Darnell Mee on Adelaide’s 2001 Heartbreak, Defending NBL legends and more
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
Release Date: 08/07/2026
Darnell Mee on Adelaide’s 2001 Heartbreak, Defending NBL legends and more
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
Support Aussie Hoopla: We are doing everything we can to keep these podcasts going, but the costs to produce, host, and track down guests are adding up. If you enjoy the show and want to help keep it alive, you can support us in two ways: or Every contribution goes directly toward keeping online and the podcast running. ---------- Two-time NBL champion and five-time NBL Best Defensive Player Darnell Mee returns to the podcast to revisit Adelaide’s back-to-back championships, the heartbreaking end to the 2001 season and why that loss ultimately led him to leave the 36ers. Host Dan...
info_outline
Matt Garrison on Winning Back-to-Back Titles with Multiple NBL Teams, NBA Opportunities and Aussie Hoops impact overseas
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
Support Aussie Hoopla: We are doing everything we can to keep these podcasts going, but the costs to produce, host, and track down guests are adding up. If you enjoy the show and want to help keep it alive, you can support us in two ways: or Every contribution goes directly toward keeping online and the podcast running. ---------- Two-time NBL champion Matt Garrison joins the podcast to reflect on winning back-to-back championships with two different teams, helping the Wollongong Hawks claim their first NBL title in 2001 before joining the Adelaide 36ers and winning it all again in...
info_outline
John Rillie on roster changes for NBL27, pressures from fans and media and Bryce Cotton/Trevor Gleeson narratives
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
Support Aussie Hoopla: We are doing everything we can to keep these podcasts going, but the costs to produce, host, and track down guests are adding up. If you enjoy the show and want to help keep it alive, you can support us in two ways: or Every contribution goes directly toward keeping online and the podcast running. ---------- Perth Wildcats head coach John Rillie joins the podcast to discuss the pressure of coaching one of the NBL’s most successful clubs, the expectations that come with the Red Army, and what he has been building since taking over in 2022. Host Dan Boyce chats...
info_outline
Rolan Roberts on Kings Titles, Dunk Contest Injury and Playing for Brian Goorjian and Trevor Gleeson
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
Support Aussie Hoopla: We are doing everything we can to keep these podcasts going, but the costs to produce, host, and track down guests are adding up. If you enjoy the show and want to help keep it alive, you can support us in two ways: or Every contribution goes directly toward keeping online and the podcast running. ---------- Former Sydney Kings and Townsville Crocodiles big man Rolan Roberts joins the podcast to reflect on his time in Australia, including joining the Kings mid-season and helping them complete their historic 2005 NBL three-peat. Host Dan Boyce chats with Roberts...
info_outline
Julius Hodge on Stepping on Brett Maher, NBL Pay Issues and NBA Stories
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
We are doing everything we can to keep these podcasts going, but the costs to produce, host, and track down guests are adding up. If you enjoy the show and want to help keep it alive, you can support us in two ways: or Every contribution goes directly toward keeping online and the podcast running. ---------- Former Adelaide 36ers star Julius Hodge joins the podcast to reflect on one of the most dominant short stints in NBL history, his journey from the NBA to Australia, and the impact he made during the 2007/08 season. Host Dan Boyce chats with Hodge about his incredible all-around...
info_outline
Mick Downer on NBL Talent in Japan, NBL vs B.League, and Offensive Rebounding
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
Support Aussie Hoopla: We are doing everything we can to keep these podcasts going, but the costs to produce, host, and track down guests are adding up. If you enjoy the show and want to help keep it alive, you can support us in two ways: or Every contribution goes directly toward keeping online and the podcast running. ---------- Current head coach of the Akita Northern Happinets, Mick Downer joins the podcast to discuss the differences between coaching in Japan and the NBL, his stints with Perth, Cairns, Brisbane and Adelaide over the past 25 years, and his time with the Australian...
info_outline
Remembering Ken Cole (Remastered Interview): The Invincibles, Early NBL Stories & Mitch Creek
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
Originally recorded in 2018 — this episode has been remastered and re-released following the passing of Australian basketball legend Ken Cole. Ken Cole, a championship-winning coach of the Adelaide 36ers and architect of the iconic 1986 “Invincibles” season (24–2), left a lasting impact on basketball in Australia — as a coach, leader, and later President of the Sixers. In this interview, Ken reflects on his return to the Adelaide 36ers, his battle with multiple myeloma, and shares unforgettable stories from the early days of the NBL — from the birth of the game in Australia to the...
