Fri
Sep 12, 2025
How Thunder pathway played a pivotal role in Reyne's road to the big time
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Story By Jacob Bevis
Returning to Australia to tip off his professional basketball career wasn't always the plan for Reyne Smith.
But the 22-year-old is preparing for his first NBL season with Cairns, and if it wasn't for the North West Thunder, he may not be there.
"As a kid growing up in Ulverstone, [the Thunder] was an easy five-minute drive. I was fortunate to go to most games on a Saturday night, and that's what kick-started my love for basketball," Smith said.
"I looked up to players such as Nick Haywood, Ben Armstrong, Sam Armstrong and imports such as BJ Jenkins and Garrett Jackson [now a staff member at the Boomers].
"It gave me a pathway to continue my basketball. It helped me develop quickly and learn what basketball is all about."
Basketball Tasmania announced last week that a newly established entity - proposed by the Launceston Tornadoes - will commence in 2026, spelling the end of the Thunder.
Smith hoped the Northern Tasmania Basketball Club, which is set to play games in the North and North-West under a new identity, would provide a similar pathway that helped him develop.
It's been a big year for the 187-centimetre shooting guard, who has spent the past year playing college basketball at Louisville.
Smith suited up for the Denver Nuggets and Washington Wizards in the NBA Summer League before joining the Boomers' FIBA Asia Cup squad.
He said a chance to kick-start his pro career in Australia wasn't originally part of his plans.
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