Australian basketball player (born 2007)
Rocco Zikarsky (born 11 July 2006)[1] is an Australian professional basketball player for the Brisbane Bullets of the National Basketball League (NBL).
Early life and career
Zikarsky was born on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland,[2] to German Olympic medal-winning swimmer Björn Zikarsky[3] and Australian champion ironwoman Kylie Zikarsky.[2] He excelled in Queensland representative teams and was a standout player at the NBA Global Academy in Canberra.[4] He attended Brisbane Grammar School throughout his early teenage years.[5]
In 2023, Zikarsky played for the BA Centre of Excellence in the NBL1 East, averaging 9.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in seven games.[6]
Professional career
On 7 July 2023, Zikarsky signed with the Brisbane Bullets of the National Basketball League (NBL) as part of the NBL's Next Stars program.[7] At 16 years old, he became the youngest player in the program's history.[8] On 7 January 2024, he had six points and four blocks in 10 and-a-half minutes against the Sydney Kings.[9] He played in 27 of the Bullets' 28 games in the 2023–24 season, averaging 3.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 blocks on 59.7% shooting in 7.0 minutes per game.[10]
Zikarsky returned to the Bullets for the 2024–25 NBL season,[11] entering his second season as one of the top prospects for the 2025 NBA draft.[12] In the Bullets' season opener, Zikarsky played six minutes, scored four points and grabbed three rebounds.[13] He struggled to break into the starting lineup ahead of fellow centre Tyrell Harrison.[14]
National team career
In 2022, Zikarsky played for Australia at the FIBA U16 Asian Championship and the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup.[15] In 2024, he led Australia to victory at the Albert Schweitzer-Tournament, earning MVP honours. He averaged 18.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game on 73.1% shooting.[16]
Zikarsky debuted for the Australian Boomers during the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers.[15]
References
External links
