All-time great and NBL1 East superstar, Lauren Jackson was honoured last night at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, receiving The Dawn Award.
This award recognises an individual, team or organisation who "show courage and bravery, and have changed sport for the better". It’s clear that Jackson’s journey through NBL1 displays these qualities.
In 2016, Jackson’s Hall of Fame career ended prematurely due to multiple lower-body injuries. Despite her long battle with her health, the love of the game never faded, coaching the women’s Albury-Wodonga Bandits during the inaugural NBL1 season in 2019 – before making a historic comeback to the court in 2022.
During the NBL1 East’s first season, Jackson dominated the competition at 40 years old, averaging 31.8 points, 12.6 rebounds and a block per game for her hometown team – taking home the MVP in the process.
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Alongside All-Star Five teammates, Ai Yamada and Unique Thompson, the Bandits won the conference’s first championship over the Sutherland Sharks.
This gave Jackson the confidence to continue the second chapter of her career, making her fabled return to the WNBL and two additional tournaments with the Opals.
Immediately after the 2022 season, Jackson made her fairytale return to the FIBA Women’s World Cup in Sydney, taking home bronze in front of friends and family. She then signed with the Southside Flyers for the 2023/24 season, winning her seventh WNBL title.
She returned to the NBL1 in 2024, leading the Bandits to an undefeated 20-0 record before departing to represent Australia in her fifth Olympics – winning bronze in her final appearance for the national team in Paris.
Being honoured at last night’s awards, Jackson reminisced on her return to the court.
"I always said right from the beginning of me starting to play again that I was on borrowed time, and I knew that my knee at some point was going to go," Jackson told AAP.
"And it did, but I got through and I'm so proud that I proved to myself that I could, and to be a part of something super special.
"It's such a special honour to be receiving an award named after her."
