Christopher James Goulding (born 24 October 1988) is an Australian professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player for

Melbourne United Melbourne United is an Australian professional basketball team based in Melbourne, Victoria. United compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at John Cain Arena. The team made their debut in the NBL in 1984 as ...

of the National Basketball League (NBL). He made his debut in the NBL in 2006 as a development player with the

Brisbane Bullets The Brisbane Bullets are an Australian professional men's basketball team in the National Basketball League (Australia), National Basketball League (NBL) based in Brisbane, Brisbane, Queensland. They competed from 1979 to 2008, and returned to th ...

, going on to play for the

Perth Wildcats The Perth Wildcats are an Australian professional basketball team based in Perth, Western Australia. The Wildcats compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at RAC Arena, known colloquially as "The Jungle". Afte ...

and

Gold Coast Blaze The Gold Coast Blaze were an Australian men's professional basketball team which competed in the National Basketball League (NBL). The Blaze competed in their inaugural season in 2007–08. The club was based on the Gold Coast and joined the ...

, before settling in Melbourne. In the NBL, Goulding is a three-time championship winner and a two-time All-NBL First Team honouree. He also won the league's scoring title in 2014 and claimed Grand Final MVP honours in 2018. Goulding is a regular with the

Australian Boomers The Australian men's national basketball team, known as the Boomers after the slang term for a male kangaroo, represents Australia in international basketball competition. Since the late 1980s, Australia has been placed among the world elite t ...

, but he also holds a

British passport A British passport is a travel document issued by the United Kingdom or other British dependencies and territories to individuals holding any form of British nationality. It grants the bearer international passage in accordance with visa requ ...

thanks to his father, which allowed him to play as a local in Spain and Italy between 2014 and 2016.

Early life

Goulding was born

Launceston, Tasmania Launceston () or () is a city in the north of Tasmania, Australia, at the confluence of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River (kanamaluka). As of 2021, Launceston has a population of 87,645. Material was copied ...

. He attended West Launceston Primary School and spent a lot of time around

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

thanks to his father

Steve ''yes'Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Steven or Stephen Notable people with the name include: steve jops * Steve Abbott (disambiguation), several people * Steve Adams (disambiguation), several people * Steve ...

who played professionally for

North Melbourne North Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. North Melbourne recorded a population of 14,953 at the ...

and Claremont. He first started playing

recreationally while in Launceston, and upon moving to

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

with his family as an 8-year-old, he began to play it competitively. In

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

, he continued primary school at Gumdale State School and then attended secondary school at

Brisbane State High School , motto_translation = Knowledge is Power , city = South Brisbane , state = Queensland , country = Australia , coordinates = , type = Public, selective, co-educational, secondary, ...

. He graduated from Brisbane State High in 2005. As a junior, he played for the Southern Districts Spartans.

Professional career

NBL and Europe

Goulding began his professional career as a development player with the

during the

2006–07 NBL season The 2006–07 NBL season was the 29th season of competition since its establishment in 1979. For the first time, a team was established from outside the Australasian area, with the Singapore Slingers taking over the licence of the Hunter Pirates. ...

. He made his NBL debut and lone appearance of the season on 23 December 2006 against the

Townsville Crocodiles The Townsville Crocodiles were an Australian professional men's basketball team based in the North Queensland city of Townsville. They competed in the National Basketball League (NBL) and played their home games at the Townsville Entertainmen ...

, recording one assist in 5½ minutes. The Bullets went on to win the NBL championship in March 2007, earning Goulding his first title. He appeared in 15 games for the Bullets during the

2007–08 NBL season The 2007–08 NBL season was the 30th season of competition since its establishment in 1979. On 21 November 2006, the Gold Coast Blaze joined the league, expanding it to 13 teams. 2007–08 league participants Stadiums and locations ...

