Personal information | |
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Born |
Adelaide, South Australia |
17 April 1973
Nationality | Australian |
Listed height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) |
Listed weight | 82 kg (180 lb) |
Career information | |
Playing career | 1992–2009 |
Position | Point guard / Shooting guard |
Number | 5 |
Career history | |
1992–2009 | Adelaide 36ers |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Brett Steven Maher (born 17 April 1973) is a retired Australian basketball player who played his entire career for the Adelaide 36ers in the NBL from 1992-2009. Maher also represented Australia at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympic Games, as well as at the 1998 FIBA World Championship.
Maher gained his highest international basketball honour when he captained the Boomers at the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane.
Born in Adelaide, South Australia, Maher was spotted playing for the Sturt Sabres in the Australian Basketball Association where his outstanding form saw him earn a contract with the Adelaide 36ers. He took up an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship between 1989-1991. It turned out to be a great pickup for the 36ers as he would spend eighteen seasons with the club, thirteen as club captain. Including finals games, Maher played 526 games for the 36ers between 1992 and 2009, averaging 16.9 points, 4.2 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. He made his debut for the 36ers on 4 April 1992, the same night as the opening of the 36ers new home the Clipsal Powerhouse. On the night Maher scored 11 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and handed out 4 assists to help the team to a 106-84 win over the North Melbourne Giants.
By 1994, Maher was regarded as one of the NBL's best guards and with the addition of the leagues 1993 MVP Robert Rose to the 36ers roster, the team, now coached by former NCAA coach Mike Dunlap, would make its first Grand Final in eight years. Unfortunately for Maher and the 36ers they were defeated 2-0 in the Grand Final series by the North Melbourne Giants. He averaged 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists over the series while averaging 13.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists over the season. Game 2 of the Grand Final at The Glass House in Melbourne was the only game in his career that Maher would ever foul out of.