SYDNEY – Basketball Magic, an Australian-owned sports management company focused on basketball development at the grassroots level, today named Bret Mactavish as CEO of NBA Basketball School Australia.  Mactavish will begin in this new role at the end of May.

NBA Basketball School is a network of tuition-based basketball development programs open to male and female players from outside the U.S. ages 6-18.  Operated by Basketball Magic, NBA Basketball School Australia launched in February 2023 and is located at the state-of-the-art facility at Cranbrook School in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney.  Since then, the program has expanded with additional locations at St Philip’s Christian College Newcastle and Kincoppal-Rose Bay at Vaucluse.  As CEO of NBA Basketball School Australia, Mactavish will drive the program’s further expansion across the country in the coming years.

“Bret is uniquely qualified and understands the sport from grassroots to the highest levels of basketball globally, yet he is grounded, genuine and passionate about the positive impact the sport can have on all ages and genders, especially youth,” said NBA Basketball School Australia Managing Director and Owner, Ben O’Neill.  “We have an ambitious strategic growth plan and are confident Bret has the experience, business acumen, and relationship building skills required to lead the NBA Basketball School Australia program.”

“I’m thrilled to be joining NBA Basketball School Australia and am looking forward to working alongside Ben and the team to expand the school’s hubs across the country, which will introduce and inspire the next generation of basketballers through NBA approved programs delivered by passionate coaches,” said Mactavish.  “The opportunity to help grow the NBA brand at the grassroots level in Australia is a special opportunity because I know firsthand the positive impact the NBA has on growing the game no matter where you are in the world.”

Mactavish joins NBA Basketball School Australia after leading Norths Basketball as CEO since June 2022.  Under his leadership, the club won an unprecedented 12 Basketball New South Wales Awards in 2023, including Association of the Year.  Additionally, the Norths NBL1 Women were runners up at the NBL1 National Grand Finals, and the club achieved record levels of sponsorships, including its first principal NBL1 naming rights partner.  Mactavish also reorganised and established a new management team to serve the club’s more than 6,000 members.

In addition to Mactavish’s tenure at Norths Basketball, he brings extensive experience in the basketball industry, having previously served as Director of International Basketball Operations at the NBA, General Manager of Operations for the NBL, Basketball Operations Manager for the WNBA, and Head of Players’ Experience at FIBA.