Boomers great Brian Kerle OLY to be acknowledged on Gold Coast as Ball Legend

From Oxley Club C-grade to the Olympics - Brian Kerle’s career and contribution as a Queenslander and an Australian Boomer shines on.

Brian Kerle will be acknowledged as 'Ball Legend' on the Gold Coast for Boomers vs University of Colorado tonight and will deliver the game ball pre-game.

In a feature content episode, Kerle spoke to his roots and his connection to Queensland and his basketball journey from St Kilda in the Victoria league to his time in a formative part of the Australian Boomers. 

“Being a Queenslander… there is nothing like it. You can take the boy out of Queensland but you can’t take Queensland out of the boy,” said Kerle.

“I believe things are meant to happen in life and to be honest, me getting into basketball was meant to happen. To be honest I think it saved me in lots of ways and guided me.”

Kerle represented the Boomers in the 1970 and 1974 FIBA World Championships and was went to the 1972 Munich Olympics. 

In the domestic Australian league, he won won four NBL championships overall (1979, 1980 with St Kilda; 1985, 1987 with Brisbane Bullets). His mindset transitioned seamlessly into coaching with his introduction on the sideline coming with the St Kilda Pumas and the Brisbane Bullets, where he was nominated as NBL Coach of the Year twice. 

“When I was asked to do this, it was big to me to be recognised and I’m blessed. I really am. You’ve ignited me now, I might see if I can knock off a singlet on set and on Thursday,” added Kerle.

Kerle was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 for his contributions to Australian sport, inducted into the NBL Hall of Fame (now Australian Basketball Hall of Fame) in 2006 and was  later recognized in the QSport Hall of Fame in 2009 and Queensland Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.