Andrew Gaze, Australia ...player profiles by Interbasket (original) (raw)

InterBasket > Player Profiles > Andrew Gaze, Australia >talk Andrew Gaze has played in a record five Olympic Games, he is the highest point scorer in Olympic history, he has played in four world championships and is the second highest point scorer in world championship history. In 16 seasons he has scored more than 16,000 points at an average of almost 34 points per game, he has won two championships, he has recorded almost 3,000 assists and has been named the league�s most valuable player (MVP) a record seven times. He has been selected as a member of the All-NBL All-Star Team for a record 12 consecutive years. Gaze won the NBL's Most Efficient Player Award for each year of its existence (8 years)

Andrew has also had two stints in the American NBA, he was a member of an NBA Championship winning team with the San Antonio Spurs, he attended college at Seton Hall where he led the team to the NCAA final, and he has played professionally in Greece and Italy.

However, it has been playing for the Melbourne Tigers and the Australian Boomers where Andrew has really shone.

Andrew was named the Rookie of the Year when he made his debut with the Tigers in 1984 and has since led the team to two national titles

1984 was also the year of his Olympic debut in Los Angeles. The LA Games led to Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta, and finally, Sydney. During that period, Andrew played more than 280 matches for Australia.

At the Sydney Olympics, Andrew was rewarded for his contribution to basketball and the Olympics by being named as the Australian flag bearer for the opening ceremony. He has also been named the International Player of the Year five times.

Andrew has since retired from international basketball but continues to lead the Melbourne Tigers as the dominant force in the NBL. NBL Championships (1993, 1997)NBL MVP Award (1991, 1992, 1994 � 1998)NBL International Player of the Year (1994, 1995, 1996)NBL Scoring Title (1986, 1988, 1989, 1991 � 1997)Australian Olympic Basketball Team Member (84, 88, 92, 96 &00)Flag Bearer and Team Captain � Australian Olympic Team( Sydney 2000) Andrew again led the NBL scoring table andc apped 1997 off by winning his second NBL championship, his 10thNBL scoring title and yet another NBL MVP award.In 1994, Andrew made his debut in the NBA with the Washington Bullets. He resumed his NBA career early in 1999 after signing with the San Antonio Spurs who proceeded to win the Championship and Andrew returned home with an NBA prized ring. Selected in a record fifth Olympics for Sydney 2000, Andrew completed a rare feat in Australian Basketball history. The highlight of Andrew�s final Olympic campaign was the honour bestowed upon him of the role off lag bearer and Captain of the Australian Olympic Team. Off the court, Andrew Gaze is an enthusiastic, energetic and colourful individual with a wonderful sense of humour. His infectious personality appeals to those ofall ages and he has a natural ability to entertain and inspire. He is extremely popular with children and a keenly sought after-dinner speaker in the corporate sector. On the court, Andrew Gaze is the most decorated basketball player inthe country, one of Australia�s most recognisable and popular sporting identities. After an impressive schoolboy career, the son of Australian basketball legend Lindsay Gaze made the transition to the NBL at 18 years of age and averaged29.1 points per game in his first season. In 1989 Andrew played for the American university, Seton Hall, who reached the final four of the NCAA Championships that year, and was rewarded with a trial with NBA�s Seattle Supersonics.In 1991, Andrew became the first Australian to play professionally in Europe, with the Italian club side, Udine. In a six-month stint in Italy, he averaged more than 30 points a game. Back home in Australia in 1991 he became the first NBL player to shoot over 1,000 points in a season. In the same year he won the first of his seven NBL MVP awards, and was also the first player to lead both scoring and assists statistics in the same season. In 1993 Andrew realised one of his lifelong dreams, when he captained the Melbourne Tigers to victory in the NBL Grand Final. Three years later, in his fourth Olympics, Andrew led Australia to a Bronze Medal play-off in Atlanta. The following year, Andrew was superb as the Tigers stormed into the finals on the
"I think Andrew's been a great example not only for basketball people but for all sports people in Australia," said Shane Heal. "I grew up idolizing Andrew Gaze."

Andrew Gaze Profile

Name: Andrew Gaze
Nickname:
Born: 07/24/1965
Status: Active
Origin: Melbourne, Australia
Height: 6-7/2m,05cm
Weight: 95kg
Schools: Seton Hall
Drafted: Entered 1989 NBA Draft as a junior and went undrafted, but did spend time with the Washington Bullets and San Antonio Spurs
Languages: English
Website: InterBasket& www.gaze.com.au
Teams (jersey): Australian National Team (10), 1993-94 Washington Bullets, AC Apolon (Greece), Udine (Italy), Melbourne Tigers (10), 1998-99 San Antonio Spurs
Ibn Notes: Andrew Gaze's premature gray hair would suggest that he is stressed out or constantly anxious, but that couldn't be further than the truth as evidenced by his calm, gentle demeanor on the court and unshakeable jumpshot.

After a successful career at Seton Hall University, where Gaze led the Tigers to the NCAA Finals game in 1989 and tryout with the Seattle Supersonics, Andrew Gaze went home to Australia and became a legend. After earning the NBL's rookie of the year award in 1984, Gaze would use his sweet shooting stroke to lead that league in scoring a record 14 seasons (out of 16 seasons that he played) and has averaged about 34ppg for his entire NBL career for a total of over 16,000 points. Gaze was also named NBL MVP seven times, Ibn Facts: Back in 1991, FIBA named Gaze as one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players with the likes of other international basketball legends Arvydas Sabonis, Nikos Galis, Dino Meneghin, Juan Antonio Corbalan, Oscar Schmidt, Teo Cruz, Sergei Belov, Drazen Petrovic, Modestas Paulauskas, Toni Kukoc, Alexander Volkov, and Vlade Divac among others... the list was determined by votes from a group of international experts and coaches. Gaze was chosen to be the flagbearer for Australia during the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.