Michael Henry George Ah Matt (30 November 1942 – 14 February 1983) was an Indigenous Australian professional basketball player. He played for the Australian national basketball team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.[1][2]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1942-11-30)30 November 1942 Townsville, Queensland |
| Died | 14 February 1983(1983-02-14) (aged 40) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Listed height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) |
| Listed weight | 73 kg (161 lb) |
| Career information | |
| Playing career | 1959–1979 |
| Career history | |
| 1959–1979 | South Adelaide Panthers |
Ah Matt was born on 30 November 1942 in Townsville, Queensland,[2] and grew up in Darwin, Northern Territory.[3] He represented the Northern Territory at the 1959 Australian Championships.[3] After the Championships he moved to Adelaide, South Australia to play with the South Adelaide Panthers.[3] He played a then record 588 games over twenty seasons with the Panthers.[3]
In 1964, he was a member of the Australian team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. In 1968, he was a member of the Australian team that participated in the pre-Olympic qualifying tournament in Monterrey, though that team failed to qualify for the 1968 Summer Olympics.[3]
Former Australian Olympian Darryl Pearce said of Ah Matt, "He had an amazing sense of where he was on the court and he could see players where no-one could understand how he could actually pass the ball the way he did."[4]
Ah Matt died of a heart attack on 14 February 1983.[5][6]