Ashley Barker, Joel Matheson and John Oliver hopped more than 8,000 miles from Australia to show up to the AT&T Center in kangaroo outfits for Spurs opening night.
They came to San Antonio from Sydney and Melbourne down under, taking the 17-hour flight to see Patty Mills play for the Spurs.
They were three grown men dressed as kangaroos, and it would have been perfectly normal on Halloween or any other night.
“We love being Australian and Patty really shows the pride he has in his country,” Oliver said. “Australia’s a country of 20 million people, but Patty’s shown that if you try your hardest and give it your all, you can make it on a world stage.”
Patty and the Spurs didn’t disappoint, as Mills scored 11 points with three assists to help the Spurs defeat Brooklyn 102-75.
The three Australians in Section 225 spent much of the game taking photos with Spurs fans and showing off their flag that read “G’Day Mate! Aussies love Texas” They said they’ve loved the hospitality they’ve received in San Antonio, mainly because all the locals want to talk about is Patty Mills.
“As soon as people see we’re from Australia, the first thing they say is Patty Mills,” Matheson said. “It’s great that everybody here loves him as much as we do in Australia.”
Australians are making a bigger impact in the NBA, as the season began with seven Aussies on NBA rosters. Mills and Aron Baynes were the third and fourth Australians to win an NBA title in 2013-14 (joining Andrew Gaze and Luc Longley), and Golden State’s Andrew Bogut became the fifth in 2014-15.
Over the summer, Mills represented Australia in the FIBA Oceania Championships, helping the Boomers qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
“Patty and the other Aussies have certainly promoted basketball a lot more in Australia,” Matheson said. “Younger kids are seeing these guys as their hero and it’s built a lot of momentum for basketball. When the Spurs have a big game, Patty’s the first thing mentioned on a sports report.”
The trio were planning on keeping the costumes on through the night. After all, Australia was facing New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup final on Saturday morning.
“We’re going to celebrate all night through the Spurs’ victory,” Oliver said. “Then we’re going to celebrate a World Cup. And it’s going to be the greatest trip ever.”