22
Jun
By the Numbers
David is the Goliath of NBL player first names
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David Smith, David Stiff, David Barlow and David Okwera are four of 49 "Davids" to play in the NBL's 48-season history. Photos: Getty Images
David leads all first names in NBL history with 49 players and almost 4,000 games across 48 seasons.
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David is the most common first name in NBL history.
A deep dive into basketball.com.au's Every NBL Player Ever archive has revealed 49 players named David have taken the court since the league tipped off in 1979 – more than any other first name among the 2,108 players to have appeared across 48 seasons.
The Davids have also built an impressive legacy, combining for 3,978 NBL games, more than any other first name in the competition's history.
Leading the way is David Stiff, whose 453-game career is the longest by any David, followed by David Barlow (388 games) and David "Dave" Simmons (338). Together, the trio account for almost 30% of all games played by the league's Davids.
While David tops the list for the number of players, Mark almost matches it for longevity. There have been 36 Marks in league history, but they have combined for 3,884 games, led by NBL legends Mark Bradtke (554 games) and Mark Davis (481).
The archive also highlights how Australia's changing baby-name trends have flowed through to the NBL.
Traditional names dominated the league's early decades, with Michael (38 players), Peter (35), Chris (34), John (30), Paul (28) and Andrew (27) all featuring prominently among the most common first names.
Interestingly, although Andrew ranks only eighth by player count, the Andrews have amassed 3,087 career games, thanks largely to long-serving stars such as Andrew Gaze (611 games), Andrew Goodwin (431) and Andrew Vlahov (348).
It is another fascinating insight from basketball.com.au's Every NBL Player Ever archive, proving that while players, teams and eras change, one name has towered over the competition from the very beginning: David.
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