Khalu’s surprise NBL appearance

This past weekend many NBL1 fans may have been surprised to spot a familiar face on the Illawarra Hawks’ bench, with Mackay Meteors head coach Joel Khalu working the sidelines as an assistant coach alongside interim head coach Justin Tatum.

The 2021 NBL1 North championship coach is well-known across Australian basketball, coaching junior teams for both Basketball Queensland and Australia for many years. 

The Hawks fell by a single point to the Bullets on Sunday, but the Hawks have been rejuvenated under coach Tatum. 

In the post-game press conference, Tatum explained that Khalu’s experience and tenure across Australian basketball made him an excellent fit on the team and hopes to have him involved more throughout NBL24. 

“We expect to see a lot more, we want him to tag along,” Tatum explained in the post-game press conference. 

“We’ve been looking for somebody to help us and add another addition to our coaching staff. Joel is a highly respectable name out there, not just because we are in Brisbane.

“He came in and has been a great voice, he knows a majority of the players, he’s coached Todd (Blanchfield) and a couple of other guys on the team, so that was an easy call for us.”