Gympie Basketballer on list of elite top 30 past players

The former Brisbane Bullet was featured on the Courier Mail’s top 30 past players.

BASKETBALL: Gympie Basketball have strengthened in the last few years and with many players having the abilities to make it on the bigger stage there is one player who can inspire them.

The Gold City’s former Brisbane Bullet Ryan Stolberg, was featured on the Courier Mail’s top 30 past players.

There was a panel from experts to select 20-11 on the list including current Townsville Heat NBL1 North coach Rod Anderson, former player and general manager of Suncoast’s National Championship side in 1997 Bill Hooper as well as Basketball Queensland general manager of game development Warwick Cann.

Apr96. (NBL photos) Brisbane Bullets basketballer Ryan Stolberg. p/ /basketball

Stolberg came in at number 17.

A double-double machine for more than a decade, Ryan Stolberg was not only among the best big man to play in Queensland but one of the best players, period. Stolberg dominated in his first four seasons in the state league, two with Ipswich (1995/96), Suncoast (1997) and Brisbane (1998).

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In those four years the hardworking power forward made the Queensland and Australian CBA All-Star Five, won MVP in Queensland in 1997 averaging close to 27 points and 15 rebounds per game and helped Suncoast upset the Cairns Marlins in the 1997 ABA National Championship final in Geelong.

He also spent a few seasons with the Brisbane Bullets. After playing with Albury in 1999, Stolberg took a break from the game until he returned for his hometown Ipswich Force from 2007-2012, putting up big numbers until he retired at the age of 37.

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