No 73 ANDREW VLAHOV
6 feet 7 inch (200cm) Forward
1988,1992,1996 and 2000 Olympic Games
Oscar Schmidt the six feet ten inch Brazilian basketball star was frustrated. He was the highest scoring player in international basketball and at one Olympic Games he would average over 40 points a game. Not today. His defender the young Australian power forward was bumping him, denying him the ball, forcing him further and further away from the basket, and making every move a difficult one. Andrew Vlahov was in his element. Given a task, he did it. Schmidt was not the factor he or his country wanted him to be in this vital preliminary game at the 1990 World Championships in Argentina. The Australians had to win or they would be eliminated from the finals. Win they did, albeit by one point, but without Vlahov’s intensity on defence there is little doubt they would not have won that day.
Andrew Mitchell Vlahov was born April 1st, 1969 in South Perth, Western Australia. He was born into an athletic family as his mother Eva competed for Australia in the 1962 Empire Games (Perth) and his father Len was a twenty times WA champion in the Discus and represented Australia in the Discus at the 1962 Empire Games and the 1967 World University Games. Len also played basketball for Western Australia (1963-65). Andrew’s sisters Dana, Lisa and Helen were all athletes. Dana (athletics) and Lisa (basketball) won scholarships to the Australian Institute of Sport. Lisa represented Australia (Gems) at basketball and Helen was a WA representative basketball player.
Andrew started playing basketball because he watched his parents play, and because his father Len erected a basketball backboard and ring in the backyard. Playing basketball against his sisters and mates in the backyard became a regular occurrence and according to Andrew, “became an addiction”. He adds, “My father was easily the greatest influence on my growth as a player....fundamentals, repetition, fundamentals, repetition.....it felt like I was listening to a broken record...but the record was right!”
At the age of thirteen Andrew was named the Western Australian Basketball League (WABL) Under 14 MVP and at fifteen thePerth Redbacks Club Division One MVP as well as the WABL Under 16 MVP and the District B MVP.
Andrew recalls, “I seemed to advance quickly through my early basketball because of my size and height. I often played against older players and by fifteen years of age I was playing in men’s A grade. The games were tough and physical but I could hold my own and this was an attitude that was to prevail throughout my career...no backward steps!”
Andrew’s first State representation was with the Western Australian (WA) Under 16 team at the National Championships in Canberra in 1983, where he was the second leading scorer. The following year at the National Under 16 Championships in Launceston he was noticed by the National Selectors and was named to the All Australian Under 18 Squad for the All Australian Camp in Canberra. In 1985 he and Luc Longley teamed together to win the Australian Under 18 Championships in Maroochydore and in doing so became the first WA team to win a basketball National Championship.
In 1987 Andrew accepted a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra where he joined the likes of Luc Longley, Mark Bradtke and Shane Heal future Olympians and basketball greats. That year he was a member of the Australian Junior Men’s Team that participated in the World Championships held in Italy where the team gained 5th place.
His first representation for the Australian Men’s Team (“Boomers”) came in 1987 when he played for the Boomers against the Big East Conference All Stars and then against the USSR and on the Boomers Team that won the Oceania 1988 Olympic Qualification Tournament.
In 1987 Andrew accepted a scholarship to Stanford University in the USA. Stanford is a highly scholastic University and one which suited Andrew’s academic and sporting abilities. He immediately made a presence on the basketball court at Stanford.He had a stellar career at Stanford where he was a regular starting five player and one of the best defensive players on the team. He remains 5th all time leader in steals and 10th all time in fouls at Stanford University. Andrew captained Stanford for their only National Championship (in the NIT) at Stanford since 1942.
In 1988 Andrew played for the Boomers against Czechoslovakia, Nebraska University and then in the six match series against the USSR. The series against the USSR ignited Australian basketball. The public profile of the Boomers and the players exploded.
A few days after his 19th birthday, Andrew was named to the Australian Boomers Team for the upcoming Olympics. “I can remember it like yesterday,” he recalls. “I received the call at my parent’s house. When the Boomers coach Adrian Hurley told me I had made the team for Seoul, I dropped the phone and ran through the house screaming. It is one of my greatest memories. A lifetime ambition achieved,” says Andrew.
