Has Brock Motum become the forgotten man?

Brock Motum has had a high-level career overseas, largely out of sight of Australian fans, but he wants to raise his children in Australia. Is it time for an NBL return? It’s on the table.

Photo Credit: B.League

As a fresh-faced eighteen-year-old, Brock Motum probably never imagined where basketball would take him when he left Australia to pursue his dreams, and arrived on the campus of Washington State University in 2009.

Motum, who grew up in Brisbane and attended the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS, now the Centre of Excellence or CoE) in Canberra, was always destined for a solid pro career, but has since achieved a lot more. He had a very strong collegiate career, averaging 18.7 points and 6.3 rebounds as a senior, and left with a reputation as a versatile scorer, a very good athlete and a knockdown shooter. He had some buzz as a potential second round NBA draft pick, but ultimately went undrafted in 2013 and after an NBA Summer League stint with Philadelphia, Motum signed with Bologna in Italy.

It was the start of an international pro career that is one of the most successful an Australian player has had. Only David Andersen can boast more longevity playing at a high level in Europe.

Motum though, did have a stop back home in his second pro season, signing with the Adelaide 36ers part way through the season after being waived by the Utah Jazz during NBA preseason. Motum dominated, helping Adelaide to a big turnaround and playoff run late in the season. But it was back overseas to chase his dreams after that, and he’s been playing offshore ever since.

Motum’s career has taken him from Italy and Adelaide to Lithuania, Turkey, Spain, back to Turkey, France, Monaco and he now finds himself in Japan.

Currently in his second season in Japan’s B.League after eight seasons in Europe, it has been nearly a decade since Motum played in Australia with the 36ers. And despite being on the Boomers at the 2014 FIBA World Cup and in at the 2016 Rio Olympics, he’s rarely covered by mainstream Australian basketball media.

Does he sometimes feel like a forgotten man in Australian basketball circles?