The best basketball tips from Aussie basketball pros!

Do you know your daggers from your wedgies? Does your heart beat faster when you hear the names Michael Jordan or LeBron James? Or did your basketball era peak at Five’s “Slam Dunk Da Funk” and stay there?

After months of interest checks and hard work by our Basketball Committee, ANZA Basketball launched in April, bringing one of the world’s fastest-growing sports to our community’s ever-growing portfolio of sports and activities.

FIBA Asian Cup 2026 Photo: instagram.com/fiba

Taking place on Saturday mornings at Nexus International School’s indoor courts, the group is open to all ages, from U8 through to U16, and to adults who want to play socially, stay fit or just switch up their weekends with a new hobby.

Sessions are led by professional coaches, with support and sideline cheering from excited parents. The setup is deliberately inclusive and all ability levels are welcome. You don’t need to have played before or be particularly sporty; you just need to show up.

“Basketball is a place where you can find community”

Why basketball, why now?

Basketball has had a remarkable rise globally over the past decade. The NBA’s international reach has turned a generation of kids around the globe into fans. Indeed, hoops fever gripped OCBC Square at The Kallang in Singapore in April, with New Zealand’s men’s squad going unbeaten at the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup – storming to gold in the final – and qualifying for the FIBA 3×3 World Cup.

For younger players, the benefits of playing basketball go beyond fitness. The game builds coordination, quick thinking and the ability to read a situation fast – all skills that translate beyond the court. It’s also a fantastic team game. Learning to pass, trust your teammates and communicate under pressure are key character-building qualities.

For adults, basketball is an exercise that doesn’t have to feel like a chore, and it’s big on variety. Whether you opt for a 3×3 half-court game or a full 5×5 match, a skills session or a weekly pick-up game, there’s plenty to keep it interesting.

As Aezra, 8, an ANZA Basketball newbie tells us: “I wanted to learn something new and try basketball. So far I’ve learned six types of dribbling, and I like the different drills and games, and making new friends. Playing matches with my team is my favourite part. ANZA gave everyone a basketball so I also practise at home.” 

Pro Tips, Straight from the Source

Insights and game-play advice from the New Zealand 3×3 Tall Blacks, exclusively for ANZA!

Te Tuhi Lewis

You’ve got 30 seconds to sell basketball. Go! Basketball is a high-intensity game where you combine many different skills – dribbling, shooting, passing and other ball skills. Then there’s physical fitness: running, jumping and moving laterally. All of that, along with teamwork and IQ, makes a beautiful game where you’re trying to score points into the opposition’s hoop.

What’s the secret to shooting hoops? If you’re off-balance, it’s never going to go right. You need to activate strength from your legs through to your hips, core and shoulders, all the way up through your arms, into your fingertips and right into the ball.

What’s your advice for parents deciding between basketball and other sports for their child? Growing up, the biggest thing for a child is to have fun in what they do. As a parent, you can’t force it. If a child chooses basketball, the best thing you can do is support them.

What are the biggest basketball benefits for kids? Basketball is a place where you can find community. Through playing the game, I’ve got to know a lot of people and made a lot of friends. It’s also great for building general life skills, like discipline. If you really want to be good at basketball, it takes a lot of discipline.

Josh Book

If someone is brand new to basketball, what’s the most important thing to get right? No matter what level you’re at – beginner, intermediate, expert, pro – the fundamentals are crucial to your overall skill development and everything you do. If you have a good base of fundamentals, you can learn more advanced moves. Getting them right early is the most important thing.

What bad habit do you see beginners picking up? Dribbling with their head down which is really natural, but you need to keep your head up. You’re going to make a lot of mistakes to start with, but that’s the only way to improve.

Aidan Tonge

How important is fitness in basketball? The game requires a lot of continuous movement and constant effort. There aren’t many moments where you get a break, and it moves really fast, so fitness is crucial to make sure you can handle the pace and perform as well as possible.

How does the mental side of basketball show up? It’s very much part of the sport. The more you practice, the more mentally strong you become to handle whatever comes at you.

New Zealand and Australia boast some epic basketball talent. Why is this? Tenacity. We’re very habitual, focused, task-oriented people. We meet challenges head-on and there’s a lot of power in that.

New Zealand 3×3 Tall Blacks photos: instagram.com/fiba3x3 and  fiba3x3.basketball/2026/asiacup