The son of an AFL champion has signed a two-year deal to play for National Basketball League club Illawarra Hawks.
Kobe McDowell-White, the son of AFL Indigenous Team of the Century member Darryl White, was unveiled as the Hawks' final development player of the NBL25 season.
The Torres Strait, Warramungu and Arrernte man comes from a decorated sporting family with his brother William McDowell-White a former NBL star with the New Zealand Breakers.
McDowell-White's father played 268 AFL games for Brisbane and was a member of the club's triple-premiership triumphs in the early 2000s.
His younger brother Zac and sister Jessica are also highly-talented basketball players in their own right.
The 20-year-old expressed his excitement about joining the NBL club.
"It is a dream come true to be here in the NBL, with the Illawarra Hawks," he told Illawarra Hawks Media.
"It is great to be in this environment and improve my game and myself both on and off the court.
"Playing in this environment with these players has already improved my skills, even in this short time."
The highly-talented guard is coming off an impressive season in the NBL1 North competition for the Sunshine Coast Phoenix where he averaged 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 6.1 assists.
He impressed NBL scouts with his athleticism, vision and playmaking abilities.
McDowell-White's deal includes an option to extend into a third-year.
He is the club's inaugural signing under the First Nations Development Player Scholarship program, marking a significant milestone for the Hawks in establishing their new First Nations pathway.
Hawks' General Manager of Basketball Mat Campbell said that he was delighted that McDowell-White would be joining the club.
"He was a standout in the NBL1 season, really catching our attention and came highly recommended by our current assistant coach Joel Khalu," Campbell told NBL.com.au.
"We have believed for a long time that it is important for the club to provide a pathway and present opportunities for our emerging First Nations players.
"That has been a key part of the Hawks' community and basketball strategy, even before our ground-breaking Indigenous game in 2018, which led the league implementing the Indigenous Round annually."
