Andrew Gaze
Quick Facts &
Summary  (Cont)
 
  Andrew first played in the NBA during the 1993-94 season. He received little court time for the Washington Bullets, scoring 22 points in 7 games.
  Gaze played his 300th NBL game on 29th July 1995 at Melbourne Park.  He scored 38 points in the Tigers 10 point win over the Rollers.
  On 27 May 1995 , Gaze made a career best 19 free throws from 20 attempts against the Perth Wildcats at the Perth Entertainment Centre.
  Andrew’s second NBL Championship with the Tigers came in 1997 when they defeated the Magic in three games. The tigers won 17 of their  final 18 games, including an NBL record of 16 consecutive wins.
  Andrew’s 400th NBL game was played on 20th April 1998 at the  Glasshouse. Andrew scored 37 points in the Tiger’s 4 point loss to the Falcons.


Andrew gets really pumped up during the Sydney Olympics

  In the 1998-99 NBA season, Gaze played a peripheral, but nonetheless important part in the first ever NBA championship for the San Antonio Spurs. He became the second Aussie to win an NBA Championship ring after Luc Longley won three with the Chicago Bulls
  In September 2000, at the age of 35, Gaze became the oldest player to represent Australia at basketball at the Olympics.
  At the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Andrew was named captain of the Australian Olympic Team. He was also selected to carry the Australian flag at the Opening Ceremony. It was a proud moment and a fitting reward for a five time Olympian. Andrew led the Australian team into the stadium in front of 110000 people.
  Andrew and Lindsay Gaze were among 11 legends of the Australian game inducted into the Basketball Australia Hall of Fame on its inauguration in 2004
  In December 2000, Andrew scored 41 points in a Tigers 101-92 victory. Incredibly, it was the 100th time Gaze had scored 40 points or more in an NBA game.

 
Andrew performs the perfect lay up against Lithuania at the Sydney Olympics
  On 29th November 2001, Andrew played his 500th NBL game. He scored 26 points in a 10 point victory over the Taipans.
  In playing his 500th game, he became only the 4th player in NBL history to achieve that feat.
  On 27th October 2001, Gaze scored another triple-double with 33 points, 10 assists and 12 rebounds against the Canberra Cannons.
  In 1991, he became the first NBL player to shoot over 1,000 points in a season.
  In 1991 he also became the first player to lead both scoring and assists statistics in the same  season.


Gaze starts a drive against France during the Sydney Olympics
  In 2002, in a match against the Crocodiles at the Swamp, Andrew suffered a severe foot injury in the fourth minute of the game. It was the first time in 507 games, that Gaze scored less than 12 points. The injury forced Gaze out of action for two months.
  Andrew scored his final career triple-double against the Victorian Giants in February 2003 with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
  In December 2003, Andrew Gaze was voted the NBL’s Greatest Player in the 25th Anniversary Team.
  In January 2004, Andrew broke Leroy Loggins record of 567 for the most games played in the NBL.
  On 22 October 2004, eleven people were named in the inaugural class of inductees to the Basketball Australia Hall of Fame, including legendary father and son combination Lindsay and Andrew Gaze.


Gaze calls the shot
  Gaze played his 600th NBL game against the Adelaide 36ers in Melbourne on January 12th 2005. The Tigers won the game 112-95 in front of a sell-out crowd at the State Netball and Hockey Centre.
  Andrew’s 612th  and final NBL Game was played on February 26th 2005. In a 112-100 playoff loss to the Townsville Crocodiles, Andrew's long and illustrious career finally came to an end. In that final game, Andrew spent just over 39 minutes on court and scored 13 points.
  Both Lindsay and Andrew Gaze went out on a winning note in their final game for the Melbourne Tigers, claiming the Asia Pacific Cup with an 81-68 win against the New Zealand Breakers in China.
  Andrew is married to Melinda.  They have four children - Courtney,  Phoebe, Anne and Mason.
  Gaze represented Australia at five Olympics: 1984 (Los Angeles, USA); 1988 (Seoul, South Korea); 1992 (Barcelona, Spain); 1996 (Atlanta, USA); 2000 (Sydney, Australia).


