Brisbane Bullets 2007 championship legends

• The 2006-07 Brisbane Bullets team was the third championship team in the club's history
• They won an NBL record 21 straight games to take home the title
• Sam Mackinnon was named NBL MVP for the 2006-07 season

The Brisbane Bullets hadn't won an NBL championship for 19 seasons when the 2006-07 campaign tipped-off. Little did Bullets fans know, they were about to see arguably the greatest team in league history.

Led by league MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Sam Mackinnon and featuring legends such as CJ Bruton, Mark Bradtke, Dusty Rychart, Ebi Ere and Stephen Black as well as a bench crew that was the envy of every team in the NBL — the Bullets would go 28-5, including a record-breaking winning streak of 21 games to add a third championship to the trophy cabinet of the Bullets.

It would also where more NBL greats such as Chris Goulding and Adam Gibson would start their careers.

The 2006-07 Brisbane Bullets team is one to remember and are the next team featured in our basketball.com.au 'where are they now' series:

• 2003 World Champion U19 Emus 22 years later
• 1982 NBL champion West Adelaide Bearcats

BRISBANE BULLETS NBL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM 2006-07

Sam Mackinnon: Forward

One of the greats of Australian basketball put together one of the best individual seasons in NBL history to go along with obviously leading one of the greatest teams in league history to the championship.

At 30-years-old, Mackinnon averaged 19.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 56% from the field and 47.5% from the three-point line to dominate for the Bullets on his way to claiming he league MVP award on top of Defensive Player of the Year, Grand Final MVP and being included in the All-NBL Team as the only Brisbane player to feature in that group.

The 2007 championship was Mackinnon's second after winning one with the South East Melbourne Magic in 1996.

The two-time Olympian played another season with the Bullets before they folded and then finished his NBL career with two seasons at the Melbourne Tigers before hanging up the boots. He returned to Queensland and coached at the junior level, leading several state teams at national championship tournaments, and then made a comeback to the NBL as Andrej Lemanis' assistant coach with the Bullets in 2017, later becoming the club's general manager of basketball operations.

Mackinnon took over as Bullets interim head coach during the 2022 season, moved to Victoria to be an assistant with the South East Melbourne Phoenix in 2023. He once again became an interim head coach after the departure of Mike Kelly at the Phoenix last season and then left the club at the end of the year.

His son, Max Mackinnon, is about to start his first season with LSU.

Where are they now: Mackinnon is still the head coach of the Taranaki Airs in the NZNBL and is living in Melbourne with his partner, Australian Opals legend Jenna O'Hea.

Ebi Ere: Guard

Having already starred on an NBL championship team with CJ Bruton at the Sydney Kings in 2004, Ebi Ere was a proven commodity in the league. But it was during his time with the Brisbane Bullets where his star power rose to a another level.

On a stacked team, Ere was the second leading scorer on the Bullets championship-winning team, averaging 17.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists while coming up with so many highlight plays which would have Brisbane fans on their feet. Following the championship season, Ere was one of the favourites for the MVP award in 2007-08 season but was beaten by Tigers centre Chris Anstey. He was such a fan favourite in Brisbane, fans brought 'Ebi Ere' and 'MVP' signs to almost every game for the second half of the season.

Ere would have two more stints in the NBL, one with the Tigers for the 2008-09 season then reuniting with Joey Wright at the Adelaide 36ers in 2015. The 2008 NBL scoring champion played all around the world, including in Europe and Puerto Rico before retiring in 2018. He had also represented Nigeria at the 2006 FIBA World Championships in Japan. and the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Where are they now: The 44-year-old is now a skills trainer in Tulsa, Oklahoma also coaching several youth teams

CJ Bruton: Guard

CJ Bruton was seen as one of the missing pieces to a Brisbane Bullets championship, along with Dillon Boucher, and that proved to be exactly the case.

