Former NBL player Timmy Duggan opens ‘Health 4 Hoops Laboratory’ in Pinelands

As the first Indigenous man to play in the NBL, Timmy Duggan has used his passion for basketball to empower young people for decades. Now he is opening up a permanent safe space of his own.

Timmy Duggan was the first Indigenous man to play in Australia’s national basketball league.

That was more than 20 years ago.

Now, Mr Duggan wants to see others benefit from the healing power of hoops.

A facility in Pinelands complete with a full range of brand new gym equipment, free weights, a basketball court, and freshly minted balls is set to open on Monday.

“Hoops 4 Health has been going for over 20 years now, where we ran it as a program,” the 46-year-old Darwin local said.

“But for 20 years we have used other people’s venues.

“Now we’ve got a bit of home base.

“This facility is First Nations run, but it’s open to anyone — doesn’t matter if you’re black, white, purple – anyone can have access.”

The Hoops 4 Health Laboratory boasts a brand new gym and basketball court. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

The facility is so new that it gleams – no small feat, considering the entire undertaking including the sourcing of equipment has been self-funded.

Although the centre looks like a warehouse from the outside, it has piqued the interest of locals, 200 of who walked through the centre’s doors last Saturday for its open day.

“When they walk in, they walk through that door and they feel inspired.

“People just want to get into it, they want to have a go, it’s kind of amazing.”

Imagery of First Nations athletes decorate the centre’s interior.

“Young people will see examples of First Nations success,” Mr Duggan said.

“People think that we are just about basketball, but this is a social and emotional wellbeing program.

“We’re looking to uplift, we want to build people’s resilience and not vulnerability.”

The Hoops 4 Health Laboratory in Pinelands features an impressive hall of fame of First Nations success stories. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

The former professional basketball player sees it as his responsibility to service the “most remote and most vulnerable communities” in Australia.

This includes taking a trailer, a portable hoop and a handful of coaches on a trip to Central Australia next month to roll the program out in remote communities around Alice Springs.

It also includes inviting young people from the Don Dale youth detention centre to use the facility.

“For some of the people that come here, this might be their only positive experience.

“We’ve got kids coming in from Don Dale and some of them have been locked up and confined.

“We want to play some music, get them moving, give them a positive experience – the only one they might get to have.”

For more information on the program, go to hoops4health.org.