Mike McKay

HTML <h2><strong>No</strong><strong> 77 MIKE MCKAY</strong></h2>

HTML <h2><strong>6 feet 4 inch (193cm) Guard</strong></h2>

HTML <h2><strong>1992 Olympic Games</strong></h2>

HTML <p>The Australian Men’s Basketball Team was playing against Argentina in Argentina in 1989. The Argentine Coach was being given tremendous liberties by the local officials and was continually running out on the court and was coaching most of the time some two or three metres on the court in front of their bench. The Australian Team and the Australian Coach Adrian Hurley were sick of the whole scenario. Coach Hurley subbed Mike MacKay into the game. As he walked past Hurley, MacKay winked and said “I can fix this”. The next play on a fast-break down the court Mackay raced down the sideline calling for the ball and somehow barrelled into the Argentine Coach. The Argentines were ropable and the referees flummoxed. MacKay apologised and told the referees it was an accident and what was the Coach doing out on the floor anyway? It was another clear demonstration of the no nonsense play of Mike Mackay.</p>

HTML <p>Michael George “Mike” McKay was born October 15th 1965 in Adelaide South Australia.He started playing basketball at the age of five or six. His two older brothers both played and he filled in one game when they were short of players and it all started from there. There was many a battle out on the driveway playing one on one, but as he started to grow and develop his game it soon turned into a two on one battle. “I certainly learned how to play hard and not take a backward step because of those days” Mike recalls.</p>

HTML <p>Mikestarted playing at the local recreation centre and then decided to go out and train with his middle brother’s Club, West Adelaide. He started in the Under 14’s at West Adelaide and stayed at the Club for his whole junior career. Along the way he represented South Australia (SA) in State Teams from Under 16’s through to Under 20’s and winning a National Championships in Under 18’s in 1982 when SA defeated Victoria in the final 104-80 in Canberra.</p>

HTML <p>He started training with the West Adelaide National Basketball League (NBL) senior men’s team in 1982 when he was seventeen years of age. “I was very fortunate back in those days that I had three of the greatest players ever to play in Australia on that team and I was able to learn so much from them by having to train against them. They were Ken Richardson, Leroy Loggings and Al Green,” says Mike.</p>

HTML <p>Mike continues. “I got my big break into the NBL in 1983 when Ken Cole was appointed coach of West Adelaide. He always told me that he saw something special in me, and if I worked hard and continued to improve my game I could go on and represent my country, if that was something that I wanted to do. I told him it was as it was always a dream of mine to go to the Olympics. So the hard work began. I would have to say that Ken Cole was the biggest influence on my career, but there have been many others along the way that I have learnt so much from.”</p>

HTML <p>Mike’s NBL career had started, and in 1983 and 1984 he played for the West Adelaide Bearcats in the NBL. In 1984 Mike was also selected to the Australian Junior Men’s Team to tour the Philippines. </p>

HTML <p>In 1985 the Adelaide 36ers team was formed, Ken Cole was appointed coach and Mike was selected into the program. In that year he won the NBL Rookie of the Year award and in 1986 was a member of the team that went on to win the NBL Championship. </p>

HTML <p>Mike played for Adelaide until 1995. From there he went on to play for the Brisbane Bullets 1996/97, Canberra Cannons 1998/99 and Wollongong Hawks 1999/00.</p>

HTML <p>Early in his career Mike had developed physically into a 193cm tall, 92kgs shooting guard with the ability to play the shooting guard or small forward positions. His outside shooting and tough drives to the basket had earned respect all around the NBL as had his tough-no-nonsense defence and ability to rebound against bigger players. Certainly his early days in basketball had made him a very much admired player by his team-mates and coaches.</p>

HTML <p>Mike made the National Senior Men’s Team Squad in 1987. This was a “boom time” for basketball in Australia and Mike was right on the cusp of making the 1988 Seoul Olympic team but just missed out as he was a relatively newcomer to the Squad, but his time would come.</p>

HTML <p>His debut for the Australian Men’s Team (Boomers) came in 1989 when they played the touring Kareem Abdul Jabaar All Stars. He was also a member of the Boomers team that won the Oceania 1990 World Championship Qualification Tournament. Later that year Mike played with the Boomers on their eleven game tour of the USA and Argentina.</p>

