‘Influenced a generation’: How Aron Baynes rose from far North Queensland to become an NBA champion and Olympic hero

To understand the universal respect Aron Baynes possesses in Australian basketball circles, look no further than his impact on Luc Longley, who ended a 12-year absence from hoops after working with “Big Bangers” in a Boomers camp.

To understand the universal respect Aron Baynes possesses in Australian basketball circles, look no further than how Luc Longley feels about the ‘Big Banger’ from Mareeba in North Queensland.

Longley – one of the greatest big men Australia has produced – was lured back to the Boomers program in 2009 after seeing a youthful yet old school Baynes excel at a national team training camp in Perth.

Prior to this, the legendary Chicago Bull had removed from himself from the basketball bubble for 12 years after an ankle injury forced him to prematurely retire in 2001.

The added layer of failing to win a medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympics had left Longley so disillusioned that he returned home from the NBA in a “mad depression” and wanted nothing more to do with hoops.

His basketball hibernation ended on that fateful day in ’09 when then Boomers coach Brett Brown called him to check out a rookie named Baynes.

Aron Baynes (right), pictured alongside Matthew Dellavedova, during the 2016 Olympics. Picture: Getty Images

Brown thought Baynes had enormous potential, and while he was a little rough around the edges, he felt Longley was the perfect man to add the fine polish.

It proved to be a masterstroke from Brown.

Longley spent one afternoon at Boomers training working with Baynes – and it was enough to lure him back to basketball.

“It was no f***ing accident that it was through the Boomers,” the legendary big man said.

“I’ve been back around the game ever since I walked into that Boomers training session in ‘09.

“I remembered how much I loved being around the game.”

Re-joining the Australian national team after so long was a cathartic experience for Longley.

He also cherished his time mentoring Baynes, a young player who was determined to achieve through hard work.

This dogged mindset reminded Longley of the pure nature of the Boomers.

Aron Baynes and Mitch Creek during the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China. Picture: Getty Images

He’d become accustomed to big egos after more than a decade surrounded by the glitz of the NBA, but the Aussie national team prided themselves on their selfless, team-first mantra.

“There was a tangible lack of pretence around the Boomers that I really loved, having been in the NBA,’ Longley said.

“A lack of people running around and carrying other people’s shoes and picking up every water bottle. “No, you pick up your own f@$king water bottle.”

‘I was watching guys from all different clubs coming together and putting their little beefs aside and getting on with it. That felt great.”

Baynes would make his national team debut in 2010, while he was playing domestically in Lithuania and Germany.

Then-coach Andrej Lemanis believes the proud Queenslander personifies what it means to be a Boomer.

“He (Aron) always put his hand up for the Boomers when he could,” Lemanis said.

“He would regularly tell me that the national team is his best basketball experience of the year.

“He’d say, ‘I’m with a bunch of guys who care about winning, they care about each other’.

“That’s not always what happens in professional sports.”

Aron Baynes and Patty Mills with the Larry O’Brien Trophy after winning the NBA championship with San Antonio in 2014. Picture: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images.

There would be other benefits too, according to Lemanis.

“Aron’s connection to the national team had a direct impact on his personal career,” he said.

Baynes was able to use his success with the Boomers as leverage to secure a big-dollar contract in Europe.

International scouts had seen him play at the Olympics and were impressed, so the European offers kept coming.

Baynes also secured contracts in Greece and Slovenia. Playing for the national team also paved the way for the big man to reach the NBA in 2013.

After winning Slovenian Cup and Supercup championships with Union Olimpija, Baynes picked up a contract with the San Antonio Spurs, where he would go on to win a championship alongside fellow Australian Patty Mills in 2014.

Lemanis would regularly share Baynes’ story with players coming through the ranks.

“I’d tell the young players that, regardless of what you achieve in your career, being with the Boomers is the best basketball experience of your career,’ he says.

“It’s awesome that Aron would influence the next generation like that.”

The boy from Mareeba! Representing you for your entire career has been the honor of a lifetime. You embody everything we teach young athletes about professionalism, dedication and playing for the name on the front of the jersey, not on the back.

Love you Azza! All the very best… pic.twitter.com/bejepCQA2t

— Daniel Moldovan (@AgentMoldovan) October 16, 2024

Baynes showcased remarkable courage to defy a serious spinal cord injury that threatened his career during the 2021 Tokyo Games.

He slipped in the change rooms and spent months in hospital, and despite initially being unable to walk, he made an inspirational comeback to the court with the Brisbane Bullets in 2022.

On Thursday, Baynes hung up his sneakers following a decorated professional career spanning 15 years.

He walks away from the game as an NBA champion, a three-time Olympian and Olympic bronze medallist and a veteran of 576 NBA games for four clubs.

Baynes will go down as one of Australia’s best ever bigs – and a player who paved the way for basketball’s significant growth Down Under.

Originally published as ‘Influenced a generation’: How Aron Baynes rose from far North Queensland to become an NBA champion and Olympic hero