, but following the club's collapse, he moved west for the

2008–09 NBL season The 2008–09 NBL season was the 31st season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of 10 teams contested the league. 2008–09 league participants * On 30 June 2008 the Brisbane Bullets confirmed they would be handing back th ...

to play for the

. For the 2009–10 NBL season, Goulding returned to Queensland to play for the

. He spent three seasons with the Blaze before they too collapsed following the 2011–12 season. For the

2012–13 NBL season The 2012–13 NBL season was the 35th season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of eight teams contested the league. The regular season was played between 5 October 2012 and 24 March 2013, followed by a post-season which invo ...

, Goulding joined the

Melbourne Tigers Melbourne United is an Australian professional basketball team based in Melbourne, Victoria. United compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at John Cain Arena. The team made their debut in the NBL in 1984 as ...

. In December 2012, he was named MVP of the NBL All-Star Game for his 24 points. After a stint with the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

during the

2013 NBA Summer League The 2013 NBA Summer League is a pro basketball league run by the NBA just after the 2013 NBA draft. It gives newly drafted players a chance to test their skills against each other, and to give them a feel for professional basketball. All 30 NBA ...

, Goulding continued on with the Tigers for the 2013–14 NBL season. On 9 March 2014, he scored a career-high 50 points in the Tigers' 92–82 win over the

Sydney Kings The Sydney Kings are an Australian men's professional basketball team competing in the National Basketball League (NBL). The team is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The Kings were formed from a merger between the West Sydney Westars and the ...

. It was the NBL's first individual 50-point game in the 40-minute era. He was subsequently crowned the NBL scoring champion for the 2013–14 season with a league-best 23.0 points per game. After a stint with the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...

during the

2014 NBA Summer League The 2014 NBA Summer League consists of two pro basketball leagues organized by the NBA and the Orlando Magic just after the 2014 NBA Draft. Ten teams took part in the week-long summer league at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, from July 5 t ...

, Goulding moved to Spain for the 2014–15 season to play for

CAI Zaragoza Basket Zaragoza 2002 S.A.D., more commonly referred to as Basket Zaragoza and as Casademont Zaragoza for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball club based in Zaragoza, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB. Their home arena is th ...

. He averaged 8.6 points per game in 33

Liga ACB The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administrated by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, wi ...

games, and 11.5 points per game in 16 EuroCup games. Goulding returned to Australia for the 2015–16 season and re-joined the Melbourne franchise, now known as

. He helped United win the minor premiership after they finished the regular season in first place with an 18–10 record. However, they were defeated in the semi-finals by 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 ...

. Following the conclusion of the NBL season, Goulding moved to Italy to play out the season with

Auxilium Torino Auxilium Pallacanestro Torino was an Italian professional basketball club that was based in Turin, Piedmont. It competed in the first division of Italian basketball, the LBA for the last time in the 2018–19 season. The club won one trophy, wh ...

. He averaged 4.2 points per game in 10 LBA games. Goulding returned to United for the

2016–17 NBL season The 2016–17 NBL season was the 39th season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. A total of eight teams contested the league. The regular season was played between October 2016 and February 2017, followed by a pos ...

, but he played 22 of a possible 28 games after separate left ankle sprains. United missed the finals in 2016–17 with a sixth-place finish and a 13–15 record, and following the season, he opted for surgery on his left ankle, which sidelined him for eight to ten weeks. The

2017–18 NBL season The 2017–18 NBL season was the 40th season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. A total of eight teams contested the league. The regular season was played between October 2017 and February 2018, followed by a post ...

saw Goulding lead United back to the top of the table with a first-place finish and a 20–8 record. They went on to reach the NBL Grand Final series, where they defeated the

Adelaide 36ers The Adelaide 36ers, also known as the Sixers, are an Australian professional men's basketball team in the National Basketball League (NBL). The 36ers are the only team in the league representing the state of South Australia and are based in th ...

3–2 in the best-of-five series. Goulding claimed his second NBL championship while winning the Grand Final MVP. Returning to United once again for the 2018–19 season, Goulding helped lead United back to the NBL Grand Final series, where they lost 3–1 to the

. In December 2019, Goulding played his 300th NBL game. On 17 July 2020, Goulding re-signed with United on a three-year deal. He was ruled out for the majority of February 2021 with a low grade calf strain. In June 2021, he played his 350th NBL game. In January 2022, Goulding reached 5000 NBL points, becoming just the second active player to reach the milestone behind Daniel Johnson of the Adelaide 36ers. On 25 August 2022, Goulding signed a two-year contract extension with United. In the 2022–23 season, he reached 1000 career 3-pointers and 400 NBL games.

