28 January 2026
Kym West
Nicholson, Victoria - Seventeen years ago, James “Jimmy” Myers began a journey with Victoria that would help shape his life. This year, he celebrates 17 years of commitment, courage and state pride at the 2026 Foot Locker Under 20 and Ivor Burge National Championships.
For James, basketball has always been more than a game.
Each morning, he’s awake before the sun rises — not because he has to, but because he chooses to. Basketball gives his days structure, meaning and purpose. It’s where he belongs.
It’s also the reason his family has travelled thousands of kilometres, reshaped weekends, pushed through exhaustion and kept believing — knowing every sacrifice was helping to build James’ confidence and future.
James has represented Victoria since 2009, first being selected at just 13 years of age. This year marks the 17th time he will wear his state colours — an achievement he carries with enormous pride. As an Ivor Burge athlete, he has grown up in the program, shaped not only as a player, but as a young man. Through basketball, he has learned commitment, teamwork and resilience, while remaining grounded and humble.
In his own words, James says:
“I love playing basketball because it is fast and fun. I have made great friends who like me and understand me, and I know they will always be my friends. I have travelled and seen things I never thought I would. Thank you, basketball, for believing in me.”
Image L–R: Official headshot, 2016 Under 20 and Ivor Burge National Championships | 2023 Virtus Games gold medal, credit: Bronwyn Myers
The Family Behind the Journey
James lives at home with his mum, dad and two brothers — a family bound by determination, humour and an unspoken understanding that everyone contributes in their own way.
From a young age, all three boys faced challenges that required additional support. James was diagnosed at eight with an intellectual disability, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), following years of speech and occupational therapy. Foot issues followed, meaning orthotic inserts from the age of nine. But once James discovered basketball, everything clicked. It became the place where things made sense.
His eldest brother, Cameron, was diagnosed with ASD and Type 1 diabetes at 12. After years of therapy and narrowly missing university entry, he could have stopped — but he didn’t. While working two jobs and studying through TAFE, Cameron earned a Commerce degree with Distinction and Golden Key recognition and is now building a future of his own.
Younger brother Shawn, diagnosed at seven with an intellectual disability, ADHD, ASD and asthma, found school especially challenging and left at 15. With strong family support, he built his own lawnmowing and gardening business — creating structure, independence and purpose while managing depression.
This is the environment James grew up in: one where challenges were part of everyday life, effort mattered, support was constant, and no one was left behind.
Photo: Mum (Bronwyn) and James at the 2025 Under 20 and Ivor Burge National Championships
Where It All Began
James’ basketball journey started in the small rural community at Nicholson Primary School. A Grade 5–6 basketball program was designed to help students from smaller schools connect and prepare for secondary education.
One week, Cameron’s team was short a player. James - still only in Grade 4 - was asked to step in.
He was a natural.
When James moved to specialist schooling in Year 7, a PE teacher with connections to the Ivor Burge program noticed his ability and invited representatives to watch him compete at an inter-school sports day.
From that moment, everything changed.
The Work No One Sees
During the week, James works as a builder’s labourer - physically demanding work that starts early and takes its toll. When the workday ends, his training begins.
At home.
In the front yard.
Night after night.
Training always starts with stretching to protect his body. On Mondays and Fridays, James runs 15 laps of the yard, around 1.5 kilometres. Wednesdays are reserved for local games, or additional running if there’s no match. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays are dedicated to shooting drills and ball-handling.
And when no one else is available to rebound, his mum is there - chasing the ball as it bounces away.
It’s not glamorous.
It’s not easy.
But it’s consistent.
That consistency has never gone unnoticed. Ivor Burge Men’s Head Coach Ryan Holloway has coached James for nearly nine years across state and national programs.
“Throughout that time, Jimmy has consistently shown himself to be calm, composed and dependable,” Holloway says. “He always turns up, embraces his role and gives everything we ask of him. His commitment is exceptional — travelling up to four hours each way for training, and when that hasn’t been possible, sending through videos of backyard sessions to make sure he never falls behind.
“Beyond his dedication, Jimmy brings infectious energy to the group and lifts spirits with his sense of humour. He’s an absolute pleasure to coach and an even better teammate.”
James has now become a mentor for the next generation of Victorian Ivor Burge men. he will be sharing the court with two young team mates who are debuting for Victoria at this year's national championships.
Photo: Kobe Nealy (left), James and Taj Boxall at the 2026 jersey presentation.
The Road They Keep Choosing
Training isn’t close to home. It’s four hours away.
Each session means a 301-kilometre drive one way, motel bookings, fuel costs and careful budgeting - nearly 700 kilometres a week for basketball alone. Some motels are comfortable. Some aren’t. All have become part of the journey.
This year required tough decisions. Training shifted to fortnightly across October, November and December, not due to a lack of commitment, but what was sustainable. January brought renewed momentum. James will attend every possible session, missing just one due to timing.
The drive is filled with conversation, about work, cars, video games and favourite DVDs. Sometimes James watches a movie, letting the kilometres slip by.
After training, they head straight home so James can work the next day. There’s always a food stop. Then James usually falls asleep, exhausted, as the road hums beneath the tyres.
It’s a big weekend - every weekend.
Image L–R: Official headshot, 2019 Under 20 and Ivor Burge National Championships | James with coach Ryan Holloway, 2024 Championships, credit: Bronwyn Myers
Travelling Isn’t the Only Challenge
At 19, James was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, just a year after suffering a burst appendix. The condition requires constant management, discipline and planning, particularly around training, travel and recovery.
It is part of his life.
But it does not define him.
What defines James is how he prepares, adapts and keeps turning up.
A Life Bigger Than Basketball
Through basketball, James has seen more of Australia than anyone else in his family. Some of his favourite memories include time in Geelong, especially diving straight into the ocean, and beach days with teammates.
He has also travelled internationally representing Australia. Italy left a lasting impression with its food and welcoming people, while France deepened his appreciation of history, listening to wartime stories while sitting in places once occupied decades earlier.
But the greatest gift basketball has given James isn’t travel or medals.
It’s confidence.
Confidence to be away from familiar environments.
Confidence to build friendships.
Confidence to ask for help.
“As a parent, it has been wonderful watching James grow and gain confidence as a basketball player,” his mum Bronwyn says. “That confidence has carried into everyday life — learning he can be away from home, enjoy time with friends and ask for help when he needs it.”
Those personal victories soon turned into sporting ones. James’ trophy cabinet tells a story years in the making - medals and awards that represent far more than scoreboard results. Across his 17-year state career, he has been part of a highly successful Victorian Ivor Burge team, winning a medal every year from 2013 to 2025, except 2015 - a remarkable run of consistency.
Wearing the green and gold as a Boomerang, James has helped Australia secure international medals in 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2023, alongside podium finishes at the Special Olympics (2013) and INAS Global Games (2019). In 2017, he was awarded the Bill Paterson Memorial Trophy for Commitment and Dedication, an honour that reflects not just the athlete he is, but the teammate and person he has become.
They are special moments, milestones on a road he’s not yet finished travelling.
James isn’t slowing down. After the final siren at the 2026 Foot Locker Ivor Burge National Championships, the routine will remain.
Before the sun rises tomorrow, James will wake again.
He will get ready for work.
He will train.
He will keep going.
Not because it’s easy.
But because it matters - to him, and to the family who never stopped believing.
Watch James share his story in his own words.