With so much offensive firepower and talent on the roster, a high IQ point guard who knew where and when to get the likes of Mackinnon, Stephen Black and Ebi Ere the ball was a key for the Bullets to become the team they became. But he was also a player who could take over himself if needed and was a beast of a competitor, known for his trash talk on the court at times, Bruton would end up going down as one of the best winners in NBL history.

Having won two championships already with the Sydney Kings in 2004 and 2005, Bruton knew what it took and delivered. He averaged 14.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists to lead from the point guard position.

After the 2007 championship — his third in his career — Bruton went on to win three more titles with the New Zealand Breakers to have a total of six rings, only tied by David Stiff. He also won NBL Grand Final MVP in 2012 and had his No.23 jersey retired by the Breakers.

Bruton, a two-time Olympian for the Boomers, retired from the NBL after the 2013-14 season but made a brief return as a player in the SEABL as player/coach for the Brisbane Spartans in 2016. He returned to the club he won the 2007 title with as an assistant coach in 2016, where he remained for five seasons, before becoming the head coach of the Adelaide 36ers for two seasons.

As the son of an NBL legend in Cal Bruton, CJ also has a son on the rise with Rio Bruton with the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence.

Where are they now: Bruton is currently an assistant coach with the Beijing Ducks in the Chinese Basketball Association.

Mark Bradtke: Centre

Arguably the greatest big man in the history of the NBL — winning the 2007 championship was the icing on the cake for Mark Bradtke's career.

The Australian Boomers and Melbourne Tigers legend arrived in Brisbane with two championship rings already from 1993 and 1997 as well as a league MVP award under his belt from 2002. While his role was less as far as production, averaging 10.2 points as well as 6.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists, it wasn't less as far as impact as he provided Joey Wright's team with a key veteran and defensive presence on their way to a record season.

Bradtke, who had played in the NBL for the best part of 20 seasons, retired after the championship with the Bullets. He later had his No.50 jersey retired by the Tigers and is part of the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame.

His career included stints in Europe as well as one season in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers. The South Australian product played at four Olympic Games for the Boomers as well as two FIBA World Championships.

Where are they now: Bradtke is the junior development manager and NBL1 North women's head coach with the Gold Coast Rollers.

Dusty Rychart: Forward

Possibly one of the most under-the-radar careers in NBL history, Dusty Rychart was a star and he may not have been recognised for it publicly, but the teams he played for knew it. Including the 2007 Brisbane Bullets.

After one campaign with the Victoria Giants out of a college career at Minnesota then three impressive seasons for the Adelaide 36ers, Rychart was a massive addition to the Brisbane Bullets roster for the 2006-07 season, forming an imposing front court with the likes of Sam Mackinnon, Mark Bradtke and Dillon Boucher. The 6'7" forward was the team's third-leading scorer, averaging 15.4 points per game along with 8.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists.

Rychart would play for the Bullets until they folded and would spend one season with the Illawarra Hawks before returning to Queensland with the Cairns Taipans, where he would play four more seasons. After finishing his NBL career, the man who became an Australian citizen in 2009 dominated in the Queensland Basketball League with the Brisbane Capitals, leading them to several grand final appearances. An unfortunate ACL injury in a QBL preseason would bring his playing career to an end.

Where are they now: Rychart is now a financial advisor and assistant coach of St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace GPS Basketball team.

Stephen Black: Guard

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The Brisbane Bullets roster in 2006-07 had everything. Star power, defence, leadership, toughness, offensive firepower and shooting. And the man who helped boost that shooting was Stephen Black.

Black was one of, if not the best, shooting guard in the NBL and averaged almost 14 points per game for Brisbane while shooting the three at 36.5% on a high volume of attempts. How do you stop a starting five featuring Black, Bruton, Ere, Mackinnon and Rychart? Short answer — no one could.

Following the championship season with the Bullets, Black reunited with his dad, Alan Black, who coached the Cairns Taipans before his career was cut short by a severe back injury in 2009. He played 298 games in the NBL for Perth, Brisbane and Cairns and won two championships (2000 and 2007).

