Adrian King started playing basketball in 1984 and first represented Australia in 1999. His career with his country has had both highs and lows. After suffering a devastating loss in the semi-finals and placing third at the 2002 World Championships, Adrian went on to be part of the Rollers team that won silver in Athens. The Rollers went one better in 2008, winning the gold medal at the Beijing Paralympics. Adrian says it felt fantastic to beat the World Champions Canada in a gold medal match and finds the whole experience difficult to put into words.

At a national level, Adrian plays for the Brisbane Spinning Bullets and was involved with restarting the NWBL in his hometown of Brisbane. One of his sporting highlights was being a member of the NWBL Minor Premier team and he lists his first Australian singlet as his most valuable basketball possession.

Although Adrian’s own commitment to the game comes from his desire to compete and win, the people in sport that he admires most are the quiet achievers. He believes in training hard, having confidence in yourself and those around you and making sure you keep the balance right.

Given that he works full time as a stockbroker, plays basketball at the highest level and is married with two children, Jackson and Amber, balance is particularly important for Adrian – although he does nominate fatherhood as the scariest thing he has ever undertaken. He plans to play with the Rollers at the upcoming World Championships, after which he will reassess his basketball career and consider retirement.