HTML <p>“Mike had made great progress over the past year or so and impressed me with his toughness, combativeness, defence and shooting ability,” remembers Australian Coach Dr Adrian Hurley. </p>

HTML <p>In 1990 Mike played against the NBL All Stars and was then chosen to play for the Boomers in the Goodwill Games in Seattle and the World Championships in Argentina. Mike had the important role on the team of backing Phil Smyth and Andrew Gaze, playing the small forward at times and being a defensive “stopper.” The Boomers played well in the Goodwill Games and then gained a very credible 7th in the World Championships. </p>

HTML <p>Mike played against touring Italian Club Fortitudo-Bologna in 1991, was on the Boomers team that won the Oceania 1992 Olympic Qualification Tournament and toured Europe at the end of the year. Early in 1992 the Boomers played the touring Chinese National Team after which Mike was chosen on the Boomers team for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. The Boomers had a less than ideal preparation but played a number of domestic All Star teams and three games against the South West All Stars before departing for Barcelona on the Sunday before the Games. </p>

HTML <p>Mike recalls. “Those were some of my greatest times playing basketball. The experience of walking into an Olympic Stadium for the Opening Ceremony is something very hard to describe, but it’s something I will never forget. The whole team and coaching staff got on well together and we had a lot of fun both on and off the court.” The Boomers played very well and secured 6th position in the Olympics, the second best result to that time in their Olympic history.</p>

HTML <p>At this stage of his career Mike was an integral part of the Boomers, primarily as a back-up player for Andrew Gazeand Andrew Vlahov, but also as someone who could get on the court and fire-up the team with his outside shooting an excellent “zone-breaker” skills.</p>

HTML <p>The Boomers played a series against Russia in 1993 and Mike was a team member. He then played with the Boomers on a nine match tour of the USA to round out the year.</p>

HTML <p>After games at home for the Boomers against Marathon Oil, George Washington University and domestic All Star teams in 1994 Mike was chosen on the Boomers team for the 1994 World Championships in Canada.</p>

HTML <p>The Boomers played great basketball in Canada and finished in 5th position their equal best result at a World Championships.</p>

HTML <p>Mike’s international career for the Boomers concluded in the 1995 season when he played his last games for the Boomers against the Magic Johnson All Stars. He was thirty years of age</p>

HTML <p>His NBL career came to an end after 2000 season. He had played in the NBL for eighteen years and played 448 NBL games. In his career at Adelaide he finished with the all time statistics of 3rd in games played (290), 4th in field goal attempts (3,475), 3rdin three point baskets made (446),2ndin defensive assists (141), and 7th in defensive rebounds (712).</p>

HTML <p>From the NBL Mike went to the Mildura Mavericks in the SEABL to be Assistant Coach and player. After one year he returned to Adelaide and continued playing for North Adelaide Basketball Club for a further five years in the ABL competition. When he decided to hang up his playing boots at age forty he stepped into a coaching role at North Adelaide. He coached the Under 18 girl’s program for a number of years. In 2006 he was asked to be Assistant Coach for the North Adelaide senior women’s team and in 2007 he took over as Head Coach until 2010.</p>

HTML <p>Mike remarks, “Looking back my career I was fortunate to have a career as a basketball player in the NBL and National Teams. There were a lot of sacrifices made along the way both by myself and my family and because of the support I received I was able to achieve my goals and fulfil my dreams”.</p>

HTML <p>His former Adelaide Coach Ken Cole sums up the career of Mike McKay. “Mike was one of the most explosive &quot;sixth men&quot; ever in Australian basketball.&#160; He was tough and disciplined and as competitive as anyone I coached.&#160; He was a brilliant game changing talent!”</p>

HTML <p>Mike McKay on the fast break in the NBL (Courtesy National Library Australia)</p>

HTML <p>Mike McKay blocks a Russian opponent (Courtesy Basketball Australia/Sport the Library)</p>

HTML <p>Mike McKay in action for Australia (Courtesy of Basketball Australia)</p>