Australians at the Global Academy Games

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This week in Atlanta, Georgia, a strong contingent of Australian men’s basketball talent is currently competing at the NBA Academy Games.

The event, which runs from July 9th-14th, is a key platform for Australian players collegiate recruiting.

The bulk of the Australian cohort over for the week are representing the NBA Global Academy, with nine locals on the roster. The group includes several players competing straight off the back of the Under 19 World Cup Emu campaign, including Mading Kuany, Ajak Nyoun, Alex Dickeson and Che Brogan. Two players that won't feel the need to advertise their ability quite as heavily are Marcus Vaughns and Nash Walker - the pair recently committing to LSU and Marquette respectively.

There are also a number of Australians competing as part of the event’s ‘NBA Select’ teams - a more miscellaneous group of talent placed together from all over the world. Big man and recently announced Melbourne United training player Henry Sewell, along with guard Austin Foxwell and son of a gun Rio Bruton are suiting up for NBA Select Red, whilst bruising post player James Dyson Mwere was selected for NBA Select Purple.

NBA Global Academy

• Jai Fa’ale
• Guer Bar
• Jongkuch Mach
• Nash Walker
• Marcus Vaughns
• Mading Kuany
• Alex Dickeson
• Che Brogan
• Ajak Nyoun
  

NBA Select Red

• Austin Foxwell
• Henry Sewell
• Rio Bruton
  

NBA Select Purple

• James Dyson Mwere
  

Notably, Basketball New Zealand have also fielded a team for the first time in the competition’s history.

The event runs live as rumors currently swirl about the 2025 event being its last. The news comes as the NBA Global Academy, currently based at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, was announced in November 2024 to be closing at the end of the month.

The program, headed by Technical Director Marty Clarke, has famously been a key part of the development pathway for multiple Australian NBA players including Josh Giddey, Dyson Daniels and Tyrese Proctor. With the NBA league office and team owners “opting to place an increased emphasis on identifying and developing talent from larger, nontraditional basketball countries without existing high-level infrastructure”, the closure will make for a significant change in the pathways for elite basketball athletes in Australia.