Lamar Patterson on His NBL Career, Playing in India, and his chances of returning to the NBL

Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast

Lamar Patterson joins the podcast to talk through the highs, lows, and wild turns of a pro career that’s taken him from Pittsburgh to the NBA, NBL, China, Puerto Rico, and most recently, India.

Patterson opens up about his time in India’s pro league, his rollercoaster ride with the Brisbane Bullets, and why things unravelled during his stint with the New Zealand Breakers. He also shares how close he came to signing NBL deals in each of the past two seasons, what’s kept him motivated off the radar, and why he still hopes to return to the league that made him a fan favourite.

Topics include:

🏀 Competing in India’s national league (iNBL) and how the opportunity came about (2:00) 🏀 How close he came to signing with both Adelaide and South East Melbourne last NBL season (8:00) 🏀 Growing up in Pennsylvania and why he chose to play college ball at the University of Pittsburgh (13:00) 🏀 His thoughts on the positives and drawbacks of the AAU basketball system in the U.S. (21:00) 🏀 Career highlights from college and key development moments (26:00) 🏀 Playing alongside Kiwi big man Steven Adams—and some hilarious behind-the-scenes stories (27:00) 🏀 When NBA teams started to take notice and how the draft process unfolded (31:00) 🏀 Being selected in the second round and heading to Turkey instead of directly to the NBA (34:00) 🏀 Playing for the Atlanta Hawks and life in the NBA (43:00) 🏀 How his journey led him to the NBL and signing with the Brisbane Bullets (102:00) 🏀 His time with Brisbane—being the focal point, dealing with injuries, and battling through setbacks (110:00) 🏀 Leaving Brisbane for New Zealand, what went wrong with the Breakers, and how he ended up returning (118:00) 🏀 What it was like when coach Andrej Lemanis parted ways with the Bullets (125:00) 🏀 Reflecting on how his NBL career wrapped up and where things currently stand (133:00) 🏀 The toughest moments of his career and the biggest lessons he's taken from them (138:00)

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Head to Aussie Hoopla to check out previous podcasts featuring:

• Australian Basketball Legends: Luc Longley, Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Mark Bradtke, David Andersen, Andrew Vlahov, Phil Smyth, CJ Bruton, Chris Anstey, Brett Maher, Sam MacKinnon, John Rillie, Tony Ronaldson, Damian Martin, Brad Newley
• Current NBL Stars: Bryce Cotton, Chris Goulding, Xavier Cooks, Tyler Harvey, Dejan Vasiljevic, Jordan Hunter, Flynn Cameron, Keli Leaupepe, Jason Cadee, Mitch McCarron, Anthony Drmic, Luke Travers, Sam Froling, Jesse Wagstaff
• Our Finest Coaching Minds: Brian Goorjian, Barry Barnes, Joey Wright, Adrian Hurley, Adam Forde, Aaron Fearne, Rob Beveridge, Ian Stacker, Shawn Dennis, Dean Vickerman, Trevor Gleeson, Lindsey Gaze, Ken Cole, Will Weaver, Bruce Palmer
• NBA Stars Past & Present: Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Stephen Jackson, Jack McVeigh, Randy Livingston, Torrey Craig, Jack White, Acie Earl, Josh Childress, Reggie Smith, Todd Lichti, Ryan Broekhoff, Doug Overton
• The NBL's Greatest Imports: Leroy Loggins, Darryl McDonald, Ricky Grace, Cal Bruton, Derek Rucker, Leon Trimmingham, Scott Fisher, Lanard Copeland, Dwayne McClain, Darnell Mee, Shawn Redhage, Al Green, Steve Woodberry, Doug Overton, Kevin Lisch
• The Men In Control: Larry Kestelman, Mal Speed, Paul Maley, Vince Crivelli, Jeremy Loeliger, Chris Pongrass, Jeff Van Groningen, Bob Turner, Danny Mills

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