No80 BRETT MAHER
6 feet 2 inch (188cm) Guard
1996, 2000, 2004 Olympic Games
Just before the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta the Boomers had an exhibition game scheduled against the USA Dream Team in Utah. This was Brett Maher’s chance to play against some of the players he grew up idolising and part of the reason why he played the game of basketball. “To say I was nervous would be a slight understatement,” says Brett.“During this game I had two distinct opportunities to score with the first being a relatively open threepoint jump-shot from the left hand side 45 degrees. As I launched into my jump-shot John Stockton came out of nowhere and slightly tapped my elbow just before my release. This in turn caused my shot to sling into the backboard at 100 miles an hour barely hitting the ring, suffice to say this did not settle my nerves.In the second half I got my second opportunity with a fast break in the open court. There was nothing between me and the ring and I had a two metre gap between myself and the closest person Scottie Pippen. To avoid complete embarrassment and having the ball pinned on the backboard I thought I would try jumping from one side of the ring and finishing the shot on the other using the ring for protection and ending the shot with some extra arc. The one thing I didn’t account for was the extreme speed that I was approaching the ring causing the ball to once again ricochet off the backboard at enormous speed. Two shots and I had two embarrassments.”
Brett Steven Maher was born April 17th, 1973 in Adelaide, South Australia.He started playing basketball at aged seven for his schoolBraeview Primary with a few mates. When he was eight years old he started playing District basketball for the South Adelaide Basketball Club. In his second year of Under 12’s he moved to Sturt Basketball Club where Coach Neil Gliddon had a large influence over his junior career. He remained at Sturt untilgoing to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) at fifteenyears of age in 1989.
At the AIS he soon impressed the coaching staff of Dr Adrian Hurley and Patrick Hunt. Brett’s awareness on court, leadershipand smooth skills identified him as a special talent even at that age. It was at the AIS that he developed his two feet-jump-stop jump-shot. This bouncing stop meant that Brett could gather himself quickly and get into the air before most defenders could get to him.
Brett was at the AIS for three years when most athletes are only there for two years. This was mainly for two reasons. He was very young when he first went to the AIS and while at the AIS he underwent a knee reconstruction after an injury and spent nine months in rehabilitation.
He made every South Australian (SA) State Junior team but couldn’t compete in his first year Under 20’s as he was recovering from a knee re-construction. In 1987 and 1988 he represented SA at the Under 16 level (winning a Silver Medal in 1987), and Under 18’s in 1989 and 1990 (when the team won Silver Medals). In the year he underwent knee reconstruction (1991) such was his ability that he was selected on the Australian Junior Men’s Team to play in the World Championships held in Canada. The team gained 11th place in those Championships.
In 1992 Brett played on the SA Under 20 team that won the National Championships and he was named the MVP for the tournament. In 1993 he was a member of the Australian Youth Team (Under 22) which played in the World Championships in Spain. The team came in 8th place. In all Brett would play 48 games for National Junior/Youth teams and serve as captain in seventeen of those games.
At the AIS Brett and his team-mates played in the South Eastern Australian Basketball League (SEABL) and this was a wonderful opportunity for a 16-17 year old to play and lead the team from the point position against very good interstate men’s teams.
Brett left the AIS in 1992 and joined his hometown club the Adelaide 36ers in the National Basketball League (NBL). He was eighteen years old and was to play for Adelaide for eighteen years.
Brett was by now fully recovered from his knee re-construction and was playing exceptional basketball for the 36ers and was endearing himself to the hometown fans for his skills and big plays.
Following the 1992 Under 22 World Championships he was included in many of the Australian Men’s Team (Boomers) Camps. In 1993 he debuted for the Boomers on their nine game tour of the USA at the end of that year.
In 1994 Brett played with the Boomers against Marathon Oil, George Washington University and toured to Europe at the end of the year.
Brett played for the Boomers in 1995 against the Magic Johnson All Stars, the University of Missouri and Korea in Australia and was a member of the Boomers team that won the Oceania 1996 Olympic Qualification Tournament before completing the year with a tour to Europe.
1996 was an Olympic Year and after Brett played for the Boomers against the touring NBA Legends, Lithuania and Italy, he was chosen for his first Olympics Games.
“When Coach Barry Barnes told me I had made the team for the Atlanta Olympic Games I realised one of my biggest goals in basketball and it was a huge highlight of my career,” he recalls.
