Living the dream: Bayles steps onto NBA stage

Former Illawarra Hawk and Sydney King Biwali Bayles has opened up on his opportunity with the New York Knicks at this year’s NBA Summer League.

A proud Indigenous man raised in Sydney’s inner suburb of Redfern, Bayles picked up basketball at a young age, inspired by his mother, a former player herself.

Now 23, he’s set to take the court on a global stage. “Even you saying that (about the Knicks), I’m trying not to shed tears right now,” he told CODE Sports. “You mentioning my name alongside the New York Knicks is huge because it has always been my dream to play in the NBA and it remains my goal.”

Bayles stepped away from the Hungry Jack's NBL last season to play for BBC Nyon in Switzerland’s professional league, and will now be closely watched with an eye toward a potential NBL return after Summer League.

Having made 48 NBL appearances between 2021-2024, Bayles is eager to make the most of the chance of a lifetime.

View the full video here >> Redfern to New York: Biwali Bayles on his remarkable hoops journey