NBL’s famous Bradtke surname back in Melbourne
Jasper Bruce |
One of the NBL’s most famous surnames has returned to Melbourne with Jensen Bradtke, son of basketball legend Mark, signing a two-year deal at Melbourne United.
The 208cm 22-year-old joins from the Brisbane Bullets, where he played 13 games and averaged 3.9 minutes in his first season as a development player.
A move to Melbourne appears a fairytale moment for the family; Mark Bradtke became synonymous with United’s predecessor club the Melbourne Tigers during his own playing career.
Bradtke was a member of Melbourne’s first two championship-winning teams in 1993 and 1997 and his No.50 singlet is one of only six numbers retired by the club.
He was also a four-time Olympian, 10-time member of the All-NBL First team and won league MVP in 2002, only the second Tigers player to claim the prize after seven-time winner Andrew Gaze.
The younger Bradtke joins United as a development player for his first season, but his contract contains an option for promotion to the full roster beyond that.
Bradtke’s college career included stints with St Mary’s, the same school attended by Patty Mills, Jock Landale and Matthew Dellavedova, and Montana University.
Most recently Bradtke has averaged a tick under 21 points per game playing for Gold Coast Rollers in the NBL1 North’s 2026 season.
“I’m over the moon to be a part of this United organisation,” Bradtke said.
“I know what they’re about. I’ve worked closely with the club in previous off-seasons and I’ve got some family history here, so it’s pretty cool to be coming back to Melbourne and be a part of this team.”
Bradtke joins ex-NBA star Joe Ingles in arriving at United for the club’s first season under coach Jacob Chance.
Chris Goulding and Shea Ili are among key locals on the roster, but United are still on the lookout for an elite overseas point guard following Tyson Walker’s departure.
AAP