Twice the Joy in Asia Cup for Gangurrus

Called up in mid-March, Aussie Stith pivotal in fifth 3x3 crown; women claim fourth title

- Kimberly Kwek

To chase his dreams of becoming a professional basketballer, Dillon Stith uprooted his life and moved over 16,000km from the United States to Melbourne a decade ago.

Fresh out of college in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, the American had his sights set on Europe, but was unable to find opportunities there, so he decided to make the move Down Under.

Over the next 10 years, he established himself in the five-on-five scene, playing with several National Basketball League outfits, before obtaining Australian citizenship in 2023.

He went on to attend several training camps with the national 3x3 team, but never got the chance to don the Gangurrus' green and gold colours. That was until he earned a call-up for the Fiba 3x3 Champions Cup in mid-March in Bangkok, where Australia finished third.

Just over a fortnight after that, the 33-year-old was pivotal as Australia clinched their fifth Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup title, and second straight, by beating China 21-19 in a nail-biting encounter at the OCBC Square on March 30.