Black spent some time coaching in Western Australia before moving to Victoria.

Where are they now: Head coach of the Bendigo Braves NBL1 South men's team.

Adam Gibson: Guard

Adam Gibson was a rookie with the Brisbane Bullets in 2005 and as a second-year guard would play a significant role on one of the greatest NBL teams of all-time.

The Tasmanian product averaged 6.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists during the championship season with the Bullets, showing the early signs of becoming one of the top Australian point guards in the league over the next decade.

After the Bullets folded in 2008, Gibson went on about his winning ways, taking home another title with the South Dragons in 2009 before stints with the Gold Coast Blaze - also under Joey Wright - then the Adelaide 36ers and then returned to the Bullets in 2016, playing three seasons under Andrej Lemanis, Gibson finished his career, which included a Defensive Player of the Year award in 2009 and playing at the London Olympics in 2012, at the South East Melbourne Phoenix in 2021.

Where are they now: Gibson is an assistant coach with the South East Melbourne Phoenix and head coach of Rowville Secondary College's girls team in Melbourne.

Brad Williamson: Guard/Forward

One of the streakiest shooters in NBL history. Once Brad Williamson caught fire, there was no putting that fire out.

A huge part of how good that 2007 Brisbane Bullets team was due to the bench crew, which featured so many talents who could play bigger roles on any other team in the league. Williamson, a Sunshine Coast product, shot almost 46% from beyond the arc for the Bullets to help Brisbane to a record run.

The 6'6" sharpshooter went to the Townsville Crocodiles after the Bullets folded, playing three more seasons in the NBL. From there, he was one of the stars of the Queensland state league, winning a total of four championships at the semi-professional level.

Where are they now: Living and working on the Sunshine Coast, where most of his family resides.

Dillon Boucher: Forward

Another signing who was seen as a missing piece for a championship team at the Bullets was Dillon Boucher.

Why? He wasn't a big scorer and didn't do anything flashy but Boucher was known for doing all the little things you needed for a team to be real championship contenders. He dove on loose balls, set hard screens, defending his ass off and led with his actions. Most people you speak to who played with Boucher say he was one of their favourite teammates ever.

He took a Bullets team, which was filled with stars, to a new level. After three seasons in the NBL with the New Zealand Breakers and Perth Wildcats before arriving in Brisbane, Boucher's stint with the Bullets was only two seasons but it was massively impactful. Another player who stayed with the Bullets until they folded, Boucher returned home to the Breakers, where he was part of the club's threepeat between 2011-2013.

Retiring from the NBL at the end of the 2013 championship with 436 games to his name, Boucher later had his No.24 jersey retired by the Breakers. He was also a stalwart for the New Zealand national program.

Boucher became the Breakers general manager in 2016 and has since spent time as the director of basketball for the Auckland Huskies in the New Zealand NBL and was appointed CEO of Basketball New Zealand in 2021 before returning to the Breakers earlier this year.

Where are they now: Boucher is the president of basketball operations of the New Zealand Breakers.

Michael Hill: Guard/Forward

When fans look back on the famous 2007 Brisbane Bullets championship team, they may not realise how much of an impact Mick Hill had on that team.

One of the biggest competitors you'll see, but one of the leaders of the bench crew for the title-winning Bullets, Hill averaged 10.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists in a reserve role for Joey Wright with his high IQ play, toughness and ability to make plays a critical part of the Bullets success.

Hill's seven-year career, where he also played for Canberra, came to an end after the Bullets folded but his winning ways didn't as he helped the Knox Raiders to a memorable SEABL championship in 2009.

Where are they now: Working as a real estate agent in Melbourne as well as a DJ.

Chris Goulding: Development Player

Chris Goulding only played five minutes as a development player during the 2006-07 NBL season, but he gained invaluable experience being around some of the legends of the game which would help shape one of the greatest careers in league history.

