| No. 20 – South East Melbourne Phoenix | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Point guard /shooting guard | ||||||||||||||||||||
| League | NBL | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1990-07-14)14 July 1990 (age 35) Warrnambool,Victoria, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 82 kg (181 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| High school |
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| College | |||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 2014:undrafted | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2014–present | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Ballarat Miners | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Cairns Taipans | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Cairns Marlins | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2019 | Adelaide 36ers | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | PAOK | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | SIG Strasbourg | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2024 | Brisbane Bullets | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021; 2023–2024 | Ipswich Force | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–present | South East Melbourne Phoenix | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | Santeros de Aguada | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Nathan Adam Sobey (born 14 July 1990) is an Australian professionalbasketball player for theSouth East Melbourne Phoenix of theNational Basketball League (NBL). He playedcollege basketball for theWyoming Cowboys before debuting in the NBL in 2014 for theCairns Taipans. He was a member of theAustralian Boomers team that won bronze at the2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Sobey was born inWarrnambool,Victoria.[1] He attendedEmmanuel College in Warrnambool[2] andSt Patrick's College inBallarat.[3] He is listed by Emmanuel College as being a member of their Class of 2008,[2][4][5] but sources also indicate he attended and represented St Patrick's College in 2008.[3][6][7] He grew up playing for the Warrnambool Seahawks.[8]
Sobey moved to the United States in 2010 to playcollege basketball forCochise College. During his freshman season, he averaged 7.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists.[1] As a sophomore in 2011–12, he averaged 16.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game. He earned First-Team All-Conference and First-Team All-Region honors.[1]
In April 2012, Sobey signed aNational Letter of Intent to play forWyoming in theNCAA Division I.[9]
As a junior in 2012–13, Sobey appeared in 32 games for the Cowboys and averaged 3.5 points and 1.0 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per game.[1] On 26 February 2013 againstAir Force, he scored a season-high 22 points in a career-high 31 minutes.[1]
As a senior in 2013–14, Sobey was one of two Cowboys to start all 33 games. He averaged 9.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 30.2 minutes per game.[1] He scored a career-high 33 points to go with four rebounds and three assists againstColorado State on 8 March 2014.[1]
After graduating from Wyoming, Sobey returned to Australia and joined theBallarat Miners of theSouth East Australian Basketball League (SEABL).[10] In 10 games during the 2014 SEABL season, he averaged 15.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.[11]
In August 2014, Sobey joined theCairns Taipans of theNational Basketball League (NBL) as a training player ahead of the2014–15 season.[12][13] He joined the Taipans' full-time roster in September as the eleventh man,[14] and in January 2015 was elevated to the playing squad as an injury replacement forCorey Maynard.[15] Following the NBL season, he joined theCairns Marlins for the 2015Queensland Basketball League (QBL) season.[16]
In July 2015, Sobey signed a three-year deal with theAdelaide 36ers.[17] In the2016–17 NBL season, he earned theNBL Most Improved Player Award[18] and was named to theAll-NBL Second Team.[19] Following the NBL season, he had a stint withPAOK to finish the2016–17 Greek League season.[20][21]
In April 2017, Sobey extended his contract with the 36ers for another two years.[22] He later spent time with theUtah Jazz during the2017 NBA Summer League.[23]
On 26 October 2018, Sobey recorded atriple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the 36ers' 91–83 win over the Cairns Taipans.[24][25][26][27] Following the2018–19 NBL season, Sobey had a stint withSIG Strasbourg in France.[11]
On 5 April 2019, Sobey signed with theBrisbane Bullets on a three-year deal.[28] He was named to theAll-NBL First Team for the2020–21 NBL season.[29] On 27 April 2022, he re-signed with the Bullets on a three-year deal.[30]
On 9 February 2024, Sobey scored a career-high 37 points in the Bullets' 102–84 win over the Adelaide 36ers.[31]
On 28 March 2024, Sobey parted ways with the Bullets.[32]
On 14 April 2024, Sobey signed with theSouth East Melbourne Phoenix for the2024–25 NBL season.[33] Following the NBL season, he joinedSanteros de Aguada of theBaloncesto Superior Nacional for the2025 season.[34]
On 31 March 2025, Sobey and the Phoenix mutually exercised the club option on his contract for the2025–26 NBL season.[35] In October 2025, he played his 300th NBL game.[36]
In 2016, Sobey played for the Warrnambool Seahawks and helped them win theBig V Division One championship. He was named league MVP and Finals MVP.[37][38] He played for the Seahawks again in 2018.[39]
In 2020, Sobey played for theIpswich Force in the Queensland State League (QSL).[11] He returned to the Force, now in theNBL1 North, for the2021 NBL1 season.[11] With the Force in the2023 NBL1 season, Sobey helped Ipswich reach the NBL1 North grand final series, where they defeated theGold Coast Rollers 2–1 to win thechampionship. Sobey was named Finals MVP.[40][41] He re-joined the Force for the2024 NBL1 North season.[42]
In 2018, Sobey won gold with theAustralian Boomers at theCommonwealth Games. The following year he played for the Boomers at theFIBA World Cup.[43]
At the 2019 Australian Basketball Hall of Fame awards night, Sobey was recognised alongsideNick Kay with the 2019Gaze Family Medal for performances at the World Cup Qualifiers and the Commonwealth Games.[44]
In February 2021, Sobey was named in the Boomers'Olympic squad.[45] He went on to help the Boomers win the bronze medal.[46]
In November 2024, Sobey joined the Boomers for the2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.[47]
Sobey has two brothers.[1] Sobey got married in 2018.[39]
...with Commonwealth Games Basketball Gold Medallist and member of the Emmanuel College Class of 2008 - Nathan Sobey.
Two members of the class of 2008 Australian basketball player Nathan Sobey...
The 26-year-old has spent the off-season with his home-town Warrnambool Seahawks in the Victorian state league, dominating to the tune of 31 points and 6 assists per game.
Sobey will remain in Warrnambool until May 22 before jetting to America for his June 4 wedding.