Bulla Basketball Memories: Sam Short

Thanks to Bulla Family Dairy we are taking a look back at some of our players’ and coaches’ early days of basketball.

Sam Short’s rapid rise from playing basketball in Ballarat to signing as a Development Player with Melbourne United is profound.

Always looking up to his two older brothers, he grew up playing all sports alongside them before he ultimately chose to go down the basketball path.

Speaking to Melbourne United Media, Short said once he made the state team for Victoria, he knew there was only one sport he was ever going to choose.

“I played basketball and footy for a long time (as a kid),” he said.

“Me and my two older brothers did that until I had to pick at 14 or 15 (years of age) and that’s when I stuck with basketball.

“But certainly, with two older brothers, we had a crack at every sport.

“At the time (when I had to choose), I had just made my first basketball state team for Victoria and that took up a lot of the weekends so I couldn’t really play footy.

“At that stage, it was just smarter to go with basketball.”

Sam Short, with teammate Sam Whelan at Albury Cup for Country Victoria

As the youngest of three brothers, Short has plenty of fond memories growing up playing sport with them and was always keen to emulate them out on the court wherever he could.

While he didn’t have a specific mentor he looked up to, it was the presence of his two older brothers that ultimately saw him begin the journey towards playing in the NBL.

“I’m the youngest brother of three boys so I was always looking up to my two older ones,” he said.

“They ultimately didn’t choose basketball, but I always tried to follow in their footsteps.”

Sam Short with Sam McMaster, Lauren Jackson and Lindsay Cole

The 22-year-old guard’s defining basketball memory as a kid came in his very first junior game when he was just five years old, filling in for his local side and shooting for the very first time.

“In my very first game, I filled in with one of my older brothers’ team,” he said.

“I remember making my first shot as well as the court that I made it on so that’s probably my first basketball memory from when I was about five years old.”

Alongside the rest of his teammates, Short is back out on court and is raring to go ahead of another big NBL season.