It is with great excitement that the Zambrero Willetton Tigers announce the signing of Mark Worthington for the 2023 Coles Express NBL1 West season.
Having been inducted into the BWA Hall of Fame last year, it is no surprise that Mark’s basketball resume is one of the most impressive in WA history.
Mark is a two time Olympian, and a Commonwealth Games gold medallist. He was one of the few who pulled on an Australian Boomers jersey before playing his first game in the NBL.
After playing standout college ball at the Metropolitan State College of Denver, where he was named the NABC Division 2 Player of the Year in 2004/2005, he returned to Australia and was named in the Boomers squad. He participated in 4 major campaigns with the Boomers in 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012.
Mark made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings in the 2005/2006 season, where he won the NBL Rookie of the Year Award. He played with Sydney for 3 seasons, where he played alongside CJ Bruton, David Barlow, Russell Hinder and Cameron Tovey to name a few.
Mark went on to play a total 335 NBL games over 11 seasons, where he averaged 14.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. He was named in the All NBL First Team 4 times, and won an NBL championship in the 2008/2009 season with the South Dragons.
Mark was the captain of the 2008/2009 South Dragons team, and won the club MVP for the year. he played alongside team mates Joe Ingles, Adam Gibson, Mika Vukona, Rhys Carter, Shannon Seebohm, and Nick Horvath.
In the off seasons, Mark played abroad in Serbia, Puerto Rico, and most notably winning a championship in the 2009/2010 season with the Brose Bamberg Baskets.
Mark still sits in the top 50 of the NBL for career blocks, and has an impressive career high game score of 34 points with the Sydney Kings. In 2013, Mark was named in the Sydney Kings 25th Anniversary Team.
Before his national and international basketball career began, Mark won an SBL championship with his hometown Bunbury Slammers in 1999. He has since coached the Bunbury Slammers at an SBL level, and in their inaugral NBL1 season in 2021.
He has experienced every level of basketball that this country has to offer, and has proven to dominate in all of them.
After an incredible career, Mark brings a huge amount of knowledge and experience with him to the Tigers roster. He had this to say about signing with the Tigers;
“I’m happy to be back playing high level basketball. I’m hoping to help the younger guys by passing on my knowledge, as well as being a supportive teammate. Excited and grateful to be playing, and look forward to the challenges ahead”
Coach Adam Nener is equally as excited to have Mark on board;
“The opportunity to bring someone of Mark’s calibre into the club, was too good to turn down. His experience, basketball IQ, and leadership will help our program as we look to go deep into the playoffs this year.”
As well as strengthening the roster, and helping to develop his younger teammates, Talent & Coaching Manager Brad Robbins thinks Mark will have a huge positive impact of the association as a whole:
“We are thrilled to have someone with such outstanding playing credentials and experience join our club. The knowledge he will be able to impart on our young upcoming athletes is invaluable”.
Be sure to get down and see Mark in the Tigers blue for the first time at our season opener on Friday March 31 at Willetton Stadium. Click here to view the full Tigers 2023 NBL1 West fixtures