Basketball star Dyson Daniels wants NBA match to be played in Melbourne

Bendigo’s Dyson Daniels said the time was right for Melbourne to finally host the first NBA match on Australian soil.

Victoria’s newest global basketball star has led a chorus of calls for Melbourne to stage an NBA match.

Bendigo’s Dyson Daniels – drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans last week – said the time was right for the nation’s sporting capital to finally host the first NBA match on Australian soil.

And the 19-year-old told the Herald Sun he would personally take the matter to NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Victoria’s behalf, in a bid to bring at least exhibition or pre-season matches to Melbourne.

“I will have to talk to Adam Silver about it but I’m sure that would be huge for Australian basketball,’’ he said.

“And I’m sure that is a possibility.

“Australian teams have come over to the US and played a few games so it would good to get some NBA teams over to Australia for maybe some pre-season games or something.’’

Dyson Daniels hails from Bendigo in central Victoria. Picture: Getty Images

Melbourne born NBA stars Josh Giddey and Ben Simmons and Victorian NBA champions Andrew Bogut and Matthew Dellavedova have backed Melbourne to shoot for a historic match or series.

Daniels, set to pocket more than $7.2 million in his rookie season, said “a nice car’’ was high on his list of priorities with his “first spendings”.

But the 203cm tall talent with size 14 feet said the fact he was the 32nd Australian to make it to the NBA showed it was time for a game in his homeland.

“I just think the way you’re brought up and taught the game in Australia is different and you learn different skills that translate to the US style of play,’’ he said when asked why so many Aussies had been drafted into the best league in the world.

Outgoing Sports Minister Martin Pakula in 2018 said he wanted to bring NBA and Major League Baseball games to Victoria.

Andrew Bogut

Matthew Dellavedova. Picture: Darrian Traynor

But the Andrews Government declined to directly answer questions about whether it was in talks with the NBA about a match in Melbourne of the factors involved in landing such a deal.

“Victoria is Australia’s events and sporting capital and we’re always working hard to attract new major events,’’ it said in a statement.

Giddey in April told the Herald Sun an NBA match in his home town of Melbourne would cement its status as Australia’s sporting capital.

“I love the idea – I think it would be great,’’ he said.

Dellavedova in 2019 said: “Obviously the level of support is there, the quality of facilities and everything is there.’’

As well as rewarding fans in Australian basketball’s heartland and cashing in on the sport’s surging popularity, an NBA match in Melbourne would lure fans tourists from interstate and overseas in a boost to the state economy.

A record Australian basketball crowd of 52,079 turned out at Marvel Stadium to watch Australia defeat Team USA in 2019.

Originally published as Basketball star Dyson Daniels wants NBA match to be played in Melbourne