Kevin Martin excited for NBL21

Brisbane Bullets Owner and former NBA star Kevin Martin says he’s excited about the 2020-21 Hungry Jack’s NBL season and believes young star Will Magnay has what it takes to make it in the NBA.

Brisbane has made four major signings in the free agency period so far, Anthony Drmic, Harry Froling, Tamuri Wigness and Tanner Krebs, and Martin believes they will have a major role in the Bullets building a winning culture. 

“We are excited to see all these guys get together on the court, we feel like they fit into our team personnel pretty good and we feel strong about the upcoming season with these guys,” he said.

As well as the new signings, Matt Hodgson, Will Magnay, Jason Cadee, Nathan Sobey and Tyrell Harrison will all return to the Bullets for NBL21. And Martin says this could be the season that propels Magnay into the NBA with scouts watching him closely.

“Will has a very likely chance to play in the NBA,” he said. “He is a fantastic kid and I think all of us would love to see him get that opportunity which we think he will. He is just somebody you root for on a daily basis. I think he has a bright future ahead of him.”

Martin says the club is also taking major steps forward off the court, as the Bullets aim to establish themselves as a powerhouse in the Brisbane market. “We are trying to reshape the organisation and we hired a great CEO in Peter McLennan and he has done remarkable things in his short time with us,” he said.

“He is someone that’s well respected in the community and we feel he is going to take us to the heights that Brisbane hasn’t seen in a long time. We are trying to build for longevity and not just the short term.”

Martin became an owner of the Bullets last year and was attracted to the NBL because of the  league’s professionalism and growing international profile.

“Coming from the NBA where everything is first class, that’s one thing we were looking for when we were looking across the world to buy a professional basketball team. We couldn’t wait to be a part of the NBL and ever since we signed the contract to be a part of it, it’s been nothing but first class.”