Goulding, who spent most of his juniors in Queensland despite being born in Tasmania, played one season with the Perth Wildcats after the Bullets folded before reuniting with Joey Wright at the Gold Coast Blaze. But it was in Melbourne where he'd become the star he is today, first with the Tigers and then with the rebranded Melbourne United, where he still plays today.

The 36-year-old has three championships to his name in 2007 with the Bullets then in 2018 and 2021 with United. He was the Grand Final MVP in 2018 and has been on the All-NBL First Team three times.

He has also been a star for the Boomers on the international stage, playing in two Olympic Games, including Australia's history-making bronze medal effort in 2021.

Where are they now: Captain and starting shooting guard for Melbourne United.

Joey Wright: Head Coach

His career with the Brisbane Bullets would be the start of Wright becoming one of the best coaches in the history of the NBL.

Known as a hard taskmaster but a coach who builds long-lasting relationships with his players to get the best out of them, Wright was the perfect man to lead the Bullets to their first championship in 20 years. Winning is the norm for Wright, who after the Bullets would coach 10 more seasons in the NBL with the Gold Coast Blaze and the Adelaide 36ers.

Wright is a three-time NBL Coach of the Year (2004, 2007 and 2017) and would lead the 36ers to two grand final appearances in 2014 and 2018, going down to the Perth Wildcats and Melbourne United.

He stepped away from coaching in the NBL following the 2019-20 season.

Where are they now: Founder and lead coach of Transition Sports in Adelaide, also co-host of the No Flop Zone with legendary basketball journalist Boti Nagy.

Joe Tertzakian: Team Manager

One of the legendary characters of the NBL is Joe Tertzakian. Formerly known as 'Big Joe'.

A cult figure of state league basketball in Queensland in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Tertzakian had a similar impact with the Bullets as the team manager where he formed a partnership with Joey Wright that would span more than a decade after 2007.

He has since spent time with the Gold Coast Blaze and Adelaide 36ers with Wright before a stint with Basketball NT. He is now part of the basketball operations team at the Illawarra Hawks.

Where are they now: Illawarra Hawks basketball operations manager, was part of the Hawks 2024-25 championship team.

Jeff Van Groningen: General Manager

The general manager of the Brisbane Bullets from 2004-2008, Van Groningen helped shape the roster which would break a 20-year championship hoodoo for the NBL club.

After his time with the Bullets, the man known as JVG, has continued to be involved in elite sport in several roles such as a senior advisor to the Minister for Sport in Queensland and with NRL glamour club the Brisbane Broncos. He returned to the NBL as managing director of the Sydney Kings, playing a lead role in Andrew Bogut coming to the NBL and then as general manager of the Adelaide 36ers where he attracted future NBA star Josh Giddey to the club as a Next Star.

Where are they now: Director at Elite Classic Basketball. Handles events, camps and tours for many of Australia’s NBA players and heavily involved in NCAA player space and NIL expertise.

Ron Radliff: Assistant Coach

An icon of Brisbane Bullets basketball, Radliff was a key part of the Bullets championship run in 2007 as Joey Wright's lead assistant coach.

The US import was part of the Bullets championships in 1985 and 1987 and helped the club regain those championship qualities 20 years later. He later followed Wright to be his assistant coach with the Gold Coast Blaze.

Where are they now: He now lives in Tucson, Arizona.

Dale Ryan: Assistant Coach

Another key part of Joey Wright's coaching staff was Dale Ryan. It's one thing to have the talent but another thing for a coaching staff to point the roster in the right direction the court and that's what the team ofWright, Radliff and Ryan did.

He would go on to become a career coach all around the world, including in England and also different parts of Australia.

Where are they now: Ryan tragically passed away in 2022 sparking tributes from all over the basketball community.

**Development players including Nathan Niesler, Callum Baynes, Stephen Broom, David Gurney and Brad Kelleher filled out the championship roster**