Tamuri Wigness facts for kids
.jpg)
Wigness in January 2020
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southern Districts Spartans | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point guard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 26 March 2002 Torres Strait Islands, Queensland, Australia |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High school | Cairns State (Cairns, Queensland) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 84 kg (185 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2020–present | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | NBL1 North | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2020 | BA Centre of Excellence | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Southern Districts Spartans | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Brisbane Bullets | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Brisbane Capitals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | North Gold Coast Seahawks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025–present | Southern Districts Spartans | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tamuri Slim Wigness Jr. was born on March 26, 2002. He is an Australian professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Southern Districts Spartans team in the NBL1 North league.
Contents
Early Life and Sports Beginnings
Tamuri Wigness was born in the Torres Strait Islands region of Queensland, Australia. His mother is from the Torres Strait Islands, and his father is from Gambia. When he was very young, his family moved to Cairns. This is where he started his primary school education.
Tamuri first became interested in sports by playing junior rugby league. He played this sport until he was 10 years old. Then, his mother suggested he try basketball instead. She thought it would be safer because it involved less physical contact.
Within a year of starting basketball, Tamuri joined the Tiny Taipans program in Cairns. This program helped young players develop their skills. By the age of 11, he even had the chance to train with professional players from the Cairns Taipans team.
High School and Other Sports
Tamuri attended Cairns State High School during his teenage years. He continued to play basketball there. He also started playing junior Australian rules football with the Manunda Hawks. This was part of the local AFL Cairns competition. He was chosen to play for several junior representative teams in Australian rules football.
Tamuri and another young basketball player from Cairns, Alex Davies, were both noticed by the professional Gold Coast Suns team. This team plays in the AFL. Both players were offered spots in the Suns' special training academy. Alex Davies chose to focus on football. However, Tamuri decided to keep his main focus on basketball. They are still good friends and sometimes train together in both sports.
Rising Through the Ranks
When Tamuri was 14, he was chosen to play for his home state, Queensland. This was at the 2016 under-16 national championships. He played very well in this tournament. He scored an average of 25.56 points per game. In one game against South Australia, he scored an amazing 45 points.
In 2017, Tamuri received a scholarship to the NBA Global Academy. This gave him access to excellent training facilities. These facilities are located at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. Later that year, he played for Queensland again at the under-16 national championships. His strong performance led to him being chosen for the Australian team. This team competed in the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Asian Championship.
Tamuri played a key role in helping Australia win the gold medal at this championship. He was even named the starting point guard in the All-Tournament Team. In 2018, he traveled to Treviso, Italy. There, he took part in the NBA's Global Camp. He impressed scouts by playing well with another Australian guard, Josh Green.
Tamuri also helped Australian teams win gold medals at other events. These included the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Asian Championship and the 2019 FIBA Oceania Under-18 Championship. He also played for Australia in the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup and the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup.
Between 2017 and 2020, Tamuri played for the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence. He played in leagues like the SEABL, NBL1, and Waratah League. During the 2019 NBL1 season, he averaged 11.7 points, four assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game. In his last game of that season, he scored 22 points and made 12 assists.
Tamuri gained attention from college and NBA scouts in 2019. This happened when he went to Charlotte, North Carolina. He competed in the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp there. He was even given All-Tournament honors at this event. In 2020, Tamuri played for the Southern Districts Spartans in the Queensland State League (QSL).
Professional Basketball Career
On July 20, 2020, Tamuri Wigness decided not to go to an American college. Instead, he signed a two-year contract with the Brisbane Bullets team. This team plays in the National Basketball League (NBL). He joined them as part of their Next Stars program. He played 44 games for the Bullets over two seasons.
During the 2021 off-season, Tamuri played for a short time with the Brisbane Capitals. This team is in the NBL1 North league. In 2022, he played for the North Gold Coast Seahawks, also in the NBL1 North.
In March 2025, Tamuri signed with the Southern Districts Spartans again. This was for the 2025 NBL1 North season. He had taken a few seasons off before this due to an injury.
Playing for Australia
Tamuri Wigness has played for Australia in several international tournaments for young players. These include the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup and the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup. At the 2019 Under 17 FIBA Oceania Championship, he was named to the All-Star Five team.
