NBA Coaches: 'NBL Highly Respected'

The NBL has grown in leaps and bounds in recent years. From the introduction of the NBL Next Stars Program to the return of Aussie basketball heroes like Andrew Bogut and Aron Baynes, the league is now a hotbed for basketball talent.

Former Perth assistant coach Adam Tatalovich, who now works for the New York Knicks as a scout, has seen the improvement of the competition from both sides of the coin – first as a coach within the league, and now as someone with a vested interest in its development.

Tatalovich’s time in Perth included the championship in 2014 – the season where James Ennis announced himself to world basketball at the Wildcats.

Prior to his stint in Perth, Ennis had been drafted by the Atlanta Hawks and has since carved out a near decade long career in the NBA.

Tatalovich says the experiences of himself and Ennis are a perfect case study in how much the league has grown.

“I was blessed when I was here we brought James Ennis, who was kind of the first guy that had the NBA label,,” Tatalovich told Fox Sports.

Former Perth Wildcat James Ennis playing for Orlando in the 2020-21 NBA season.

“I think I was one of the only guys that had NBA experience that came over … [it’s now a] completely different environment than I remember.

“When I was at Perth, we started selling out at 14,000, some of those other arenas were half full. Now they’re all full and like I said, it just seems like the game has grown and is growing … it’s grown in leaps and bounds.”

Another man in prime position to see how the NBL has moulded and changed in recent years is current Chicago Bulls assistant Damian Cotter.

Cotter, who spent two seasons at the Sydney Kings – one as an assistant and one as head coach – has been in and around NBA circles since heading to the Long Island Nets as an assistant at the start of 2017.

Current Chicago Bulls assistant Damian Cotter coaching the Sydney Kings.

While Cotter’s stint at the Nets didn’t cross over with South East Melbourne’s Mitch Creek, the experienced assistant says eyes are on the NBL all-around the world.

“There’s a lot of interest in the NBL and there’s a lot of respect for it,” he said.

“The NBL recently has done a very, very good job at creating a product that is considered high level.”

View the full story >> Australian basketball is on the rise and a 'new wave' of talent has the world really taking notice.