Previously we profiled the 29 Kiwi men and women playing professionally in the Australian leagues (Aussie NBL and WNBL). Now we turn our attention to those who played their professional basketball outside of Australasia; from Japan to Serbia, the Philippines to Germany.
Over the course of the 2023 calendar year, 22 Kiwi men and 6 women suited up in these regions. Across Asia we’ve seen a record nine Kiwi ballers in the professional setting, including four in the Philippines, three in Japan and two in China – the latter both in the 3×3 discipline.
The United States – traditionally the domain of Steven Adams in the NBA – has seen New Zealand-born Mojave King added to its ranks, with the 21-year-old drafted 47th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft. In Europe and Africa, 12 Kiwi men & 5 women have appeared in these regions in 2023; including trios of Kiwi ballers across Germany, Finland and England.
ASIA
Jayden Bezzant (China)
Bezzant played one game for NZ Breakers in the 2022-23 ANBL season. He then returned for a second Sal’s NBL season with the Franklin Bulls ,where he played all 20 games – averaging 6.8ppg & 2.7apg. Most recently, Bezzant has been playing 3×3 basketball in China.
Isaac Fotu (Utsunomiya Brex, Japan)
Fotu is a Tall Blacks mainstay, donning the black jersey at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and playing in 11 games for the Tall Blacks in the 2023 calendar year. Following the World Cup, Fotu returned to Japan where he is in his third season with Utsunomiya Brex in the B League, currently averaging 12.1ppg & 6.6rpg.
Patrick Maagdenberg (Fiber Xers, Philippines)
Originally from Auckland’s Liston College, 6’5” Maagdenberg has been based in the Philippines for the past several years – where he was a Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles player. In October this year he was drafted into the PBA (Philippines Basketball Association) by the signed 30th overall by the Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots, but subsequently signed with the Converge FiberXers alongside fellow Kiwi Tom Vodanovich.
Tsubasa Nisbett (Mitsubishi Koalas, Japan)
Nisbett began 2023 playing for Darwin Salties in NBL1 North, before re-joining Mainland Pouākai for the GJ Gardner Tauihi Aotearoa Basketball season. She also played for the 3×3 Tall Ferns at the FIBA 3×3 U23 Nation League in China in June. The Christchurch local is currently playing for Mitsubishi Koalas in the WJBL, which is the top Japanese league.
Richie Rodger (NLEX Road Warriors, Philippines)
Following his 2023 season in the Sal’s NBL – where he averaged 6.1ppg & 3.2apg with the Taranaki Airs – Rodger was drafted seventh overall by NLEX Road Warriors in the PBA draft; the guard previously playing in the Philippines on a basketball scholarship at University of the East (2019-20).
Rodger also made a pair of Tall Black appearances in February and was a member of the 3×3 Tall Blacks that travelled to the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup in March.
Taane Samuel (Okayama Try Hoop, Japan)
A former Scots College product, Samuel played in the Sal’s NBL earlier this year for the Wellington Saints – tallying 12.7ppg & 4.4rpg across 17 games. Following this, we connected with the Okayama Try Hoop team in the Japan B3 League.
Tom Vodanovich (Fiber Xers, Philippines)
Vodanovich is currently playing in the PBA, where he is averaging 20ppg & 9rpg for Fiber Xers. Prior to the PBA, Vodanovich played all 19 games for the Wellington Saints in the Sal’s NBL – averaging 16ppg & 7rpg and earlier this year was a member of the NZ Breakers team, that went all the way to the Australian NBL Grand Finals.
Kenneth Tuffin (Phoenix Fuels, Philippines)
Tuffin played all 19 games for the Wellington Saints in the 2023 Sal’s NBL, his third season with the club. Following this, he headed to the Philippines – where he had previously spent four years on a basketball scholarship (2016-2019) – to link up with the Phoenix Fuels.
Tai Wynyard (3×3 China)
Wynyard played for the bronze medal-winning 3×3 Tall Blacks at the 2023 FIBA Asia Cup in Singapore in March. He went on to win the MVP Award in the Chinese 3×3 Super League, after leading the Shanghai Sharks to the championship.