Lindsay didn't usually get very animated from the sidelines
  Gaze also represented Australia at four World Championships: 1986 Spain, 1990 Argentina, 1994 Canada and 1998 Greece.
  Andrew won the prestigious NBL Most Valuable Player Award seven times:  1991, 1992, 1994-98.
  He also finished Runner-up NBL MVP four time: 1989, 1990, 1993, 2001.
  Andrew is the all-time leader in the NBL in games, points and assists.
  Andrew was named a member of the NBL 20th Season Team.


Win or lose, Andrew was noted for his excellent sportsmanship
  Gaze was chosen in the All-NBL First Team 15 times (1986 – 2000).
  He was named in the All-NBL Second Team in 2001.
  During his career, he was NBL Leading Scorer 14 times (1986, 1988, 1989, 1991 - 2001).
  In all, Andrew Gaze played 612 NBL games for the Tigers and is the League’s all-time points leader with 18,908 points at a staggering average of almost 31 ppg.
  He is the NBL All-time second in career steals.


Gaze looks for an opening
  He was named NBL Most Efficient Player from 1990 to 1997.
  Gaze was named in the NBL All-Star Game in 1989 and also from 1991 to 1997.
  He was named NBL All-Star Game MVP in 1989 and 1992.
  Gaze was named International Player of the Year in 1990, 1994-96 and 1998.
  Gaze was NBL leader in free throw percentage in 1995 and 2001-2003. 


Lindsay addresses the team during a time out
  In 15 of Gaze's 22 seasons, the Tiger's skipper averaged better than 30 points per game. There is some distance between him and second-placed Wayne McDaniel, who had four.
  Gaze has scored 40 points or better in a single game on 101 occasions. The next best is Bullets legend Loggins with 23.
  When he retired, Gaze was the All Time Olympic Games leading scorer.
  He was also the second highest points scorer in World Championships.
  In all, Gaze had four triple-doubles in his career, level with Steve Woodberry and Mark Leader and one behind teammate Darryl McDonald. Rob Rose is the all-time leader with 13, with Sam Mackinnon and Rashad Tucker back on six.


Andrew shares a moment of jubilation with Sam Mackinnon and Shane Heal after defeating Italy 65-62 at the 2000 Sydney Olympics
  According to official NBL statistics, Gaze played in front of 2,614,506 fans during his career. That makes him the most watched player ever in Philips Championship history despite the fact that a number of the earlier matches in his career did not include crowd figures.
  During his career with the Australian National Team, Andrew was Captain from 1994 until his retirement from international matches in 2000.
  During his NBL career, he played in over 40 venues, with Melbourne Park top of the list.
  Throughout his career, Andrew Gaze excelled in three aspects of the game: his  pinpoint shooting accuracy, his tactical nous and his ability to read the game.
  Andrew is 2.01m tall and weighs just under 100kg. He wears a size 14 shoe.


A sad moment
Andrew leaves the court after his 612th and final NBL game.
  Andrew’s favourite football team in the AFL is Hawthorn.
  Andrew describes his worst habit as talking too loudly.
  Gaze has played against hundreds of opponents in his 22 year career. However the players he has opposed the most are Tony Ronaldson, Ricky Grace, Leroy Loggins, Bruce Bolden, Brett Wheeler, James Crawford and Robert Rose.
  Andrew Gaze has supported many community and charity organizations. Some of them include Ronald McDonald House, Kids' Help Line, Challenge Cancer, Australian Kidney Foundation, Bonnie Babes, Royal Children's Hospital and the Australian Red Cross Blood Service.

 


 

Part 2

 

 

 

"My departure will be hardly noticed. But you cannot possibly imagine the chasm that will be left in the game without Andrew. When you go through the history of his performances and try to compare it with any other outstanding individual sports achievement, especially in a team concept, I struggle .......  ""

Lindsay Gaze at the Gaze retirement press conference

"It's so unique to have a father and son who have been involved for so long. There have been 50 years of Gazes in Australian basketball. It's amazing to think that basketball won't have a Gaze out there any longer."