Vlahov’s selection was nevertheless controversial as Coach Hurley selected three nineteen year old “rookies” Luc Longley, Mark Bradtke and Vlahov. Longley or Vlahov had not played in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) and were not known by the Australian public or media. The 1988 Olympic team had a fair sampling of veterans such as Phil Smyth, Wayne Carroll and Larry Sengstock, a twenty two year old Andrew Gaze and the three nineteen year olds Vlahov, Bradtke and Longley.
The three youngsters covered themselves in glory in Seoul and were an important part of the team’s success. It seemed that the combination of youth plus experience was a very good mix. Andrew played a pivotal role for the Boomers when they made the semi-finals and finished 4th in the Tournament. This was the best ever result for an Australian Men’s Team at an Olympic Games and has never been bettered.
In 1991 Andrew returned from Stanford to Australia to take up a basketball career with his hometown Perth Wildcats in the NBL. In his first season in the NBL Andrew was named NBL Rookie of the Year.He was to play his entire NBL career with the Perth Wildcats until his retirement in 2002.
In all Andrew played 349 games in the NBL for the Perth Wildcats over the course of twelve seasons. Some of the NBL awards that Andrew won were NBL Rookie of the Year (1991), Grand Final MVP (1995) NBL All Star Team (1992, 1995), NBL Second Team (1996, 2000), All NBL Third Team (1993, 1994), he played in the NBL All Star Game from 1992 to 1997, finished second one year for the Best defensive Player and was named to the NBL’s 20th Anniversary Team in 1998. He captained the Wildcats to three NBL titles (1991, 1995 and 2000). In 1995 he led the Wildcats to third place in the McDonalds World Club Championships held in London, England. He averaged 16.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game over his NBL career. His leaderships, team-spirit, passion and defence are not statistics but they were a major part of his contribution to the Perth Wildcats through those twelve seasons.
In 1989 Andrew played for the Boomers against the Kareem Abdul Jabaar All Stars, and was on the Boomers team that won the Oceania 1990 World Championship Qualification Tournament.
In 1990 Andrew was a starter on the Boomers, while he was still at Stanford University. He played with the Boomers in the Goodwill games in Seattle on the way to the 1990 World Championships in Argentina. Andrew was now one of the “enforcers” on the team and a defensive specialist. In the crucial game against Brazil he did an exceptional defensive job on the Brazilian star Oscar Schmidt and his defence was a factor in the Boomers winning that game and going to the Finals where they finished 7th in the Championships.
By this time Andrew was physically a very strong basketball player being somewhere near 106kgs in weight and 200 cm tall yet possessing smooth skills. He was an accomplished scorer, a powerful force around the basket offensively and good three-point shooter, a very strong rebounder, good passer and an excellent defender. He often got the “tough-jobs” on defence. His passion, leadership, toughness, team-spirit and ability to sacrifice his own game for the team set him apart from most. “He was one of those players you wanted on your team and in the trenches with you,” stated his Boomers and Perth coach Dr Adrian Hurley.
In 1991 Andrew played for the Boomers when they won the Oceania 1992 Olympic Qualification Tournament and against Italian Club Fortitudo-Bologna. In that year he was named the Basketball Australia International Player of the Year.
After games for Australia in 1992 against China and domestic All Star Teams Andrew was selected to the Boomers team for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.
Despite their less than ideal match preparation in Australia and remaining in Australia until the weekend before the Olympics the Boomers went on to secure a very creditable 6th in the first “Open” Olympic Games. In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics Andrew was a starter and was a major member of the team. While still only 23 years of age, he was a “veteran” and his leadership and toughness made him a centre-point of the Boomers defence and play.
In 1993 Andrew played for the Boomers against the Russians, on the Boomers team that won the Oceania 1994 World Championships Qualification Tournament, and toured with the team to the USA. He was named Basketball Australia International Player of the Year for 1993.
After games for the Boomers against USA Marathon Oil, George Washington University, and the CBA and NBL All Stars Andrew was chosen to play for the Boomers in the 1994 World Championships in Canada. The Boomers finished the World Championships in fifth position. This was the equal best ever result for the Boomers at a World Championship.
In 1995 Andrew played for the Boomers against the Magic Johnson All Stars, the University of Missouri and on the Boomer’s team that won the Oceania 1996 Olympic Qualification Tournament.