In the 5-on-5 setting, Wynyard played the first seven games of the 2023 Sal’s NBL season for the Rams before departing for China, leading the Rams scoring (19.1ppg) and rebounding (10.7rpg) at that stage.
USA
Steven Adams (Memphis Grizzlies, NBA)
Rotorua-born Adams is expected to miss the entire 2023-24 NBA season for the Memphis Grizzles, after undergoing surgery.
In the 2022-23 season, his tenth season in the NBA, Adams averaged 8.6ppg and a career-high 11.5rpg – earning praise as arguably the strongest player in the NBA and one of its biggest personalities.
Mojave King (Indiana Mad Ants, NBA G League)
King makes this list due to being born in New Zealand; the 21-year-old guard living in Dunedin until 2007 when he moved to Queensland at age four. King attended Brisbane State High School before joining the NBA Global Academy in 2019, then represented Queensland South at the Australian U18 Champs later that year.
King was selected with the 47th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, his draft rights traded to the Indiana Pacers. He subsequently played for the Pacers in Summer League, then joined the Indiana Mad Ants – the Pacers’ NBA G League affiliate – averaging 8.1 PPG and 4.7 REB across 18 games.
Europe & Africa – Men
Yuat Alok (Enosis Neon Paralimni, Cyprus League)
Alok is currently playing in the Cyprus League for the Enosis Neon Paralimni club, with the 6’11” forward averaging 11ppg and 5.4ppg this season. A Breakers Development player in 2014-15 while at Rangitoto College, Alok went to the United States for his final high school year. He has attended a number of American universities including Texas Christian, Coppin State and finally New Mexico State for his senior year in 2021-22.
Joe Cook-Green (KK Metalac, Serbia)
Cook-Green is currently playing for the KK Metalac club in the Serbian League. Earlier in the year, he enjoyed a prolific season for Kalamunda Eastern Suns in the 2023 Australian NBL1 West League where he averaged 24ppg , 5.5rpg and 5.2apg per game.
Isaac Davidson (Lokoko Bisons, Finland)
Davidson played one game for the NZ Breakers in the 2022-23 Australian NBL season, before linking up with the Franklin Bulls for a fourth Sal’s NBL season – averaged 11.8ppg and 5.5rpg for the Bulls. Davidson is currently playing in the Finnish League for Lokoko Bisons.
Finn Delany (Bonn, Germany)
Delany linked up with Bonn in Germany for the 2022-23 European season, helping the club claim the European Champions League crown in their first-ever appearance in the competition.
At the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Delany was New Zealand’s equal highest scorer (16.4ppg) alongside Reuben Te Rangi. Following this he returned to the BNZ Breakers for the 2023-24 Australian NBL season, averaging 10ppg & 42.rpg.
Taki Fahrensohn (Jena City, Germany)
Earlier in 2023, Fahrensohn suited up for Medipolis SC Jena in the German ProA League, his 2nd season in Germany after playing for Ehingen club in 2021-22.
Fahrensohn also made headlines after earning the Men’s MVP trophy at the 3×3 Trans-Tasman International Series; the 24-year-old leading the 3×3 Tall Blacks in scoring (7ppg) & rebounds (4.1rpg) while hitting a Series-high 15 shots from outside the arc.
Matt Freeman (CSU Craiova, Romania)
After playing the previous three European seasons in the German ProA League, Freeman is suiting up in Romania for CSU Craiova for the 2023-24 season. Freeman was also a Franklin Bulls player in the 2023 Sal’s NBL, although injury restricted him to just 10 games.
Jordan Hunt (Surrey Scorchers, England)
Hunt is currently playing for Surrey Scorchers in the British Basketball League (BBL). Earlier in the year he played his third season with the Hawkes Bay Hawks in the 2023 Sal’s NBL, averaged 10.8ppg and 5.2rpgs.
Brayden Inger (Hemel Storm, England)
Inger is currently playing for Hemel Storm, the reigning English National Basketball League Champions. Prior to this, he averaged 10ppg and 4.5rpg across 15 games for the Southland Sharks in the 2023 Sal’s NBL season.
