Aaron Duane Olson (born 11 May 1978) is a Canadian-New Zealand former professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player who played the majority of his career in New Zealand.
Early life and career
Born in
Whitehorse, Yukon
Whitehorse () is the capital of Yukon, and the largest city in Northern Canada. It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1426 (Historic Mile 918) on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas ...
, Canada to a New Zealand mother and a Canadian father, Olson moved back and forth between the two countries as a youth, spending time living in
Nelson
Nelson may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey
* ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers
* ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
and the
Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for it ...
region. Olson attended college at the
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The university traces its roots to Victoria College, the first post-secondary insti ...
in Canada before switching to
Eastern Washington University in 1999. He played in 46 games for the
Eastern Washington Eagles
The Eastern Washington Eagles are the intercollegiate varsity athletic teams that represent Eastern Washington University, located in Cheney, southwest of Spokane. A member of the Big Sky Conference, EWU's athletic program comprises five men's ...
over two seasons, averaging 11.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
Professional career
In 2001, Olson returned to New Zealand and joined the
Auckland Stars
The Auckland Stars were a New Zealand basketball team based in Auckland. The Stars competed in the National Basketball League (NBL) and played their home games at ASB Stadium.
Team history
The Auckland Stars, then known as Auckland Metro, were ...
of the
National Basketball League. After a one-season stint with the
Harbour Kings in 2002, Olson returned to the Stars in 2003 and continued playing for them until 2005, helping the club win back-to-back championships in 2004 and 2005.
[Basketball New Zealand – Aaron Olson]
/ref> He also spent the 2002–03 season playing in Finland for Äänekosken Huima.
Between 2003 and 2007, Olson played for the New Zealand Breakers
The New Zealand Breakers (also known as the Sky Sport Breakers for sponsorship reasons) are a New Zealand professional basketball team based in Auckland. The Breakers compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at ...
in the Australian National Basketball League. In 130 games for the Breakers over four seasons, he averaged 13.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
In May 2007, Olson announced his retirement from professional basketball.Basketball: Olson calls time out from basketball
/ref>
National team career
Known for his outside shooting touch and gritty defence, Olson debuted for the Tall Blacks against the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
in 2003, was ruled ineligible to face Australia in that year's Oceania Championships, but was cleared to represent New Zealand at the 2004 Olympics and subsequently the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
References
External links
ANBL profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olson, Aaron
1978 births
Living people
Auckland Stars players
Basketball people from Yukon
Basketball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Basketball players at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
Canadian emigrants to New Zealand
Canadian expatriate basketball people in the United States
Canadian men's basketball players
Canadian people of Danish descent
Canadian people of New Zealand descent
Commonwealth Games medallists in basketball
Commonwealth Games silver medallists for New Zealand
Eastern Washington Eagles men's basketball players
New Zealand men's basketball players
New Zealand Breakers players
New Zealand people of Canadian descent
Olympic basketball players of New Zealand
Sportspeople from Victoria, British Columbia
Sportspeople from Whitehorse
Victoria Vikes basketball players
2006 FIBA World Championship players
Shooting guards
Medallists at the 2006 Commonwealth Games