Indigenous Basketball Australia (IBA) has announced the inaugural Indigenous men's All Stars team, which will compete against Sacramento State's NCAA D1 team on Tuesday, 11 June, at Logan Basketball Stadium, Shailer Park, Brisbane.
The IBA All Stars team features NBL and NBL1 Indigenous players from across Australia, including William Davo Hickey, Biwali Bayles, Kobe McDowell-White, and Nathan Jawai.
Fans will see the skills of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players and how they stack up against the American collegiate athletes.
IBA has partnered with Basketball Queensland, National Basketball League, Bunyarra Wellbeing Co, Logan Basketball, Telstra, Fleet Crew, Spalding, SUPERBOOST, Blackmores, AOC, Team Mills, and Coonamble Aboriginal Health Service to host this event.
A curtain-raiser match between Queensland's U18 IBA/BQIPP Indigenous Girls Team and Logan Thunder Girls Team will start at 5pm and be streamed live on Indigenous Basketball Australia's Facebook page.
The All Stars vs Sacramento State game will begin at 7pm.
Naghiralgal, Meriam and Daureb man and IBA Director Benny Mills, expressed his enthusiasm about the inaugural event and support from partners.
"This event is more than just a game; it's a celebration of our culture and a platform to showcase the incredible talent within our communities," he said.
"We're thrilled to partner with the NBL to bring this vision to life."
This event is part of IBA's program to showcase Indigenous basketball talent and introduce the Sacramento State team to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.
The program will include traditional ceremonies, cultural performances, and educational activities.
NBL CEO Dave Stephenson added, "The NBL is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in sports."
"Partnering with IBA for the Indigenous All Star Game is an important initiative that aligns with our values and goals."
"We look forward to a successful event that will inspire, educate and unite communities."
Tickets to the Indigenous All Stars vs Sacramento State Game are available by a gold coin donation.