Former Olympic coach and player Adrian Hurley

"The mental toughness to back up week after week and season after season in the same organization and continue to have the same drive and desire to win is truly amazing. He is not the most gifted basketballer to ever walk on the floor, or the quickest or the best shooter, but his ability to compete at the same level year in and year out is what makes him one of this country's greats"

Brian Goorjian, long time NBL Coach

"He has been an outstanding leader on and off the court."

Another former Olympic coach Barry Barnes

"The one driving force that made him the best Australian basketballer was his passion for the game. He was 100 per cent committed to basketball. His desire to succeed was probably greater than anyone else has ever had."

Longtime Tiger teammate, Mark Bradtke

"No two people anywhere in the world have contributed more to basketball than the Gazes. Lindsay and Andrew, away from the game, are true champions and humble human beings, and they will be a great loss to the game. "I found Andrew to be the toughest opponent ever. In years to come his career stats will be seen as unattainable."

Former NBL star Steve Carfino

"In time, we'll talk about Andrew Gaze and people will think he was a myth . . . no one could be that good." 

Former NBL Star and Adelaide 36ers Coach, Phil Smyth

"This is indeed the end of an era. Individually and collectively, Andrew and Lindsay have had outstanding careers. By any measure, they are unique in Australian sport. They are true champions and genuinely down to earth good people who believe if you look after basketball, it will look after you. It’s a philosophy that has served them and the Melbourne Tigers very well over more than two decades."

 Melbourne Tigers Chairman, David Minear

"No words can adequately describe the impact that Andrew and Lindsay Gaze have had on Australian basketball in general and on the NBL in particular. The pair helped bring the game into the mainstream of the Australian sporting consciousness. We are unlikely to see such an enduring father-son team in world sports ever again. What Elvis and the Beatles did for rock 'n' roll, the Gazes did for Australian basketball."

NBL Commissioner Rick Burton

"I think Andrew's been a great example not only for basketball people but for all sports people in Australia. I grew up idolizing Andrew Gaze."

Former NBL great, Shane Heal

"When Andrew finally retires people will say, there goes Andrew Gaze - the best there ever was."

Another comment from former NBL great, Shane Heal

"Andrew's always been very humble, and he's always had a great passion for the game."

Al Westover, Incoming Melbourne Tigers Head Coach

"He was so single-minded, and made sacrifices to stay with the Tigers that allowed a lot of Australians to see the greatest player we have ever had. We've been lucky. Not too many people have achieved what he has. He has been a sporting icon in this country."

Another comment from Tiger teammate, Mark Bradke

"Andrew has just been phenomenal. He took things to a different level. He had a commitment to do whatever he could to be the best."

Basketball Australia president John Maddock
 

 

 

NBL Statistics: Regular Season

 

Year

 Team   Shots 3Pts Free Throw
    G Att Md   Att Md   Att Md  
 1984 Melbourne 24 488 281 58% 40 13 33% 175 124 71%
 1985 Melbourne 18 418 213 51% 110 37 34% 116 84 72%
 1986 Melbourne 25 654 346 53% 139 53 38% 220 177 80%
 1987 Melbourne 20 604 318 53% 173 68 39% 220 178 81%
 1988 Melbourne 24 622 325 52% 229 99 43% 173 137 79%
 1989 Melbourne 24 545 296 54% 229 95 41% 174 144 83%
 1990 Melbourne 22 522 300 57% 200 77 39% 173 151 87%
 1991 Melbourne 26 632 350 55% 239 80 33% 260 227 87%
 1992 Melbourne 23 531 276 52% 206 69 33% 225 190 84%
 1993 Melbourne 26 573 291 51% 218 85 39% 222 191 86%
 1994 Melbourne 26 560 294 53% 193 65 34% 263 237 90%
 1995 Melbourne 26 575 300 52% 220 82 37% 242 218 90%
 1996 Melbourne 26 541 279 52% 237 88 37% 214 197 92%
 1997 Melbourne 30 622 326 52% 311 122 39% 201 170 85%
 1998 Melbourne 30 645 322 50% 322 123 38% 211 188 89%
 1999 Melbourne 17 363 194 53% 190 80 42% 113 101 89%
 2000 Melbourne 28 556 267 48% 245 81 33% 220 194 88%
 2001 Melbourne 28 520 264 51% 241 86 36% 221 202 91%
 2002 Melbourne 18 280 132 47% 129 35 27% 133 119 89%
 2003 Melbourne 26 363 174 48% 202 69 34% 182 163 90%
 2004 Melbourne 33 453 230 51% 227 82 36% 170 153 90%
 2005 Melbourne 32 440 214 49% 223 80 36% 184 152 83%