Off-season State League stints

Between 2006 and 2009, Goulding played with the Southern Districts Spartans in the

QBL QBL may refer to: *IND Queens Boulevard Line, line of the New York City Subway *NBL1 North, basketball league in Australia previously known as Queensland Basketball League (QBL) {{disambig ...

(2006) and

SEABL The South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) was an Australian semi-professional basketball league. The league comprised both a men's and women's competition and was run by the country's governing body, Basketball Australia. The league wa ...

(2007–09). In 2006, he was a member of the Spartans' championship-winning team. As a member of the Spartans for three seasons in the SEABL, Goulding won East Youth Player of the Year two consecutive seasons in 2008 and 2009 while also making the All-Star Five in his last year. In 2008, he averaged 24.5 points per game to finish second in the competition and had a season-high 43 points during the season. In 2009, averaged 20.8 points to finish fifth, second in free throw percentage (83%), ninth in three-point percentage (39%) and seventh in assists (three). Between 2010 and 2012, he played three seasons for the Northside Wizards in the QBL, earning All-League Team honours in 2010. In 2013, he had a three-game stint with the QBL's Gladstone Port City Power.

National team career

As a youth, Goulding represented Australia in under-18s, under-19s and under-20s, including playing at the

2007 FIBA Under-19 World Championship The 2007 FIBA Under-19 World Championship (Serbian: Светско првенство до 19 година ФИБА до 19 година) was the 8th edition of the FIBA U19 World Championship. It was held in Novi Sad, Serbia from 12 to 22 July 2 ...

in Serbia. In 2014, he played for the

at the

FIBA World Cup The FIBA Basketball World Cup, also known as the FIBA World Cup of Basketball or simply the FIBA World Cup, between 1950 and 2010 known as the FIBA World Championship, is an international basketball competition contested by the senior men's nat ...

in Spain. He went on to play for the Boomers at the

2015 FIBA Oceania Championship The 2015 FIBA Oceania Championship for Men was the 22nd edition of the tournament. The tournament featured a two-game series between Australia and New Zealand. It also served as the qualifying tournament of FIBA Oceania for basketball at the ...

and the

2016 Rio Olympics ) , nations = 207 (including IOA and EOR teams) , athletes = 11,238 , events = 306 in 28 sports (41 disciplines) , opening = 5 August 2016 , closing = 21 August 2016 , opened_by = Vice President Michel Temer , cauldron = Vanderlei Cordeiro de ...

. In 2018, he won a gold medal with the Boomers at the

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...

, and in 2019, he competed at the

in China. In February 2021, Goulding was named in the Boomers'

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

squad. He helped Australia win the bronze medal.

Personal

Goulding is the son of

and Christine. He is married to wife Molly. His father played and coached at

North Launceston Football Club The North Launceston Football Club, nicknamed ''The Bombers'', is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League. History The club started a ...

, and was inducted into the AFL Tasmania Hall of Fame in 2008. Due to his father being

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, Goulding holds a

References

External links

NBL profileMelbourne United profileLiga ACB profile
*
"Chris Goulding targets 2019 basketball world cup"
at examiner.com.au {{DEFAULTSORT:Goulding, Chris 1988 births Living people Australian expatriate basketball people in Italy Australian expatriate basketball people in Spain Australian men's basketball players Auxilium Pallacanestro Torino players Basket Zaragoza players Basketball players at the 2016 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Basketball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Brisbane Bullets players Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia Commonwealth Games medallists in basketball Gold Coast Blaze players Liga ACB players Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics Melbourne Tigers players Melbourne United players Olympic basketball players of Australia Olympic bronze medalists for Australia Olympic medalists in basketball People educated at Brisbane State High School Perth Wildcats players Shooting guards Sportspeople from Launceston, Tasmania 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup players 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup players