Bailey Hanson has had a 2026 he'll never forget but the Norths Bears NBL1 East star is only just getting started in his basketball journey.

Featured image: Rob Sheeley/@robshots

Bailey Hanson is still only 18 years of age and is finishing off high school, but is now in the NBL at the Sydney Kings, is fresh off starring for Australia at the under-18 Asia Cup and was a big part of setting up the Norths Bears' NBL1 East championship.

It's remarkable to think of everything Hanson has achieved just in 2026 alone all the while having just turned 18 and still trying to juggle his school studies and graduate from Saint Ignatius' College Riverview.

He still has exams to prepare for right now too, but at the same time he is now part of the defending NBL champion Sydney Kings with NBL27 underway having signed on as a development player.

Prior to that, Hanson had a standout NBL1 East season with the Norths Bears to be a key part of setting them up for the championship before he had the best possible reason to miss the Grand Final triumph over the Sutherland Sharks.

That was because he was in India at the same with the Australian Emus helping them win gold at the FIBA Asia Cup and that was on the back of him also being named MVP while playing for New South Wales at the under-20 Australian National Championships.

It has been quite the year for the 18-year-old shooting guard who proved himself a lethal scorer throughout the NBL1 East season with Norths averaging 11.4 points in 24.5 minutes a game with a best of 24 points against Jason Cadee and the Bankstown Bruins.

Right now, Hanson is enjoying being part of a set up at the Kings where he is coached by Brian Goorjian and Andrew Bogut, and has teammates like Kendric Davis, Matthew Dellavedova and Torrey Craig.

It's the perfect next step in his journey while still finishing off high school before he sets his sights on helping Norths defend their championship in 2027 ahead of the likely start of his college journey.

"Yes, I'm really excited about what’s ahead," Hanson said.

"I’ve just signed with the Sydney Kings as a Development Player, so it’s a really exciting new challenge and one I’m really looking forward to.

"I want to make the most of the opportunity, learn as much as I can from the players and coaches around me, and keep developing my game.

"I’d also love to play another season of NBL1 before heading off to college. I’m really grateful to everyone who has helped me get to this point, especially my family, Lighthouse, coaches and Norths."

The Bears journey of 2026

Having spent so much of his youth honing his basketball craft at Norths, Hanson stepped up to the NBL1 squad in 2026 and not only was he part of it, but he played a starring role.

On a team featuring experience with Fabijan Krslovic, Hunter Goodrick, Iggy Mitchell, Lewis Holey and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, Hanson was also one of the host of emerging players given the chance to shine under coach Tom Garlepp.

Everything came together perfectly for Norths to end up securing the NBL1 East championship for 2026 and Hanson couldn’t have enjoyed everything about the whole experience more.

"It was a lot of fun. Being able to play a key role on a team that was having success was a great experience, but I think the biggest thing for me was who I got to do it with," Hanson said.

"Tommy G set the tone for us from the start and put some key values in place. We built a really strong culture throughout the season, and I think that was a big reason we played so well together.

"There was a lot of hard work, but also plenty of laughs along the way, which made it such a fun group to be part of. And then you’ve got the Bear Cave, which is pretty hard to beat.

"The home games on Saturday night, with our supporters and the atmosphere they create, are the best. I loved every minute of being part of the Bears."

Playing with NBL champions

To be able to share the court across an entire season with players like Krslovic, Goodrick and Swaka Lo Buluk who have won NBL championships at the Tasmania JackJumpers, Sydney Kings, Perth Wildcats and Illawarra Hawks respectively was another highlight for Hanson.

Not only to get to play alongside such winners at the top level, but also to get to work with them during the week and see how professional they are in everything they do, Hanson learned plenty from being around players of that calibre.

"You can't really ask for better people to learn from," Hanson said.

"Fab, Goody and Wani have all been at the highest level and won NBL championships, so just being around them gave me a great insight into what professional basketball looks like.

"I was given opportunities, but I also had great teammates who helped me understand what was expected and how to approach the game at that level.

