In this episode of Awesome Humans, host Brett McCallum sits down with Australian basketball legend Sam Mackinnon for a wide-ranging, often hilarious, and deeply human conversation. From his early days growing up in Melbourne, juggling football and basketball dreams, to his rise through the NBL and international tournaments—including Olympic battles against LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal—Sam shares what it’s really like behind the stats. The chat spans career highlights, personal struggles, his coaching philosophy, and the journey of raising a basketball-playing son in today’s fast-paced sporting world.
Show Notes
Sponsored by: Official Beer Co - GC Lager
In this episode:
- Sam's early memories and why he nearly played AFL
- Being recruited in Year 11 and signing his first NBL contract at 17
- Playing against LeBron, Shaq, Scottie Pippen and the Dream Team
- What it was like representing Australia at the Olympics
- The highs and lows of a long career: MVPs, injuries, and setbacks
- Transitioning to coaching and building the Taranaki Airs into a contender
- His perspective on fatherhood, divorce, and raising elite kids in sport
- Life lessons from basketball—and what’s next
Quickfire Q&A:
Favourite food? (Steak!) | Favourite place? (Sunshine Beach) | Most proud of? (His kids)
What is Awesome Humans?
Awesome Humans is a podcast by Brett McCallum. Entrepreneur, author, speaker, and all-round Aussie bloke, Brett McCallum has been in the IT business with his company Virtech for over 15 years, alongside many other ventures - with a range of successes and learning experiences along the way. In this series, Brett interviews all sorts of inspiring humans from varied backgrounds to share their stories with the world. Many of Brett's guests have an entrepreneurial background and an amazing story about their successes and failures along the way.
Podcast by Podfire.