Summary
Biwali Bayles (born 15 February 2002) is an Australian professional basketball player who last played for the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League (NBL).
 Bayles with the Sydney Kings in 2021 | |||||||||||||||
| Free agent | |||||||||||||||
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| Position | Point guard / shooting guard | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | 15 February 2002 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 84 kg (185 lb) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Alexandria Park (Sydney, New South Wales) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Hawaii (2020–2021) | ||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 2022: undrafted | ||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2021–present | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Sydney Kings | ||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Illawarra Hawks | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Early life edit
Biwali Bayles was born on 15 February 2002 in Brisbane.[1] He moved to the Sydney suburb of Redfern with his family when he was one or two years old, and grew up in The Block, which is home to him. He was a big fan of the Broncos player Jharal Yow Yeh, and at one point wanted to make a career out of rugby league football, until his mother suggested giving basketball a try.[2]
College career edit
Bayles committed to playing college basketball at Hawaii in January 2020.[3]
He led the team in assists per game (2.6) in his lone season with the program, while also averaging 6.2 points per game. He also hit a three-point shot against Cal State Northridge that would prove to be the game-winning shot for Hawaii.[4]
Bayles left the program in March 2021 to turn professional and play in Australia.[5][2]
Professional career edit
Sydney Kings (2021–2023) edit
Bayles signed with the Sydney Kings on 27 April 2021.[6] He helped the Kings win the 2022 NBL championship.[7]
On 14 January 2023, it was announced that Bayles would be taking paid leave of absence from Kings for the rest of the 2022–23 season.[8] The Kings went on to win the 2023 NBL championship.[9]
Illawarra Hawks (2023–2024) edit
On 25 May 2023, Bayles signed with the Illawarra Hawks as a development player for the 2023–24 NBL season.[10]
National team career edit
Bayles won a gold medal at the FIBA U17 Oceania Championships in 2019 playing for the Australia national under-17 team. He has also been a member of the Australia national under-19 team, playing for them at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup.
Career statistics edit
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College edit
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | Hawaii | 21 | 12 | 19.3 | .404 | .432 | .697 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 6.2 |
References edit
- ^ "Biwali Bayles". Sydney Kings. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ a b Proszenko, Adrian (4 December 2021). "NBL 2021: New kid on The Block: Rising Indigenous Sydney Kings basketball star Bayles set to make a difference". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ "Hawaii men's basketball: Australian point guard Biwali Bayles commits to Rainbow Warriors". Hawaii Warrior World. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- ^ "Biwali Bayles bails out Hawaii to earn tough road win at Cal State Northridge". Honolulu Star Advertiser. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- ^ "Biwali Bayles leaving 'Bows Basketball program to play professionally in Australia". KHON2. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- ^ "Kings Secure Young Gun Biwali Bayles for NBL22". NBL. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- ^ "Kings Win First Championship in 17 Years with Record Crowd". NBL.com.au. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- ^ "Sydney Kings Statement: Biwali Bayles". NBL.com.au. 14 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ "Kings' Big Finish to Secure Back-to-Back Championships". NBL.com.au. 15 March 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
- ^ "Biwali Bayles joins the Hawks as Development Player". Hawks.com.au. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
External links edit
- Biwali Bayles at Sydney Kings
- Hawaii Rainbow Warriors profile