Totals   

552 11507 5992 52% 4523 1669 37% 4312 3697 86%
 

NBL Statistics: Regular Season (Cont)

 
  Rebounds  Other   Averages
 Year Off  Def  Tot Fls Ast  Blks  Stls  T/O Pts Rbd Ass Ppg 
 1984 55 105 160 91 98 8 38 54 699 7 4 29
 1985 41 80 121 71 80 5 37 88 547 7 4 30
 1986 74 109 183 84 110 6 52 99 922 7 4 37
 1987 56 108 164 65 115 3 49 97 882 8 6 44
 1988 74 76 150 72 113 15 54 89 886 6 5 37
 1989 34 92 126 93 183 19 58 105 831 5 8 35
 1990 46 60 106 72 151 8 58 90 828 5 7 38
 1991 42 69 111 97 160 12 68 117 1007 4 6 39
 1992 44 58 102 75 161 7 50 120 811 4 7 35
 1993 57 85 142 89 158 2 68 120 858 5 6 33
 1994 52 71 123 93 190 7 60 146 890 5 7 34
 1995 32 78 110 87 208 15 59 123 900 4 8 35
 1996 39 97 136 83 221 11 45 121 843 5 9 32
 1997 51 89 140 104 195 14 46 141 944 5 7 31
 1998 41 97 138 89 199 6 45 110 955 5 7 32
 1999 17 62 79 40 94 2 35 62 569 5 6 33
 2000 53 113 166 86 163 9 27 134 809 6 6 29
 2001 43 132 175 108 161 5 25 133 816 6 6 29
 2002 30 56 86 54 108 11 15 69 418 5 6 23
 2003 23 79 102 93 117 13 32 105 580 4 5 22
 2004 42 62 104 94 118 13 32 97 695 3 4 21
 2005 33 66 99 78 95 10 26 75 660 3 3 21
 Totals 979 1844 2823 1818 3198 201 979 2295 17350 5.2 6.0 31.8

 

NBL Statistics: Playoff Games

 
Year Team   Shots 3Pts Free Throw
    G Att Md   Att Md   Att Md  
 1989 Melbourne 3 77 39 51% 33 10 30% 13 12 92%
 1991 Melbourne 2 50 28 56% 22 7 32% 19 16 84%
 1992 Melbourne 9 177 84 47% 78 25 32% 85 78 92%
 1993 Melbourne 7 116 61 53% 48 19 40% 67 57 85%
 1994 Melbourne 4 77 34 44% 22 4 18% 42 39 93%
 1995 Melbourne 3 65 28 43% 29 8 28% 22 19 86%
 1996 Melbourne 9 153 72 47% 70 22 31% 92 80 87%
 1997 Melbourne 5 84 41 49% 56 21 38% 36 33 92%
 1998 Melbourne 2 39 18 46% 14 3 21% 14 13 93%
 2000 Melbourne 3 52 30 58% 34 15 44% 23 20 87%
 2002 Melbourne 6 35 12 34% 22 5 23% 14 11 79%
 2003 Melbourne 3 46 18 39% 29 11 38% 15 13 87%
 2004 Melbourne 2 26 16 62% 15 6 40% 14 13 93%
 2005 Melbourne 2 25 11 44% 10 1 10% 15 13 87%
 

Totals   

60 1022 492 48% 482 157 33% 471 417 89%
 

Career  Totals   

612 12529 6484 52% 5005 1826 36% 4783 4114 86%
 

NBL Statistics: Playoff Games (Cont)

