Andrew Gaze facts for kids
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Gaze at a Melbourne Tigers home game in 2011
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 24 July 1965 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| High school | Albert Park College (Melbourne, Victoria) |
| Listed weight | 95 kg (209 lb) |
| Career information | |
| College | Seton Hall (1988–1989) |
| NBA Draft | 1989 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 1984–2005 |
| Coaching career | 2016–present |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1984–2005 | Melbourne Tigers |
| 1991–1992 | Udine |
| 1994 | Washington Bullets |
| 1995 | Apollon Patras |
| 1999 | San Antonio Spurs |
| As coach: | |
| 2016–2017 | Melbourne Tigers |
| 2016–2019 | Sydney Kings |
| 2022–2024 | Melbourne Tigers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBL statistics | |
| Points | 18,908 (30.8 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 3,121 (5.1 rpg) |
| Assists | 3,531 (5.8 apg) |
Andrew Gaze (born 24 July 1965) is a famous Australian former professional basketball player and coach. He played for 22 seasons in Australia's top league, the NBL. He played for the Melbourne Tigers from 1984 to 2005.
Andrew Gaze won the NBL's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award seven times. He was also the league's top scorer 14 times. He led the Tigers to two NBL championships in 1993 and 1997. Many people say he is one of Australia's greatest basketball players ever.
Gaze also played for the Australian national team, called the Boomers. He played in five Summer Olympic Games. He was even the flag bearer for Australia at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He was also the team captain.
He was added to the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2013, he joined his father, Lindsay, in the FIBA Hall of Fame. This is a very special honour for basketball players worldwide. Two Australian basketball awards are named after him: the NBL MVP award (the Andrew Gaze Trophy) and the Australian International Player of the Year award (the Gaze Medal).
Contents
Early Life and Family Connections
Andrew Gaze was born in Melbourne, Victoria. His father, Lindsay Gaze, was also a famous basketball player and coach. Andrew has an older sister named Janet. His uncle, Tony Gaze, was a coach for the Australian women's basketball team, the Opals. His cousin, Mark Gaze, also played in the NBL. Mark's daughter, Kate Gaze, is also a basketball player.
Andrew grew up around basketball because his father worked at the Albert Park Basketball Stadium. After finishing school at Albert Park College, Andrew decided to become a professional basketball player. He also studied at Victoria University in Melbourne.
Andrew Gaze's Playing Career
Playing in the NBL and College Basketball
In 1984, when Andrew was 18, he joined the Melbourne Tigers in the NBL. In his first season, he won the NBL Rookie of the Year Award. He scored an amazing 29.1 points per game. He also got 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.
By 1986, he was chosen for the All-NBL First Team. He stayed on this top team for 15 years in a row! In 1987, Andrew set an NBL record. He scored 44.1 points per game for the whole season. This was a huge achievement, even though his team finished last that year. During that season, he scored 60 points in one game. He also had five other games where he scored 50 points or more.
After the 1988 NBL season, Andrew went to the United States. He was invited to play college basketball for Seton Hall University. He played 38 games for them in the 1988–89 season. He averaged 13.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. He helped Seton Hall reach the NCAA Final Four for the first time ever. They almost won the championship, losing in overtime.
After one year in the U.S., Andrew came back to Australia. He rejoined the Tigers for the 1989 NBL season. He missed some games in 1990 because of a blood clot in his shoulder. Andrew was known for his amazing shooting, especially from three-point range. He and American player Lanard Copeland became a great team. They led the Tigers to NBL championships in 1993 and 1997.
Andrew continued to score a lot of points even in his later years. He averaged over 19 points per game in his last four NBL seasons. He retired from the NBL after the 2004–05 NBL season. In his 20 seasons with the Tigers, he played 612 games. He scored a total of 18,908 points, averaging 30.9 points per game.
