MEDIA RELEASE: KNOX BASKETBALL X KOORIE ACADEMY PARTNERSHIP

Knox Basketball and Koorie Academy celebrate partnership built on culture, connection and community.

Knox Basketball is proud to announce its partnership with Koorie Academy, strengthening a relationship built over a number of years and grounded in a shared belief in the power of basketball to connect communities.

The partnership recognises Koorie Academy’s important contribution to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people and families through culturally safe basketball programs, cultural workshops and community activities. Koorie Academy is a volunteer-led registered charity that brings young people and families together to learn, play and celebrate culture through sport.

The relationship is especially meaningful because Koorie Academy CEO and founder Ricky Baldwin is part of Knox Raiders history. A proud Gunai Kurnai man, Baldwin played for the Knox Raiders and was a member of the club’s first men’s national championship team in 1991. 

Koorie Academy’s logo is now displayed at the State Basketball Centre in Wantirna South, creating a visible symbol of the partnership and its ongoing commitment to culture, connection and community. 

“Knox Basketball has been an important part of my basketball journey, so to see Koorie Academy’s relationship with the club continue to grow is incredibly special. This partnership is about creating welcoming opportunities for our young people and families to connect through basketball, celebrate culture and feel that they belong -  Ricky Baldwin, CEO and Founder, Koorie Academy”