Daniels aims to fly higher with Atlanta

IT’S not just more steals, blocks and rebounds that Bendigo-raised basketballer Dyson Daniels will aim for as he guards some of the NBA’s best for the Atlanta Hawks next season.

The most improved player in the world’s biggest basketball league, Daniels has a goal to rack up more points and assists across 2025-26.

An incredible first season with Atlanta, in which he led the league on 229 steals, has earnt Daniels the April award in Bendigo’s Sports Star of the Year.

He was second in voting for the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Daniels averaged 13.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists across 77 regular season matches and was the first player in 30 years to have 200-plus steals and 50 blocks in a single season. Now in its 60th year, Bendigo Sports Star has recognised many superb feats.

Daniels was in the running for the 2021 and 2022 award.

A dual recipient in Bendigo’s Sports Star of the Year scholarship awards helped cover some of the expenses involved with criss-crossing the country to play.

In 2024, Daniels joined the Olympic family when he was on court for the Boomers in Paris.

Another of the region’s rising stars in water sports, Maya Murphy, was the scholarship recipient for April.

The 16-year-old was third in short course K1, 3km; second in long course K1, 18.5km; and third in long course K2, 18.5km, at the Australian Marathon Kayaking Championships.

Her performance in the K1 long course has earnt selection in the Australian junior team to compete in Gyor, Hungary, in September.

Meanwhile, one of the first inductees to the Bendigo Sports Star of the Year Hall of Fame, the late Don Sherman Snr, has earned his place in Bowls Victoria’s Hall of Fame.

Don’s son, Greg, accepted the award on behalf of the family at the recent presentation night.

Don Sherman Snr represented Victoria more than 300 times.

A stint of 58 international appearances included gold in the men’s fours at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane.

Sherman was national coach/manager from 1996 to 1999 and was a gun for South Bendigo Bowling Club.