 
  Rebounds  Other   Averages
Year Off  Def  Tot Fls Ast  Blks  Stls  T/O Pts Rbd Ass Ppg 
 1989 5 13 18 12 12 2 7 9 100 6 4 33
 1991 4 7 11 9 9   7 9 79 6 5 40
 1992 20 26 46 35 41 3 20 40 271 5 5 30
 1993 11 24 35 28 42 1 20 32 198 5 6 28
 1994 7 14 21 19 27   13 26 111 5 7 28
 1995   11 11 9 25   7 8 83 4 8 28
 1996 15 34 49 37 64 7 14 45 246 5 7 27
 1997 4 18 22 20 41 1 2 16 136 4 8 27
 1998 3 7 10 8 10 1 1 7 52 5 5 26
 2000 1 11 12 15 18   1 14 95 4 6 32
 2002 3 7 10 15 11 1 2 10 40 2 2 7
 2003 2 11 13 11 19 1 1 16 60 4 6 20
 2004 2 8 10 5 5 2   1 51 5 3 26
 2005 2 3 5 4 9 1 1 5 36 3 5 18

Totals   

79 194 273 227 333 20 96 238 1558 4.5 5.5 26.4
 

 Career   

1058 2038 3096 2045 3531 221 1075 2533 18908 5.1 5.8 30.9

 

NBA Statistics: Regular Season

 
Year

Age

 Team Lg G Min Pts PPG FGM FGA FGP FTM FTA FTP
93-94 28 Washington Bullets NBA 7 70 22 3.1 8 17 .471 2 2 1.000
98-99 33 San Antonio Spurs NBA 19 58 21 1.1 8 25 .320 0 0 .000
 

 2 Season Totals   

  26 128 43 1.7 16 42 .381 2 2 1.000
 

NBA Statistics: Regular Season (Cont)

 
Year

Age

 Team 3PM 3PA 3PP ORB DRB TRB RPG AST APG STL BLK TO PF
93-94 28 Bullets 4 8 .500 1 6 7 1.0 5 0.7 2 1 3 9
98-99 33 Spurs 5 16 .313 2 3 5 0.3 6 0.3 2 1 4 7

 2 Season Totals   

9 24 .375 3 9 12 0.5 11 0.4 4 2 7 16

 

Andrew acknowledges the crowd as he leaves the court after playing his 600th NBL game against the Adelaide 36ers.

The sight of Andrew carrying the ball into attack caused many headaches for NBL defences and opposing coaches.

 

 

 
Andrew Gaze Fact Box

Full Name: Andrew Barry Casson Gaze
Nicknames: Drew or Drewey
Date of Birth: 24th July 1965
Place of Birth: Melbourne, Victoria
Height: 2.01m (6'-7")
Weight: 95 kg         Position: Guard
Number Worn: 10
NBL Debut: Feb 1984 vs Brisbane Bullets
Final NBL Game: Feb 2005 vs Bullets
NBL Games: 612
NBL Total Points: 18908      Average Points per Game: 30.9
NBL Total Rebounds: 3096      Average Rebounds per Game: 5.06
NBL Total Assists: 3531      Average Assists per Game: 5.77
NBL Total Steals: 1075     Average Steals per Game: 1.76
Teams: Australia, Melbourne Tigers, Seton Hall (NCAA), Washington Bullets, San Antonio Spurs, AC Apolon (Greece), Udine (Italy)
NBL Most Valuable Player:  7 times (1991, 1992, 1994-98)
Runner-up NBL MVP four times: 1989, 1990, 1993, 2001
NBL Rookie of the Year: 1984
NBL All-Star Game: 1989, 1991-97
NBL All-Star Game MVP: 1989, 1992
Member of NBL 20th Season Team
Voted NBL’s Greatest Player, 25th Anniversary Team
NBL Most Efficient Player: 1990-97
International Player of the Year: 1990, 1994-96, 1998
All-time NBL Leader in games, points and assists
All-NBL First Team 15 times: 1986 – 2000
All-NBL Second Team: 2001
NBL Leading Scorer 14 times: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991 - 2001
NBA Championship winning team with San Antonio Spurs: 1998/99
NCAA West Regional MVP: 1989
All Time Olympic Games Scoring Leader
Captain, Australian Olympic Team, Sydney 2000

 

Australia is a small nation of just over 20 million people. Yet we boast one of the proudest sporting traditions of any nation in the world. Our fascination and love of sport has become a unique and integral part of our way of life. So when one of our national sporting heroes decides to retire, the shock waves are usually felt across the entire nation.

