First hearing the call of the court as a young boy watching his older brother shoot hoops in the backyard, Canberra’s Alex Toohey knew he wanted to play basketball. Now 19 and standing at 6 feet 7 inches, Alex has gained the attention of the Australian basketball community. Known for being a brilliant shooter, he is on the way to turning his NBA dreams into a reality.

When he was old enough to be enrolled in team sports, Alex joined a basketball team coached by his mum. From there, the spark never died down. He would play in the backyard, at school and during training, getting better and better each day. Alex says that Canberra helped shape his future career.

“I went to Marist (College Canberra) and I lived pretty close so I was able to go to the school frequently and did a lot of training there,” says Alex. “Canberra, in general, was a super environment. Playing for the state team there, playing for the junior levels, it was just a great experience and I’m very thankful for it all.”

Alex played for the Marist College Basketball Club and the Weston Creek Woden Dodgers. He then joined the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence and NBA Global Academy in 2020 at 16 years old. Living at the institute full-time is where Alex made his most significant development, and he was inspired by those who came before him.

“Seeing how the program helped guys like Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels that are now in the NBA, I was super excited to be part of it and hopefully follow in their footsteps one day,” he smiles.

Spending just under three years at the Academy, Alex had his ducks lined up to Gonzaga University in Washington to play college basketball. Ultimately, some external factors came into play and Alex decided to stay in Australia.

“Playing in the American playstyle would have been different in how that developed me and how I could use my basketball skills and awareness. Everything that I’ve been growing up with, in the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) system, I’d have to adjust to get used to everything with their system.”

The NBA dream wasn’t dampened even for a second; staying in Australia, Alex joined the NBL Next Stars program for the 2023/2024 season and signed on for the Sydney Kings.

Alex doesn’t believe skipping US college ball diminishes his chances of making the NBA. He says that when you get to that next stage of basketball, everything kind of resets anyway and if you play well, teams will find you.

“I think the NBL developed me better. Playing against men straight away is something that you don’t really get at college going up against younger players. Either way, I think is a good option.”

Starting the season strong, the Sydney Kings ran into some trouble with injuries, poor performances and bad results. Alex says they are weathering that storm and hoping to come out the other side and secure the NBL championship.

“It would mean a lot; this team has been through a lot of adversity and it would just be a testament to our team’s hard work and everything we sacrificed to get here and a great win for the organisation.”

A season win could also help Alex on his NBA journey. He is hopeful he will get there one day and determined to put in the work until it happens.

“I think if I have a good season and get noticed by NBA scouts and they decide that they would like to add me to their team, then I would enter the draft and they would be able to pick me from that.

“Every kid dreams of being drafted one day. Now it is a bit more of a possibility being where I’m at now, but I just want to keep focusing on every day and let that come when it comes.”

If the NBA is not meant to be, Alex is still committed to playing basketball for as long as he is fit and able.

“I probably would just be playing basketball maybe in India or maybe overseas, just wherever would take me. I just love playing,” he says.

For other hopeful young players, Alex encourages them to stay present and keep holding onto the love of the game. He says it is important to take the time to enjoy being a kid and let things pan out. Hopefully, you will be rewarded with a fun and long career.

“The second you stop enjoying it, you’re not going to commit yourself to it. Sometimes things just aren’t meant to be, you’ve got to make sure you’re working hard and having outlets outside of basketball that you can use to release.”

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