James Moors (LWD Basket Leeuwarden, Netherlands)
Moors graduated from Colorado State University and then linked with Brisbane Capitals, where he averaged 14 points per game in NBL1 North. He is playing the 2023-24 European season for Dutch club LWD Basket Leeuwarden.
Jordan Ngatai (Pyrintö Basket, Finland)
Ngatai recently signed for the Pyrintö club in the Finnish League. Before this, he played all 19 games for the Hawkes Bay Hawks in the 2023 Sal’s NBL – averaged 16.8ppg. Ngatai was a member of the Tall Blacks 2023 FIBA World Cup team, one of only three players to appear in all 13 Tall Blacks games in the 2023 calendar year.
Corey Webster (Al Alhy, Egypt)
In February this year, Webster joined KK Mornar Bar of the Montenegrin League for the rest of the 2022–23 season. He returned to Egypt in April and joined Al Ahly – helping them to win the Basketball Africa League championship for the 2023 season, and scoring 13 points in the 80–65 win over Douanes in the final.
Following this, Webster joined the Canterbury Rams in the Sal’s NBL and won his fourth NZNBL championship.
Yanni Wetzell (ALBA Berlin, Germany)
Wetzell averaged 8.4ppg and 5.2rpg for the Tall Blacks at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, playing 5 games for New Zealand in the 2023 calendar year – his first ever national team appearance.
Following this he returned to ALBA Berlin for 2023-24 season, having averaged 9.3ppg in 31 appearances for the German League runners-up in the 2022-23 season.
Europe & Africa – Women
Tegan Graham (Sodertalje BBK, Sweden)
Graham is currently playing for Sodertalje BBK in the Swedish League, after returning to top level basketball with the Tokomanawa Queens for the 2023 Tauihi Aotearoa Basketball season.
Graham took a year off in 2022 after an outstanding 5-year American collegiate career, playing three years at Colgate University and a further two years at Brigham Young University. She made 153 NCAA Division I appearances – the most games by a Kiwi (male or female) at the Division I level.
Jillian Harmon (Basket Landes, France)
Former Tall Fern Jillian Harmon played for the Landes club in 2022-23 – her second season playing in the French League – where she helped her team win the French Women’s Basketball Cup a.k.a. the Coupe de France in April.
Tera Reed (Pyrinto, Finland)
Reed has enjoyed a busy year of basketball, playing the 2022-23 European season in Finland where she averaged 20.4ppg and 9.3rpg for the Pyrinto club – including a remarkable game in February where she scored 48 points in a 96-82 win against FOA, in what is believed to be the highest individual score by a Kiwi in a women’s professional game.
Reed then suited up for the Tall Ferns at the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup in July – helping New Zealand to finish in fourth place – before joining the Northern Kahu in the 2023 Tauihi league; averaging 18.3ppg and 7.8rpg as part of the championship-winning team squad.
Zoe Richards (Contern, Luxemburg)
Richards averaged 12.1ppg and 9.7rpg for the Contern Club in the Luxemburg National League in 2022-23 season. She then enjoyed an outstanding season for Southern Hoiho, averaging 16.6ppg and 9.3rpg to earn the Tauihi Most Improved Player Award – and a spot on the Tall Ferns extended roster.
Gracie Roberts-Hare (Triple Threat, Holland)
In the 2022-23 European season, Roberts-Hare played 27 games for Triple Threat (Dutch League semi-finalists) averaging 5ppg and 3rpg – her fourth season playing in Holland. The Nelson-born guard returned to New Zealand to play for Southern Hoiho in the 2023 Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa, her first appearances in New Zealand since taking up a basketball scholarship in the States in 2015.
Amy West (Oaklands Wolves, England)
Like Jade Kirisome, West completed her American collegiate career with St Mary’s College Gaels earlier this year. The former Tall Ferns forward then signed with Whai for the 2023 Tauihi Aotearoa Basketball season – again linking up with Kirisome – and is currently playing for Oaklands Wolves in the British WBBL.