In 1996 Andrew played for the Boomers in games in Australia against the NBA Legends, Lithuania and Italy. After these games Andrew was selected for his third Olympics. On the way to Atlanta the Boomers played the USA in Salt Lake City and against Angola before competing in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Tournament.
The 1996 Atlanta Olympics was another stellar performance by the Boomers and Andrew. Now very much a veteran on the team Andrew led by example and the Boomers for the second time in their history reached the semi-finals of the Olympics only to fall short of a medal and gain 4th place.
The Boomers were undergoing some personnel changes but the veterans such as Gaze, Heal, Longley, Bradtke and Vlahov were still guiding and driving the team. In 1997 Andrew played for the Boomers against Croatia and on the Boomers team that won the Oceania 1998 World Championship Qualification Tournament.
Andrew played for the Boomers in 1998 against Japan and Canada before the team played in the USA in the Goodwill Games where they finished second in an outstanding performance. The Boomers contested the 1998 World Championships in Greece, but with Longley and Bradtke unavailable the team slipped back to 9th in the world. Twenty nine year old Andrew was still at his peak in experience and value to the team.
The “big one” was just around the corner....the 2000 Sydney Olympics. To the veterans Vlahov, Heal, Bradtke, Longley, and Gaze this was possibly their “swan song” and their best ever chance to win that elusive medal because they were playing at home in front of their fans, family and friends.
In 1999 Andrew was a member of the Boomers teams that played Russia, then in the Berlin Cup, in the Acropolis Tournament in Greece and against Canada. Andrew had the honour of captaining Australia in those 1999 Boomer games.
Test Events in Australia started 2000 for Andrew and the Boomers. Then followed a series against Russia, a tour to Italy and France and then to Hong Kong for the FIBA Diamond Ball Tournament. The Boomers were playing well and were bringing good form into the Olympics. Games against the USA in Melbourne and Lithuania in Wollongong brought the team to its peak a few days prior to the Games.
The veterans on the Boomers felt that Sydney 2000 was the opportunity to get on the medal dais for the first time in Australian men’s basketball history. Itwas not to be. The Boomers played a “little-up-and-down” in the tournament but fought back courageously and met France in the semi-finals in a game they knew they could win, and perhaps were expected to win. A win would take them through to the Gold Medal game. The French played extremely well and defeated the Boomers. The Boomers then played a very good Lithuania in the playoff for the Bronze Medal and lost.
That year did have some consolation for Andrew when the Wildcats won the NBL title. Andrew retired from International basketball after the Sydney 2000 Olympics and in 2002 retired from the NBL.
Andrew sums up his Olympic experiences. “It was a privilege to participate in the greatest sporting event on the planet. I was very lucky to be able to go to the Olympics four times, each one so remarkably different.”
He adds, “The best Olympic memories were the cross over games, when we managed to surprise a number of teams to make it into the medal round. Unfortunately, we failed on three occasions to win a medal after making the medal round. Sydney was our best chance I felt and we did not get it done. When that last game finished, even though we lost, it was one of my best memories. I sat in the locker room for hours and savoured fourteen years of involvement with the team. I believe I played in the Golden Era of Australian Basketball. I was very lucky.”
Shane Heal comments on Andrew Vlahov. “I enjoyed his company and respected his work ethic and his tough style of play. I thought we played well together and his toughness always gave me the confidence to play my game.”
Luc Longley adds, “The force of Andrews personality and commitment to winning was his greatest asset and ensured that whatever team he was on always had a chance to win. He was an emotional cornerstone of the Boomers for his whole career and when he retired he left a legacy that is still there today.”
After retiring from playing Andrew stayed in basketball and became a major owner in the Perth Wildcats (with Longley) before selling the team and opening his own basketball promotions company. He is particularly dedicated to developing Australia’s basketball relationships with Asia and raising the profile of the Boomers and Opals. He lives in Perth.
Andrew Vlahov was inducted into the NBL Hall of Fame in 2007 and in 2013 he was named to the Perth Wildcats 30 Year Anniversary Team.
Andrew Vlahov playing against Russia (Courtesy Basketball Australia)
Andrew Vlahov against Lithuania (Courtesy Basketball Australia)
Andrew Vlahov driving to the basket in the NBL for the Perth Wildcats (Perth Wildcats)
Andrew Vlahov takes a free-throw for the Perth Wildcats (Pert Wildcats)