Playing in Europe and the NBA
Besides playing in the NBL, Andrew also played overseas in the 1990s. In 1991, he was the first Australian man to play professional basketball in Europe. He played for a team in Italy called Udine. He scored over 30 points per game during his six months there.
In 1994, Andrew went to the United States again. He signed with the NBA team, the Washington Bullets. He played seven games for them. In 1995, he played in Greece for a team called Apollon Patras.
He had another short time in the NBA in the 1998–99 season. This time, he played for the San Antonio Spurs. He didn't play much because the Spurs had many great players. But he was part of the team that won their first NBA championship in 1999. Even though he didn't play in the playoffs, he still got an NBA championship ring!
Playing for the National Team
Andrew Gaze became famous internationally playing for Australia. He first played in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games when he was just 19. At the 1994 FIBA World Championship, he was the top scorer of all players. He averaged 23.9 points per game. This helped Australia finish in fifth place.
In 2000, he became one of only a few basketball players to play in five Olympic Games. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, he was the flag bearer for Australia at the opening ceremony. He was also the Australian team captain. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, he led the Boomers to their best Olympic finish at the time, coming in fourth place.
Andrew also played in four FIBA World Cups for Australia. He played over 280 games for his country. He is the second-highest scorer in Summer Olympic Games history. He is also the third-highest scorer in FIBA World Cup history.
Andrew Gaze's Coaching Career
Sydney Kings
In April 2016, Andrew Gaze became the head coach of the Sydney Kings in the NBL. He coached the team for three seasons. He stepped down from the role in 2019.
Melbourne Tigers
Andrew also coached the Melbourne Tigers men's team. He coached them in 2016 and 2017. He returned to coach the Tigers again in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Indiana Pacers
In 2017, Andrew Gaze joined the coaching staff of the Indiana Pacers. This was for the Orlando Summer League in the NBA.
Andrew Gaze's Personal Life
After he stopped playing basketball professionally, Andrew Gaze became a media personality. He worked as an NBL commentator for TV channels like Network Ten and Fox Sports. He also became a presenter on a TV show called Bounce. In 2006, he was a contestant on the TV show Dancing with the Stars.
Andrew Gaze is married to Melinda, and they have four children: Courtney, Phoebe, Annie, and Mason. In 2014, a children's charity named him Australian Father of the Year.
Andrew Gaze's Records, Honours, and Awards
- He played in the most Summer Olympic Games for an Australian basketball player (5 Olympics).
- He was the flag bearer for Australia at the 2000 Sydney Olympics opening ceremony. He was also the Australian team captain.
- He was inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame (2004), Sport Australia Hall of Fame (2005), and FIBA Hall of Fame (2013).
- In 2022, he was given "legend status" in the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame.
- He was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2002.
- In the NBL, he holds many all-time records:
- 1st in Points – 18,908
- 1st in Assists – 3,531
- 1st in Field Goals Made – 6,484
- 1st in 3-Pointers Made – 1,826
- 1st in Free Throws Made – 4,114
- 2nd in Games Played – 612
- 3rd in Steals – 1,075
- He holds the NBL record for the highest single-season points per game average (44.1) in 1987.
- He was the NBL's top three-point shooter 8 times.
- He led the NBL in free-throw percentage 10 times.
- He is an NBA champion (1999).
- He won 2 NBL championships (1993, 1997).
- He was named NBL MVP 7 times (1991, 1992, 1994–1998).
- He was chosen for the All-NBL First Team 15 times (1986–2000).
- He was the NBL scoring champion 14 times.
- He was the NBL assist champion in 1989.
- He was an NBL All-Star 11 times.
- He was named NBL All-Star Game MVP twice.
- He was the NBL Rookie of the Year in 1984.
- He won the Gaze Medal 6 times.
- He was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991.
- He was named a member of the NBL's 20th, 25th, and 40th anniversary teams.
See Also
In Spanish: Andrew Gaze para niños
- List of athletes with the most appearances at Olympic Games