info_outline
Bring Back the Falcons: How former Kings & Hawks owner Dorry Kordahi is trying to bring an NBL team to Newcastle
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
Support Aussie Hoopla: We are doing everything we can to keep these podcasts going, but the costs to produce, host, and track down guests are adding up. If you enjoy the show and want to help keep it alive, you can support us in two ways: or Every contribution goes directly toward keeping online and the podcast running. ---------- Former Sydney Kings and Illawarra Hawks owner Dorry Kordahi takes us inside his latest venture — buying into the Lebanese Basketball League and becoming president of the NSA Falcons. Host Dan Boyce chats with Kordahi on why the LBL is one of the most...
info_outline
Kings vs Hawks: Ep. 7 — The Hawks’ 2nd Title and The Rivalry Today
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
We wrap up our seven-part deep dive into one of Aussie hoops’ fiercest rivalries — Sydney vs Illawarra — as the modern era turns the heat all the way up and the Freeway Series swings wildly from season to season. Host Dan Boyce picks things up after the Hawks’ rebirth under new ownership and Brian Goorjian, a fresh start that quickly turns into a brutal reality check — including the worst season in franchise history (3–25) — before the club pulls off one of the great turnarounds in recent NBL history, storming back to win their second NBL championship. From there, the rivalry...
info_outline
Kings vs Hawks: Ep. 6 — LaMelo Ball, Spy-Gate and 'The Hawks' lose their Illawarra name
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
We continue diving deeper into one of Aussie hoops’ fiercest rivalries — Sydney vs Illawarra — picking things up as and his rookie of the year season in 2019 that propelled the Hawks into the global spotlight, setting NBL viewership and attendance records, while the Kings reload under Will Weaver and push for a championship in a season that ends in chaos. Host Dan Boyce breaks down LaMelo’s viral debut, his back-to-back triple-doubles, and the impact of the injury to Aaron Brooks to Illawarra playoff hopes, before diving into the record-setting 17,514 crowd that packed Qudos Bank...
info_outlineSupport Aussie Hoopla:
We are doing everything we can to keep these podcasts going, but the costs to produce, host, and track down guests are adding up.
If you enjoy the show and want to help keep it alive, you can support us in two ways:
Buy a T shirt or Buy Me A Coffee
Every contribution goes directly toward keeping aussiehoopla.com online and the podcast running.
----------
Two-time NBL champion and five-time NBL Best Defensive Player Darnell Mee returns to the podcast to revisit Adelaide’s back-to-back championships, the heartbreaking end to the 2001 season and why that loss ultimately led him to leave the 36ers.
Host Dan Boyce chats with Mee about watching his son Micale build his own basketball career in Australia, representing Adelaide at the McDonald’s Championship, becoming teammates with Damon Lowery after their infamous 2001 playoff meeting, and the extraordinary sacrifices made by players to help save the Cairns Taipans. Darnell also breaks down how he approached defending some of the greatest players in NBL history.
Topics include:
- His current work as a teacher and basketball coach at Cleveland High School
- Watching his son Micale build his own basketball career in Australia
- Western Kentucky’s 1992–93 team joining him in the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame
- Representing Adelaide at the 1999 McDonald’s Championship in Milan
- His time with Kinder Bologna and playing professionally in France and Germany
- How Adelaide figured out Brian Goorjian’s South East Melbourne Magic and Victoria Titans teams
- The team chemistry and off-court bonding behind Adelaide’s back-to-back championships
- The championship Adelaide believed it should have won in 1999–2000
- When the chemistry of the championship 36ers began to disappear
- The internal tension surrounding Adelaide’s 2000–01 season
- His missed free throw and the heartbreaking end to Adelaide’s 2001 playoff run
- What happened inside the silent Adelaide changeroom after the loss
- Why the 2001 defeat convinced him to leave Adelaide and return to Europe
- Becoming teammates with Damon Lowery at the Wollongong Hawks
- The Taipans entering voluntary administration and players accepting major salary cuts
- How the Cairns community helped prevent the club from disappearing
- How he approached defending Andrew Gaze, Ricky Grace, Daryl McDonald, Shane Heal and other NBL legends
- Whether he would consider returning to Australia in a coaching role
All of this and a whole lot more...