By BACT Media Unit – 16 April 2024

Basketball ACT’s extensive family came together on Saturday 13 April to celebrate 75 years of the game in the ACT, the connections made -on and off court, and the memories forged over the love of basketball.

Held at the Canberra Southern Cross Club in Woden, the 75th Anniversary Reunion Dinner saw former players, coaches, administrators, club officials, referees, families and friends gather from across many decades, come together to listen to stories of the early years of the game, hear from the characters who built the game and reminisce about the ups and downs of many a season.

Hosted by Joe Gleason from the UC Capitals, a huge crowd in attendance heard from a star-studded panel, which featured Life Members – Ian Ellis, Allan Yates, Ron Harvey, Natalie Hurst, Marlene Leonard, as well as WNBL referee Jack Taylor, former Capitals Coach, Carrie Graf, current Sydney Kings star Alex Toohey and current Cairns Taipans star Bul Kuol.

Weaved throughout the discussion panels, Basketball ACT presented Life Member Awards to Allan Yates and Bruce Minerds (Kelly Grandin was at the U18 National Championships in Brisbane, Qld), as well as Outstanding Service Awards to Sean Bradbury from Dodgers and Darren Stephenson from Marist College.

The 75th Anniversary Reunion Dinner was an excellent opportunity for guests from across the decades to mingle and share memories about basketball, and how the game has changed.

Congratulations to our sport on celebrating an amazing milestone, and thank you to every person who has ever dribbled a ball, hit the court, made a lay-up, coached a team, volunteered to help their club, blew a whistle, marked a stat, driven to a tournament, washed a uniform and made basketball THEIR sport over the last 75 years in Canberra. We look forward to continuing to spread the game of basketball for many decades to come.