Basketball

Inducted in 2020

Michael AhMatt is considered by South Australia’s basketball community as a pioneering legend of the game, forging a record-breaking 20-season South Adelaide Panthers career. AhMatt would play a then Club Record 588 games over 20 seasons for the Panthers and led the team to the first of their ten titles in 1963, followed by titles in 1965, 1966, 1969 and 1973.

His reverence on and off the court is likened to that of former American Basketball superstar Michael “Magic” Jordan, with the pair sharing not only a name but also an uncanny ability to read play and find space.

In 1964, Michael became one of the first two Indigenous Australian’s to represent Australia at the Olympics at the Tokyo Games. He went on to play in the 1968 Olympic qualifiers in Mexico City.

He is a member of the Aboriginal and Islander Sports Hall of Fame and Australian Basketball Hall of Fame.