Luke Kendall

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Luke Kendall

| image = Luke Kendall.jpg

| caption = Kendall with the Sydney Kings in 2005

| height_cm = 193

| weight_kg = 90

| league = Indian National Basketball League

| team = Gujarat Stallions

| position = Head coach

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1981|5|25}}

| birth_place = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

| high_school = Box Hill (Melbourne, Victoria)

| college = Metro State (2000–2004)

| draft_year = 2004

| career_start = 1999

| career_end = 2014

| career_position = Point guard / Shooting guard

| coach_start = 2015

| years1 = 1999–2000;
2004

| team1 = Kilsyth Cobras

| years2 = 2004–2008

| team2 = Sydney Kings

| years3 = 2008

| team3 = Perth Wildcats

| years4 = 2009–2010

| team4 = Melbourne Tigers

| years5 = 2010

| team5 = Sydney Kings

| years6 = 2011

| team6 = Gold Coast Blaze

| years7 = 2011

| team7 = Nunawading Spectres

| years8 = 2012

| team8 = Sandringham Sabres

| years9 = 2013–2014

| team9 = Sydney Comets

| cyears1 = 2015–2017

| cteam1 = Sydney Comets

| cyears2 = 2016–2019

| cteam2 = Sydney Kings (assistant)

| cyears3 = 2019–2022

| cteam3 = South East Melbourne Phoenix (assistant)

| cyears4 = 2025–present

| cteam4 = Gujarat Stallions

| cyears5 = 2025–present

| cteam5 = Casey Cavaliers

| highlights =

As player:

NBL champion (2005)
SEABL champion (2011)
NCAA Division II champion (2002)
First-team All-RMAC (2003)

As coach:

INBL champion (2025)
Waratah League champion (2015)
Waratah League Coach of the Year (2017)

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{bk|Australia}}}}

}}

Luke Kendall (born 25 May 1981) is an Australian basketball coach and former player. He played seven years in the National Basketball League (NBL) between 2004 and 2011, winning a championship in 2005.

Early life

Kendall was born in Melbourne, Victoria.{{cite web|url=http://www.nbl.com.au/default.aspx?s=kings_playerprofile&profile=212|title=Luke Kendall|work=NBL.com.au|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070416213123/http://www.nbl.com.au/default.aspx?s=kings_playerprofile&profile=212|archive-date=16 April 2007|access-date=25 May 2022}} He attended Box Hill Senior Secondary College and played for the Kilsyth Cobras in the SEABL in 1999 and 2000.{{cite web|url=https://websites.mygameday.app/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=194500792&client=0-3363-126354-210246-16890001|title=Luke Kendall|work=SEABL|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525103303/https://websites.mygameday.app/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=194500792&client=0-3363-126354-210246-16890001|archive-date=25 May 2022|access-date=25 May 2022}}

College career

Kendall played four years of NCAA Division II college basketball for Metro State between 2000 and 2004. The Roadrunners won the NCAA Division II championship in 2002 and Kendall was named first-team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in 2003.

Professional career

After graduating college in 2004, Kendall returned to the Kilsyth Cobras in the SEABL. He then joined the Sydney Kings of the NBL for the 2004–05 season. He was a contender for NBL Rookie of the Year in 2005 before a knee injury ended his season after just 12 games. The Kings went on to win the 2004–05 NBL championship.

After four seasons with the Kings, the team folded following the 2007–08 NBL season. He subsequently joined the Perth Wildcats for 2008–09 NBL season.{{cite web|url=http://news.smh.com.au/sport/wildcats-swoop-to-sign-kendall-20081014-50ki.html|title=Wildcats swoop to sign Kendall|work=smh.com.au|date=October 14, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130405120721/http://news.smh.com.au/sport/wildcats-swoop-to-sign-kendall-20081014-50ki.html|archive-date=5 April 2013}} He left the Wildcats in December 2008 after 12 games, and in January 2009 he joined the Melbourne Tigers for the remainder of the 2008–09 season. He continued on with the Tigers for the 2009–10 NBL season.{{cite web|url=https://basketball.australiabasket.com/player/Luke-Kendall/Australia/Sydney-City-Comets/31689|title=Luke Kendall|work=australiabasket.com|access-date=25 May 2022|url-access=subscription}}

The Kings returned to the NBL in the 2010–11 season. Kendall played one game for the Kings in November 2010 before joining the Gold Coast Blaze in February 2011 for the rest of the season.{{cite web|url=http://www.sportingpulse.com/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=190394973&client=0-189-12321-119318-369916|title=Luke Kendall|work=NBL|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108204248/http://www.sportingpulse.com/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=190394973&client=0-189-12321-119318-369916|archive-date=8 November 2012|access-date=25 May 2022}}

Kendall finished his NBL career with 173 games and averages of 10.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.

Kendall returned to the SEABL in 2011 and played for the Nunawading Spectres. He then played for the Sandringham Sabres in 2012. Between 2013 and 2014, he played in the Waratah League for the Sydney Comets.