"It's not just about what happens during the games, it's the preparation, the consistency and how you train. I've tried to learn from all of them, and I'm really grateful they were willing to invest time in me."

Having a basketball home at Norths

While Hanson has the world at his feet in terms of where his basketball could take him, he will never forget that Norths is where he's come from and will always continue to come back to the Bears whenever possible.

"Norths means a lot to me," Hanson said.

"I've basically grown up there, so it's been a huge part of my basketball journey and my development as a person as well.

"I've had so many great coaches, teammates and people around the club who have helped me along the way. The culture at Norths is a really big part of why I've enjoyed it so much.

"There's a genuine focus on developing young players and giving them opportunities, while also surrounding them with experienced people who want to see them succeed. I'm really proud to have come through Norths and to be able to represent the club."

Winning gold with Australian Emus

After Hanson scored 17 points with 5/10 three-point shooting in the win for the Bears against the Sutherland Sharks to open the NBL1 East finals, it was time to jump on a plane to India to play with the Australian Emus for the under-18 FIBA Asia Cup.

He ended up having a big role to play on the Australian team that ended up winning gold too averaging 10.2 points, 7.2 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals a game as he took on more of a point guard role.

He enjoyed everything about the experience and especially to come away triumphant.

"It was an incredible experience," Hanson said.

"Travelling to India and representing Australia was a huge honour. Winning the Asia Cup was obviously the highlight, and qualifying for the 2027 U19 World Cup made it even more exciting.

"The Indian fans were great and came out to support us alongside our families in the crowd which made a great atmosphere. I loved every part of the experience and learned so much from being around the Basketball Australia program."

Experience at Asia Cup

Hanson finished off scoring 17 points to go with six rebounds, five assists and four steals in the gold medal winning game for the Emus against China.

But overall, he just enjoyed the chance to spend that time with some of the country's best young players and to be coached by South East Melbourne Phoenix assistant Luke Brennan along with former Perth Wildcats championship winning captain Brad Robbins.

"Winning the tournament was our main goal, and I was just really happy that I could contribute to the team," Hanson said.

"To be able to play well and have an impact was really rewarding, but I think it was more about the opportunity to learn and test myself at that level.

"I was surrounded by really good coaches and players, so I tried to take as much from the experience as I could. Bringing home the gold medal was a proud moment for all of us."

Grand Final weekend from India

Hanson did miss the NBL1 East Grand Final because of being with the Emus in India at the time, but he wasn’t the only one.

Assistant coach Robbins is also the coach of the Warwick Senators in the NBL1 West and both he and Hanson had teams in NBL1 Grand Finals in the same weekend.

Luckily for both, Robbins got to watch Paul Rogers take over and lead his Senators to the win in Perth over the Cockburn Cougars on the Saturday night, and then on Sunday Hanson was able to see his Bears take care of business against the Sharks.

"Yeah, that was a pretty crazy weekend," Hanson said.

"Brad and I were both obviously focused on what we were doing in India, but we were definitely keeping an eye on what was happening back home.

"It was a really gritty Grand Final against Sutherland, and the boys showed so much fight when it mattered. I would have loved to be there with them but I was so proud watching them get the job done. To see Norths finish the season as champions was awesome."

Juggling school and basketball

While 2026 has been a year that Hanson will never forget for everything he has got to experience, it sure has been hectic at the same time.

Juggling playing for NSW, Australia and Norths has been enough on its own, but he's still had to try and keep on top of his school work to make sure he graduates from Saint Ignatius' College Riverview too.

"It's definitely been a challenge trying to balance everything, but I'm really grateful for how supportive Riverview has been throughout the whole journey," Hanson said.

"They've been very understanding when basketball commitments have taken me away from school, and they've always helped me keep my school work on track.

"I’m obviously looking forward to finishing my exams, but I know I've been fortunate to have a school that has allowed me to pursue basketball at this level.

"TG was also my basketball coach at Riverview, so having someone who knew me so well as I moved into NBL1 was also really valuable."

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Norths star Hanson just getting started