By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Four-time EuroLeague champion Kyle Hines joined the ownership group of Australian NBL club Brisbane Bullets, per the team’s announcement.
“I’ve been a big fan of the NBL for some time now,” Hines said, per NBL. “The league has grown and became one of the most recognizable basketball leagues in the world. I love watching the many talented players and the exciting atmosphere the NBL fans create every game. The future of the league is bright.”
Milwaukee Bucks guard and two-time All-Star Khris Middleton has also joined the group.
Per NBL:
Professional basketball player and two-time All-Star Khris Middleton has joined the ownership group of the NBL’s Brisbane Bullets Basketball Club. The already impressive ownership group is led by Kevin Martin and also recently added Thad Young.
Since making his professional debut in 2012, Middleton has cemented his status as one of basketball’s top sharpshooters. A playmaker and veteran leader for Milwaukee, Middleton is a two-time All-Star who is known for making an impact on both ends of the court.
Bullets Majority Owner Kevin Martin is looking forward to working with Middleton.
“Khris has thousands of opportunities to invest money into different sectors so we are excited to have him as part of our team,” said Martin. “Though he has ten more years in the NBA to play, with this opportunity he will be able to be a part of a professional basketball ownership journey in one of the most coveted places in the world.”
Martin isn’t surprised that the NBL is attracting investors of Middleton’s calibre.
“Someone of Khris’s stature investing in the Brisbane Bullets organisation represents the ongoing, unprecedented rise of the NBL,” added Martin.
“It has quickly become the second best basketball league in the world. Khris and the rest of the sports world are quickly realising the quality of the league.”
Middleton is excited about the opportunity to be part of the Bullets organisation heading into the future.
“I’m thrilled to be announcing that I’m joining the ownership group of the Bullets,” said Middleton. “I traveled to Australia with Team USA in 2019 and saw firsthand the passion for basketball that Australians have. The game of basketball is constantly evolving; especially on a global scale and the Bullets are a team that has incredible potential for growth both on and off the court.”
Bullets CEO, Peter McLennan, is thrilled to welcome Middleton to the club’s ownership group.
“This is just another step into securing the long-term successful future for the Brisbane Bullets,” he said.
“For another respected NBA player such as Khris to choose to invest in the Bullets shows that we are building something special here at the organisation and having his ability and contact network to work with is a real positive.
“Khris is still at the top of his game and I know Kevin and Khris have been discussing what opportunities are ahead for the club. It’s great to hear he is excited about being a part of that journey.
“We’re building a solid foundation here at the club and all of our stakeholders, including our corporate partners, members and fans should truly be looking forward to what is ahead for the Brisbane Bullets.”
Also joining the ownership group are Kyle Hines and Melissa Oden.
Hines, the 2007 Southern Conference Player of the Year and a four-time EuroLeague champion, is currently playing for Olimpia Milano in Italy.
“Kyle brings a wealth of international experience to our group,” Martin added. “He comes highly regarded in NBA coaching circles because of his passion and knowledge for the game of basketball. He will be a valuable piece to our success.”
Hines has been a fan of the Bullets and the NBL throughout the years.
“I’ve been a big fan of the NBL for some time now,” Hines stated while preparing for the playoffs in the EuroLeague. “The league has grown and became one of the most recognisable basketball leagues in the world. I love watching the many talented players and the exciting atmosphere the NBL fans create every game. The future of the league is bright.”
Oden, who was the first African-American woman to achieve many distinctions in her acquisitions of hospitals and nursing homes in Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georiga, will become the first African-American woman to purchase an ownership stake in an NBL team.
“We are very lucky to be adding someone of Melissa’s qualities to our group,” Martin said of her addition. “Her entrepreneurship in real estate, nursing homes, and hospitals, while keeping her faith during her barrier breaking journey is one we all aspire to achieve. Melissa’s joyful spirit along with her love for the game of basketball, makes her one-of-a-kind.”
Melissa looks forward to being a part of the Brisbane community.
“Joining the Brisbane Bullets is the perfect marriage as my family has always had a love for the game of basketball. I coached AAU basketball with my late husband and our only son played Division I NCAA basketball, but sacrificed his desires of playing overseas to help assist me in running our family ventures,” Oden said from Georgia.
“I could not be more excited and am extremely honoured to partner with extraordinary businessmen who are already a part of the Brisbane Bullets organisation.”