National team career

Kendall represented Australia at the 2001 World Championship for Young Men, 2006 FIBA Stanković Continental Champions' Cup, 2006 FIBA World Championship, and 2007 FIBA Oceania Championship.{{cite web|url=http://www.fiba.basketball/pages/eng/fa/player/p/pid/39246/sid/3974/tid/239/_//index.html|title=Luke Kendall|work=fiba.basketball|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525112608/http://www.fiba.basketball/pages/eng/fa/player/p/pid/39246/sid/3974/tid/239/_//index.html|archive-date=25 May 2022|access-date=25 May 2022}} He was also a member of the Australian team that won the gold medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.{{cite web|url=https://commonwealthgames.com.au/athletes/luke-kendall/|title=Luke Kendall|work=commonwealthgames.com.au|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525112937/https://commonwealthgames.com.au/athletes/luke-kendall/|archive-date=25 May 2022|access-date=25 May 2022}}{{cite web|url=http://www.melbourne2006.com.au/Sports+and+Venues/Basketball/News/20060324+Boomers+hold+steady+to+claim+gold.htm|title=Boomers win gold thriller|work=melbourne2006.com.au|date=24 March 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060821144302/http://www.melbourne2006.com.au/Sports+and+Venues/Basketball/News/20060324+Boomers+hold+steady+to+claim+gold.htm|archive-date=21 August 2006|access-date=25 May 2022}}

Coaching career

Between 2015 and 2017, Kendall served as coach of the Sydney Comets in the Waratah League.{{cite web|url=https://websites.mygameday.app/assoc_page.cgi?c=0-4633-0-0-0&sID=86448&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=31886774|title=SENIOR COACHING APPOINTMENTS 2015|work=City of Sydney Basketball Association|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525110546/https://websites.mygameday.app/assoc_page.cgi?c=0-4633-0-0-0&sID=86448&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=31886774|archive-date=25 May 2022|access-date=25 May 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://websites.mygameday.app/assoc_page.cgi?c=0-4633-0-0-0&sID=86448&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=36112949|title=2016 COACHING APPOINTMENTS|work=City of Sydney Basketball Association|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525110624/https://websites.mygameday.app/assoc_page.cgi?c=0-4633-0-0-0&sID=86448&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=36112949|archive-date=25 May 2022|access-date=25 May 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bnsw.com.au/news/2017-molten-waratah-league-coach-of-the-year-awards/|title=2017 MOLTEN WARATAH LEAGUE COACH OF THE YEAR AWARDS|work=bnsw.com.au|date=12 August 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525110733/https://www.bnsw.com.au/news/2017-molten-waratah-league-coach-of-the-year-awards/|archive-date=25 May 2022|access-date=25 May 2022}}

Kendall joined the Sydney Kings for the 2016–17 NBL season in a part-time coaching role. He was promoted to a full-time assistant coach for the 2017–18 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.sydneykings.com/news/coach-kendall/|title=Luke Kendall stepping up|work=sydneykings.com|date=7 April 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525111043/https://www.sydneykings.com/news/coach-kendall/|archive-date=25 May 2022|access-date=25 May 2022}}

After three years with the Kings, Kendall joined the South East Melbourne Phoenix in a part-time player development role in 2019 for their inaugural NBL season.{{cite web |title=Kendall brings experience to Phoenix |url=https://www.semphoenix.com.au/news/kendall-brings-experience-to-phoenix |website=semphoenix.com.au |accessdate=7 August 2020 |date=25 September 2019}} He was promoted to a full-time assistant coach for the 2020–21 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.semphoenix.com.au/news/nbl-champion-signs-as-assistant-coach|title=NBL Champion Signs as Assistant Coach|work=semphoenix.com.au|date=11 December 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220525111722/https://www.semphoenix.com.au/news/nbl-champion-signs-as-assistant-coach|archive-date=25 May 2022|access-date=25 May 2022}} He left the Phoenix in May 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.semphoenix.com.au/news/luke-kendall-departs-phoenix|title=Luke Kendall Departs Phoenix|work=semphoenix.com.au|date=25 May 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220525111957/https://www.semphoenix.com.au/news/luke-kendall-departs-phoenix|archive-date=25 May 2022|access-date=25 May 2022}}

Kendall joined the Gujarat Stallions of the Indian National Basketball League (INBL) for the 2025 season.{{cite news |title=Gujarat Stallions proudly welcome Luke Kendall as Head Coach! |url=https://www.instagram.com/inbl.basketball/p/DE9RwWOzlUi/ |access-date=8 February 2025 |work=instagram.com/inbl.basketball |date=18 January 2025}} He led the team to the league championship.{{cite news |title=GUJARAT STALLIONS – CHAMPIONS! |url=https://www.instagram.com/inbl.basketball/reel/DGqT1QWzFQJ/ |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=instagram.com/inbl.basketball |date=1 March 2025}}{{cite news |title=InBL Pro U25: Gujarat Stallions Beat Punjab Warriors With Thrilling Comeback In Final |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/sports/others/inbl-pro-u25-gujarat-stallions-beat-punjab-warriors-with-thrilling-comeback-in-final |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=Outlook India |date=1 March 2025 |language=en}}

He is set to serve as head coach of the Casey Cavaliers men's team in the 2025 NBL1 South season.{{cite news |title=Kendall & Turner Ready to Lead Casey Cavaliers' Charge |url=https://nbl1.com.au/article/kendall-turner-ready-to-lead-casey-cavaliers-charge |access-date=8 September 2024 |work=nbl1.com.au |date=5 September 2024}}