{{short description|Australian basketball player (born 1978)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}} {{Use Australian English|date=March 2022}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Aaron Grabau | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1978|2|8|df=y}} | birth_place = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | height_cm = 196 | weight_kg = 98 | high_school = | college = | draft_year = | draft_round = | draft_pick = | draft_team = | career_start = 1996 | career_end = 2013 | career_position = Guard | career_number = | years1 = 1996 | team1 = Geelong Supercats | years2 = 1997 | team2 = Mackay Meteors | years3 = 1998–2009; 2012 | team3 = Cairns Marlins | years4 = 1999–2013 | team4 = Cairns Taipans | highlights = * 3× ABA National champion (1998, 2004, 2007) * 5× QBL champion (1998, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2009) * 2× ABA Grand Final MVP (2004, 2007) * 4× QBL All-League Team (2004, 2007, 2009, 2012) * QBL Youth Player of the Year (1997) * No. 8 retired by Cairns Taipans }} '''Aaron Grabau''' (born 8 February 1978) is an Australian former professional basketball player. He played 14 seasons for the Cairns Taipans of the National Basketball League (NBL).
==Early life== Grabau was born in Melbourne, Victoria,<ref name=nbl05>{{cite web |title=Aaron Grabau |url=http://nbl.com.au/default.aspx?s=taipans_playerprofile&profile=22 |website=NBL.com.au |access-date=16 June 2023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051223215227/http://nbl.com.au/default.aspx?s=taipans_playerprofile&profile=22 |archive-date=23 December 2005}}</ref> and played as a junior for the Dandenong Rangers.<ref name=nbl05 />
==Basketball career== Grabau made his NBL debut in 1996 with the Geelong Supercats.<ref name=nbl05 /> He joined the inaugural Cairns Taipans team in 1999.<ref name=nbl05 /><ref name=nbl13>{{cite web |title=Aaron Grabau |url=http://www.nbl.com.au/taipans/team/players/aaron-grabau/ |website=NBL.com.au |access-date=16 June 2023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130118054224/http://www.nbl.com.au/taipans/team/players/aaron-grabau/ |archive-date=18 January 2013}}</ref> He scored a career-high 28 points against the Townsville Crocodiles in January 2005 and in 2008 he finished runner-up for NBL Best Defensive Player.<ref name=nbl13 /> He retired in 2013 after 14 seasons with the team<ref>{{cite web |title=Let's talk about Bo |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/news/Let-s-talk-about-Bo |website=fiba.basketball |access-date=16 June 2023 |date=5 July 2013}}</ref> and 418 career NBL games.<ref>{{cite web |title=Player statistics for Aaron Grabau |url=https://websites.mygameday.app/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=190395922&client=0-189-88233-125700-11145242 |website=NBL |access-date=16 June 2023}}</ref> He finished as the Taipans' all-time leader in games played and second in club history in scoring.<ref name=nbl13 /> His number 8 jersey was retired late in his career while he was still playing<ref name=nbl13 /> and then again in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nagy |first1=Boti |title=Snakes 'n' ladders, Breaks and winners |url=http://www.botinagy.com/blog/snakes-n-ladders-/ |website=Boti Nagy |access-date=1 March 2022 |date=22 December 2019}}</ref>
At state league level, Grabau played for the Mackay Meteors in 1997 and won the Queensland Basketball League (QBL) Youth Player of the Year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Recently the Courier Mail & Quest Community Newspapers selected a panel to rank... |url=https://www.facebook.com/Mackay.Basketball/photos/a.10150582641655190/10158989956370190/?type=3 |website=facebook.com/Mackay.Basketball |access-date=16 June 2023 |date=15 June 2020}}</ref> In 1998, he joined the Cairns Marlins and helped the team win the QBL championship and the ABA National championship.<ref name=nbl05 /> He went on to help the Marlins win QBL championships in 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2009, as well as ABA National championships in 2004 and 2007. He was named ABA grand final MVP in both 2004 and 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbl.com.au/taipans1/news/article/2013/january/taipans-pay-tribute-to-2004-cairns-marlins/|title=Taipans Pay Tribute to 2004 Cairns Marlins|work=NBL.com.au|date=14 January 2013|access-date=16 June 2023|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117204758/http://www.nbl.com.au/taipans1/news/article/2013/january/taipans-pay-tribute-to-2004-cairns-marlins/|archive-date=17 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://websites.sportstg.com/mysport.cgi?a=BLOG_VIEWENTRY&blogID=130084|title=ABA National Champions|work=SportsTG.com|date=26 May 2008|access-date=2 July 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170608065955/http://websites.sportstg.com/mysport.cgi?a=BLOG_VIEWENTRY&blogID=130084|archive-date=8 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2007-08-27/marlins-celebrate-national-title-win/651154|title=Marlins celebrate national title win|work=ABC.net.au|date=27 August 2007|access-date=2 July 2017}}</ref> He was named QBL All-League Team in 2004,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.qabl.basketball.net.au/fs_newsitem.asp?id=6845&orgID=126&Oname=QABL&O1c=1&O10c=1|title=All League Teams Announced|work=qabl.basketball.net.au|date=8 August 2004|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040831172533/http://www.qabl.basketball.net.au/fs_newsitem.asp?id=6845&orgID=126&Oname=QABL&O1c=1&O10c=1|archive-date=31 August 2004|access-date=4 February 2023}}</ref> 2007, 2009 and 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://qbl.basketballqld.com.au/awards-and-history/all-league-teams|title=All League Teams|work=qbl.basketballqld.com.au|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181108155715/http://qbl.basketballqld.com.au/awards-and-history/all-league-teams|archive-date=8 November 2018|access-date=23 October 2022}}</ref>
In 2020, Grabau was named the greatest QBL player of all time by ''The Courier-Mail''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/southeast/queensland-basketballs-top-30-state-league-players-top-5/news-story/0c7a7c7ce3e48937b34db0fd16d4fa1f|title=Queensland Basketball: State league's top 30 players: Top 5|work=CourierMail.com.au|date=15 June 2020|access-date=23 October 2022|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
==Personal life== As of 2016, Grabau works as a constable with the Queensland Police Service.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Coolican |first1=Cary |title=Dunk Me If You Can |url=https://mypolice.qld.gov.au/farnorth/2016/10/13/dunk-me-if-you-can/ |website=myPolice Far North |access-date=1 March 2022 |date=13 October 2016}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20010629171209/http://www.nbl.com.au/players_details/0,2725,25_history,FF.htm NBL profile (2001)] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20040104233616/http://www.nbl.com.au/default.asp?s=taipans_playerprofile&profile=22 NBL profile (2004)] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20051223215227/http://nbl.com.au/default.aspx?s=taipans_playerprofile&profile=22 NBL profile (2005)] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20130118054224/http://www.nbl.com.au/taipans/team/players/aaron-grabau/ NBL profile (2013)]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grabau, Aaron}} Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:Australian men's basketball players Category:Basketball players from Melbourne Category:Cairns Taipans players Category:Geelong Supercats players Category:Guards (basketball) Category:Queensland police officers Category:Sportsmen from Victoria (state)