Basketball in Australia has come a long way in the last 35 years. Bull’s center and 3-time NBA champion Luc Longley was the first Australian born player drafted in 1991, paving the way for a talented cohort of Australians who’ve followed in his footsteps.
In fact, 30% of NBA teams today have at least one Australian on their roster. Good on ya, Australia!
Below we recap the best Australian-born basketball players and their best card(s).
Luc Longley
Born in Melbourne, Luc Longley is the godfather of Australian basketball. Most recognized for his time playing along side Michael Jordan during the Bull’s 1996-98 NBA championship 3-peat.
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1991 Skybox Luc Longley Rookie Card #519 | Card Ladder
Longley rookies and inserts are very affordable, generally speaking. However, he has one insert that is by far the crown jewel for Longley fans and 90s basketball collectors. I am, of course, referring to the 1997 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems (PMG) #18.
1997 Metal Universe Luc Longley Precious Metal Gems #18 (/100) | Card Ladder
A PSA 6 copy sold in May, 2025 for $3,250 and an ungraded copy sold in 2023 for $3K. Despite there being 10 copies in Emerald, my money is on the Ruby serial number 13/100 as the most valuable as it would be both a color and jersey number match.
Andrew Bogut
Another big man born in Melbourne, Andrew Bogut was the first overall pick in 2005, and the first ever Australian drafted #1. Bogut’s biggest accomplishments in the NBA include making the All-Rookie First Team, leading the NBA in blocks in 2011, and winning a championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2015.
The highest selling Bogut card was a 2005-06 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Rainbow Rookie (1/1) which sold for $2.7K in April, 2024.
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2005 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Andrew Bogut Rainbow Rookie Card #43 (1/1) | Card Ladder
With Bogut you have a few decent rookie options, including an Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Limited Logos Autograph Patch rookie (/50), but one great non-rookie options of him as a Warrior is the 2012-13 Panini Gold Prizm (/10) #43 which was Bogut’s first year as a Warrior and the first year of Prizm Basketball.
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2012 Panini Prizm Gold Andrew Bogut #43 (/10) | Card Ladder
Patty Mills
Born and raised in Canberra, Patty Mills was drafted by the Trail Blazers in the 2nd Round of the 2009 NBA Draft. Despite being a deep pick in the NBA draft, this sharp shooting guard helped the Spurs win a championship in 2014. Mills also brought his A-game to the Men’s Olympic basketball stage and is the 5th highest scorer all-time in Olympic men’s basketball.
2021 Tyson Beck Exclusive Rose Gold Green Autograph Patty Mills (/30) | Card Ladder
The highest selling Patty Mills card is an ungraded 2021 Tyson Beck Exclusive “Rose Gold” Green Autograph (/30) which sold for $650 in August 2023. His highest selling rookie card is a 2009 Panini Prestige Draft Picks Autograph (/699) which sold for $439 in March, 2023.
2009 Panini Prestige Draft Picks Patty Mills Rookie Autograph #252 (/699) | Card Ladder
Kyrie Irving
You may be surprised to see Kyrie’s name on this list, but Uncle Drew was born in Melbourne and moved to the US when he was two. He reps Team USA in the Olympics but he holds dual US and Australian citizenship.
Irving, the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, is the most decorated player on this list. His career highlights include winning Rookie of the Year in 2012, the NBA 3-Point Contest in 2013, USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year in 2014, and both a Gold Medal with Team USA and an NBA Championship with Cleveland in 2016. He’s also a 9-time NBA All-Star.
2012-13 Panini Prizm Gold Kyrie Irving Rookie Card #201 (/10) | Card Ladder
Kyrie has some monster cards out there. The highest selling Kyrie card is a BGS Pristine Black Label 2012-13 Panini Prizm Gold Rookie card #201 (/10), which sold for $194.4K back in 2021. Gold Prizms aside, his next highest selling card was a 2012 National Treasures Jersey Patch Autograph Gold Rookie card #101 (/5) which sold for $22K, also in 2021.
2012-13 National Treasures Gold Kyrie Irving Rookie Patch Autograph #101 (/5) | Card Ladder
Ben Simmons
Ohhhh Ben Simmons. Where do we even begin…
Simmons is the third #1 pick hailing from Melbourne. The guard/forward was selected first overall in the 2016 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 3-time All Star is known for his elite passing and defensive prowess. By all accounts he looked to have the right stuff to become the superstar Philly expected him to become. But the combination of the 2021 playoffs, which crushed his confidence, plus a series of injuries has Simmons looking like a shadow of his former self.
2016 Exquisite Collection Ben Simmons Autograph Rookie card (/99) | Card Ladder
Career highlights for Simmons include winning NBA Rookie of the Year and leading the league in steals in 2020. But lowlights include his collapse in the 2021 postseason, where he beat out both Shaq and Wilt for worst free-throw shooter in postseason history hitting just 34% from the stripe.
A few unfortunate souls got in on Simmons cards during his early days, with the priciest card, a 2016 Exquisite Autograph Rookie card (/99) selling for $22K back in 2017. Looking at recent sales, no card since 2024 has exceeded $6K. The highest seller in the last 2 years was a PSA 9 Panini On The Horizon (1/1) that sold for $5,989 in February, 2024.
2020 Panini Ben Simmons On The Horizon Green (1/1) | Card Ladder
Australia’s talent pipeline isn’t slowing down, in fact it may be getting stronger. The next wave, headlined by players like Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels, could help redefine the country’s impact on the NBA.
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