Nathan Jawai facts for kids
Jawai in December 2014
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| No. 15 – Darwin Salties | |
|---|---|
| Power forward / center | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 10 October 1986 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| High school | St Augustine's College (Cairns, Queensland) |
| Listed weight | 130 kg (287 lb) |
| Career information | |
| College | Midland (2006–2007) |
| NBA Draft | 2008 / Round: 2 / Pick: 41st overall |
| Selected by the Indiana Pacers | |
| Pro career | 2004–present |
| League | NBL1 North |
| Career history | |
| 2004 | Cairns Marlins |
| 2005–2006 | Australian Institute of Sport |
| 2007 | Cairns Marlins |
| 2007–2008 | Cairns Taipans |
| 2008–2009 | Toronto Raptors |
| 2009 | →Idaho Stampede |
| 2009–2010 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2010 | →Sioux Falls Skyforce |
| 2010–2011 | Partizan Belgrade |
| 2011–2012 | UNICS Kazan |
| 2012 | Cairns Marlins |
| 2012–2013 | Barcelona |
| 2013–2014 | Galatasaray Liv Hospital |
| 2014–2015 | MoraBanc Andorra |
| 2015–2016 | Perth Wildcats |
| 2016–2022 | Cairns Taipans |
| 2019 | Levallois Metropolitans |
| 2021 | Cairns Marlins |
| 2022–present | Darwin Salties |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Nathan Leon Jawai (born 10 October 1986) is an Australian professional basketball player. He plays for the Darwin Salties in the NBL1 North league. Nathan is very tall, standing at 209 cm (about 6 feet 10 inches). He plays as a power forward or centre, which are positions usually for taller players close to the basket.
Contents
Early Life and Basketball Start
Nathan Jawai was born in Sydney, Australia, on 10 October 1986. When he was about one year old, his family moved to Bamaga, a small town in northern Australia. Nathan is an Indigenous Australian and is also from the Torres Strait Islands. His family has many famous athletes, including his cousin Patty Mills, who also plays in the NBA. His uncle, Danny Morseu, was the second Indigenous Australian to play basketball for Australia in the Olympics.
Like many kids in his area, Nathan played rugby league when he was younger. But when he was 15, he started playing basketball. It didn't take long for him to become very good! He soon joined the Cairns Marlins in 2004. He also spent two years at the Australian Institute of Sport, which helps young athletes train.
After that, Nathan went to the United States to play college basketball. But he had to return to Australia for knee surgery. When he came back, he rejoined the Cairns Marlins and helped them win a national title in 2007.
Professional Basketball Journey
Playing for Cairns Taipans
Nathan's great playing with the Cairns Marlins helped him join the Cairns Taipans for the 2007–08 NBL season. The Taipans are a professional team in Australia's NBL. In his first season, Nathan played 31 games and was a top player, scoring about 17 points and grabbing 9 rebounds per game.
Time in the NBA
Nathan was chosen in the 2008 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers. This is where NBA teams pick new players. His rights were then traded to the Toronto Raptors. On 11 July 2008, he signed a two-year deal with the Raptors. People started calling him "Aussie Shaq" or "Baby Shaq" because he was big and strong like the famous player Shaquille O'Neal.
Before he could play, doctors found a small heart issue during a check-up. Nathan had to rest for a while. But on 21 January 2009, he made his NBA debut, playing against the Detroit Pistons. This was a big moment because he became the first Indigenous Australian to play in the NBA!
Later, Nathan also played for the Idaho Stampede and Sioux Falls Skyforce, which are teams in the NBA Development League (D-League). This league helps players improve their skills. In 2009, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks and then to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played one of his best NBA games with the Timberwolves, scoring 16 points.
Playing in Europe
After his time in the NBA, Nathan moved to Europe to play basketball.
- In 2010, he signed with Partizan Belgrade in Serbia.
- In 2011, he joined UNICS Kazan in Russia.
- In 2012, he played for Barcelona Regal in Spain.
- In 2013, he signed with Galatasaray Liv Hospital in Turkey. While playing for Galatasaray, he had a neck injury that affected his vision for a short time. He later left Galatasaray and joined MoraBanc Andorra in Spain.
Return to Australia: Perth Wildcats
On 28 August 2015, Nathan returned to Australia and signed with the Perth Wildcats for the 2015–16 NBL season. He quickly became an important player for the team. In November 2015, he scored a season-high 20 points against his old team, the Cairns Taipans. The Wildcats had a great season and won the NBL Grand Final in 2016, making Nathan an NBL champion!
Back with Cairns and Other Teams
After winning the championship, Nathan signed a three-year deal to return to the Cairns Taipans in 2016. He had an injury to his finger and later to his foot, which kept him out of some games.
In 2019, he briefly played for a French team called Levallois Metropolitans. But he soon returned to the Cairns Taipans, signing new deals in 2019 and 2020. In 2021, he also played for the Cairns Marlins again.
Playing for Darwin Salties
In May 2022, Nathan joined the Darwin Salties for their very first season in the NBL1 North league. He has continued to play for the Salties, re-signing with them in 2023 and 2024.
National Team Career
Nathan Jawai has also played for the Australian Boomers, which is Australia's national basketball team. He represented Australia in the 2009 FIBA Oceania Championship and the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He was also called up to the Boomers squad in 2018 for World Cup qualifying games.
Personal Life
Nathan Jawai is the nephew of Danny Morseu, who was the first Indigenous Australian to play basketball for Australia at the Olympics. Nathan has two daughters.
See also
In Spanish: Nathan Jawai para niños
- List of foreign basketball players in Serbia
