2013 Class of FIBA Hall of Fame: profile of Andrew Gaze (AUS)

MIES (FIBA Hall of Fame) - On Monday 27 May, FIBA announced the 2013 Class of Inductees of the FIBA Hall of Fame. Over the next three weeks (weekdays from 28 May to 12 June), we will profile all 12 of the inductees. Today we look at Australia's Andrew Gaze.

"Thou shall not leave Andrew Gaze open."

That was a commandment in Australia's National Basketball League and at Olympic Games.

Gaze, a 2.01m guard who represented the Melbourne Tigers from 1984 to 2005, was a gifted scorer and beloved Boomer.

Five times the son of legendary coach - and 2010 FIBA Hall of Fame inductee - Lindsay Gaze represented Australia at Olympics.

His 40 appearances rank number one in the history of the men's tournament.

Gaze made his Olympic debut in 1984 in Los Angeles and played for the last time at the Summer Games when his country hosted the event in 2000.

And now he is a member of the 2013 Class of the FIBA Hall of Fame.

"I've been very fortunate throughout my career to be a part of this great game both here in Australia and on the international stage," Gaze said.

"To be inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame is the highest honor in our sport and I feel truly humbled to join these amazing men and women who have served basketball so well."

When he walked off the court in Sydney wearing a Boomers shirt after their Bronze Medal Game defeat to Lithuania in 2000, many an onlooker would have wondered why Gaze had decided to call it quits with the national side.

At 35, he seemed to be as good as ever.

Gaze averaged 19.9 points in 35.5 minutes per contest in his home Olympics and nailed 44.2% (19 of 43) from behind the arc.

Overall, he made almost 63% (40 of 78) of his field goal attempts (49 of 78) and shot a blistering 93.3% (42 of 45) at the free-throw line.

It marked the second time in a row that Gaze and Australia achieved a fourth-place finish at an Olympics.

Four years earlier in Atlanta, Gaze had averaged 23.8 points per game and connected on 24 of 54 (44.4%) of his attempts from long range.

The 2000 Olympics were extra special for Gaze because he served as his country's flag-bearer at the Opening Ceremony.

He scored a total of 789 points in Olympics, the second most in the history of the competition behind only Brazil great Oscar Schmidt.

The Australian played in four editions of the FIBA World Championship - 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998.

While Gaze had spells in America, including a year with Seton Hall in college basketball when he helped the Pirates reach the NCAA Final, he is best known for his play Down Under with the Tigers.

Fourteen times Gaze was the scoring champion of the league and seven times the MVP.

Twice he captured NBL titles.

Gaze is the NBL's all-time leading scorer with 18,908 points.

FIBA