David Cooper (basketball)

David Cooper

Personal information
Born	(1976-10-15) 15 October 1976 (age 48) Toowoomba, Queensland
Nationality	Australian
Listed height	206 cm (6 ft 9 in)
Listed weight	95 kg (209 lb)
Career information
High school	Gympie State (Gympie, Queensland)
Playing career	2000–2011
Position	Centre / power forward
Coaching career	2012–present
Career history
As player:
2000–2002	Brisbane Bullets
2002	Dandenong Rangers
2002–2003	Victoria Giants
2003–2005	Manawatu Jets
2003–2004	Cairns Taipans
2004–2010	Adelaide 36ers
2006–2011	Norwood Flames
2009	Hawke's Bay Hawks
As coach:
2012	Norwood Flames (asst.)
2013–2016	Norwood Flames
Career highlights and awards
As player: NZNBL MVP (2003) NZNBL Most Outstanding Forward (2003) NZNBL All-Star Five (2003) 2× NZNBL rebounding champion (2004, 2005) 2× Central ABL champion (2008, 2009) 2× Central ABL Best Defensive Player (2006, 2007) 2× Central ABL All-Star Five (2006, 2007) As coach: Central ABL Coach of the Year (2014)

David Cooper (born 15 October 1976) is an Australian former professional basketball player who played the majority of his career in the Australian National Basketball League (ANBL). He also played in the New Zealand NBL and the South Australian State League.

Playing career

Born in Toowoomba, Queensland, Cooper began his ANBL career in 2000 with the Brisbane Bullets. After two seasons playing for the Bullets, he joined the Victoria Giants for the 2002–03 NBL season. Following the 2002–03 season, Cooper moved to New Zealand where he joined the Manawatu Jets for the 2003 New Zealand NBL season. He went on to earn league MVP honours that year, while also garnering Most Outstanding Forward and All-Star Five honours.[1]

For the 2003–04 NBL season, Cooper joined the Cairns Taipans. In 35 games for the Taipans, he averaged 5.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game.[2] He re-joined the Manawatu Jets for the 2004 New Zealand NBL season and won the Garry Pettis Memorial Trophy for leading the league in rebounding.[3]

For the 2004–05 NBL season, Cooper joined the Adelaide 36ers, the team he continued to play for until 2010 when he retired from the league following the 2009–10 NBL season. In 293 ANBL games over 10 seasons, he averaged 5.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.1 blocks per game.[2]

Cooper also played two more years in the New Zealand NBL (2005 with Manawatu, and 2009 with the Hawke's Bay Hawks),[4] and spent six years playing in the South Australian State League for the Norwood Flames between 2006 and 2011.[5]

Coaching career

In 2012, Cooper became an assistant coach for the Norwood Flames.[6] He became head coach the following year, winning Central ABL Coach of the Year honours in 2014.[7]

References

1. "2003 National Basketball League". Basketball.org.nz. Archived from the original on 14 January 2015.
2. "Player statistics for David Cooper – NBL". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
3. "2004 National Basketball League". Basketball.org.nz. Archived from the original on 14 January 2015.
4. "DAVID COOPER JOINS THE HAWKS". FoxSportsPulse.com. 21 May 2009. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
5. "Player statistics for David Cooper – Central ABL". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
6. "2012 Central ABL Team Lists". SportingPulse.com. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
7. "Starling, Lewis toast of the town". BotiNagy.com. 24 August 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2016.

External links

• ANBL player profile