew Bogut was the first Aussie NBA All Star? He led us at the 2006 Basketball World Championships. In 2009, he earned All Star honours while playing in Milwaukee. He earned his first NBA title in 2015 as a Golden State Warrior. The prior year, fellow Boomer Patty Mills won a chip with San Antonio. He killed Miami with his three point sniping. Fellow Aussie, Matt Dellavedova, would win the next year. 7-2 Luc Langley won three of them while suiting up with Air Jordan.

Did you know? Andrew Gaze was the OG Aussie cager. I read his biography, where I learned that he took part in five summer Olympics. He played against the great Oscar Schmidt and Vince Carter. A shooting forward, he utilised the three ball before it became the norm. He defended against Glen Rice in the 1989 NCAA title game. In the NBA, he played for Washington and San Antonio, picking up a chip with the latter. He coached Sydney in the NBL while also doing a long stint as a colour commentator.

So why do the Aussies fare so well against the competition? Firstly, they have a robust grassroots program. The Australian Institute of Sport makes sure that the finest athletes are reeled in early. Secondly, though we are a young nation, we have built a solid winning culture. From swimming to sprinting, hoops to tennis, cricket to league, we have made our mark in a short time. Thirdly, our athletes are gritty, displaying a never-say-die attitude on the world stage. From Lleyton Hewitt’s ‘come on’ to Andrew Bogut’s return from injuries, we have always clawed our way back.

The halves

I watched Cleary’s first Premiership match against the Melbourne Storm. In the first half, Penrith seemed overwhelmed against the powerhouse Victoria outfit. Since I supported the Panthers, it was hard to watch. To be honest, I quit watching after the break. Apparently, the Panthers made a spirited comeback, racking up eighteen second half points. However, it was too big a deficit in too little time. Since then, the Panthers have won a brace of titles. They have the best halves in the game, with Luai and Cleary. You could call Cleary as the finest kicker in the league. This success has not translated to resounding victories over Queensland in State of Origin.

‘Height is might’

Going back to the Asia Cup, Mitch McCarron was our best player. He has plied his trade in the NBL. In the finale, they beat Iran. I was told that they had the height advantage against the rest of the comp. Hence, they could dominate the field. Physiques aren’t the lone consideration. Tradition is another one. Oz’s sporting history isn’t on par with the Romans, the British, or even the Americans. We aren’t consistent top five performers at the Olympic medal tally. Having seen us fight for a place, I can say that Aussies are tough.

Exhibit A: Logan Martin at the Tokyo Games. I saw the YouTube clips and that guy was dope. Early on, it was obvious that he came to WIN. That bike magic was the stuff of dreams. He kept it up the whole time, never faltering, never falling. He had a game plan and he stuck to it. Seeing the other entrants, no one came close. I surmised that he practiced and I was correct. He deserved that gold medal.

To paraphrase a quote, it takes a village to reinforce a sporting culture. Rod Laver put Australia on the tennis map. Ash Barty and Pat Rafter picked up where he left off. Cathy Freeman raised the bar for Aussie athletics; Sally Pearson followed. Andrew Gaze inspired young boys to pick up basketballs. So long as there are sporting heroes, ‘The show must go on’.