What is about Andrew Gaze?  What sets him apart from thousands of other athletes?  What is about him that elevates his profile to a level that rivals even the very elite of this country's sporting heroes?

A close examination of the history of the National Basketball League will quickly reveal part of the answer. Statistically, Andrew Gaze is without question the greatest player to have ever played in the NBL. He is the all-time NBL leader in games, points and assists, and he is ranked number two in steals. In 14 of his 22 years in the NBL, Andrew finished the season as the league's highest points scorer. No other player has been able to perform at such lofty levels and sustain that performance throughout a long playing career.  It's hard to imagine anyone in the future averaging nearly 31 points per game over a 22 year period!  Even in his final season, at age 39, Gaze was still averaging over 20 points per game.
 


Andrew Gaze brings the ball down to set up another Tiger offence.


Andrew Gaze in full flight against the Sydney Kings.

In addition to his statistical dominance, Andrew Gaze has a trophy cabinet bulging with awards and honours. His seven MVP awards alone set him apart from any other basketballer in NBL history. Imagine an Aussie cricketer winning seven Allan Border Medals, or an AFL footballer winning seven Brownlow Medals!  Andrew was also  runner-up on four other occasions. In addition, he received two All-Star MVP awards, five International Player of the Year Awards and he was voted the NBL's Greatest Player in the 25th Anniversary Team.  And that's just some of his achievements!

Awards, statistics and achievements are important, and they certainly do provide an easy means of comparing athletes. But there are other important ingredients. One of the things that a lot of Australian sports fans admire most about Andrew Gaze is his strength of character. There have been many more naturally gifted basketball players than Andrew Gaze. Players who could run faster and jump higher than Andrew. Yet Gaze left them floundering in his wake. His attitude, his enthusiasm, his persistence and his sheer passion for the game provide part of the explanation. Then, when you factor in his loyalty, his integrity, his sportsmanship you almost have all the pieces of the jig-saw.

But there are two more important ingredients. The first is humility. Throughout his career, Andrew Gaze has maintained a level of humility that sets him apart from the more typical sporting hero. Both on and off court, he has remained humble, unassuming and approachable. He has remained in touch with the average sports fan who comes along each week and pays his money to watch the game.
 


Andrew celebrates a win at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.


Andrew takes a rare moment to rest on the bench.

The final and most important piece of the Gaze jig-saw is simply about enjoyment. When Andrew Gaze played basketball he was having fun. And it showed!  His style of play was entertaining and his smile was infectious. He reminded us of the true meaning of sport and demonstrated the correct way to play. This is not to say he wasn't competitive or intense. He was probably the most competitive player in the NBL ....... AND he most definitely wanted to win!  But no matter whether he won or lost, he usually got the balance right. Throughout his entire career, Andrew remained the perfect role model for any aspiring young athlete. Hopefully there are many young Aussie hopefuls just itching to burst onto the international sporting stage. Young athletes who have been influenced and inspired by Andrew Gaze.

Out of all of this, one thing is certain. The sport of basketball in Australia owes so much to the Gaze family. Together, Lindsay and Andrew Gaze have raised not only the profile of basketball in this country but they have also added greatly to the sport's credibility and long term viability.

Sports Card World would like to congratulate Andrew Gaze on his achievements. We would also like to thank him for all the wonderful memories he has provided throughout his long and distinguished career. His deeds, particularly wearing the green and gold #10 will long be remembered. Finally, we recognize the very positive impact that he has had on the sports card hobby, particularly here in Australia.

Thank-you Drewey.       You are an absolute Aussie legend!

 


Andrew Gaze shows off the NBA Championship ring he won with the San Antonio Spurs