“The main highlights for me at the 1996 Olympics were beating Croatia, making the medal rounds, playing against the “Dream Team” and going to the Opening Ceremony,” he says. The Boomers played exceptionally well and finished 4th. Brett played a “back-up role” on the team and was learning the experiences that would lead to him being a three time Olympian.
After the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Brett was selected for further Boomer matches and tours including a series at home against Croatia, winning the Oceania 1998 World Championships Qualification Tournament and a tour to Europe (all in 1997).
In 1998 he played for the Boomers against the touring Canadian National Team before being selected on the Boomers team for the 1998 World Championships in Greece. On the way to Greece the Brett played for the Boomers in the Goodwill Games in the USA. In the World Championships the Boomers gained 9th position.
The biggest challenge was just around the corner and Brett was determined to make the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. This was the big tournament for the players, staff and the Australian basketball public.
In 1999 Brett played for the Boomers against Russia in Australia, travelled to Germany for the Berlin Supercup, to Greece for the Acropolis Cup and played Canada in Australia. In 2000 he played for the Boomersagainst Russia at home, travelled to Europe for games in Italy and France before playing in the FIBA Diamond Ball Tournament in Hong Kong. Brett was named on the Australian Men’s Team to play at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The Boomers concluded their Olympic preparation with games against the USA in Melbourne and Lithuania in Wollongong.
At the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games the Boomers played exceptionally well to gain another 4th place to equal their performances of the 1988 and 1996 Olympics.
In the NBL during the period leading up to Sydney 2000, Brett and the Adelaide 36ers were carving out an exceptional sequence in the NBL. In 1998 and 1999 Brett won the NBL Championships playing with the 36ers under the guidance of former Boomer Phil Smyth. The 36ers were on a roll and Brett’s reputation as a “hometown hero” was just getting bigger. Brett was named to the NBL All Star teams in 1996 and 1997 and was named the MVP of the NBL Grand Final in 1999. He was to win this award again in 2002.
Brett played an enormous role in the 36ers for a period of eighteen years. He helped them to win three NBL Championships (1998, 1999, 2002), was named as the 36ers MVP on five occasions, was selected to four NBL All Star Games (1996, 1997, 2005 and 2006), was named to the NBL First Team in 2000 and 2003, All NBL Second Team in 1997/1998 and the NBL Third Team in 1999 and 2002, as well as winning the Larry Sengstock Medal for the Grand Final MVP in 1999 and 2002. In all he played 520 games in the NBL and scored 8,778 points. He had an exceptional NBL career.
In 2001 Brett captained the Boomers in the East Asia Games, in the Goodwill Games held in Brisbane and against the USA in Melbourne. He captained the Boomers in the Oceania 2002 World Championships Qualification Tournament won by New Zealand. That loss denied the Boomers a chance to play in the 2002 World Championships.
In 2002 he played with the Boomers on a tour to China and Europe and in 2003 against New Zealand to win the Oceania 2004 Olympic Qualification Tournament. In 2004 he played for the Boomers against New Zealand, in a tournament in Italy and in the FIBA Diamond Ball Tournament in Belgrade.
Brett was selected to the Boomers for his third Olympic Games when he was named on the Boomers Team for the 2004 Athens Olympics. The 2004 Athens Olympics were a disappointment for the Boomers after Sydney 2000. The team battled on well after a poor start and gained equal 9th place (positions 9 to 16).
After the 2004 Olympic Games Brett retired from international basketball and concentrated on finishing out his career with the 36ers. In 2005 he played for three months in Turkey. He played his last season with the 36ers in the 2008/09 season.
In all Brett Maher had played 180 senior games for Australia and played at three Olympic Games and one World Championship.
After retiring from playing basketball, Brett worked in the media where he gave commentary on the 36ers NBL games. He is involved in the Hudson Maher Foundation established in 2003 in memory of Brett and his wife Tanya’s infant son who died of a rare bone marrow disease. Brett is an Adelaide 36ers Ambassador. He continues to run basketball camps for juniors during the school holidays and has developed business interests.
“Brett Maher Court” at the Adelaide Basketball Stadium is named in his honour.
Brett Maher playing for Australia against Canada (Basketball Australia)
Brett Maher goes high to the basket for Australia (Basketball Australia)