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Max Darling

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Max Darling
No. 8 – Southland Sharks
PositionForward
LeagueNZNBL
Personal information
Born (2000-09-30) 30 September 2000 (age 25)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Listed height198 cm (6 ft 6 in)
Listed weight118 kg (260 lb)
Career information
High school
NBA draft2022: undrafted
Playing career2017–present
Career history
2017–2018Canterbury Rams
2018–2020Vrijednosnice Osijek
2020–2021Illawarra Hawks
2021–2025Canterbury Rams
2021–2022Athletic Constanța
2023–2026New Zealand Breakers
2026–presentSouthland Sharks
Career highlights
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  New Zealand
FIBA Asia Cup
Bronze medal – third place2022 Jakarta

Maxwell Ronaldo McKenzie Darling (born 30 September 2000) is a Vincentian-New Zealand professional basketball player for the Southland Sharks of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). In 2023 and 2024, he helped the Canterbury Rams win back-to-back NZNBL championships. Between 2023 and 2026, he played for the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL).

Early life

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Darling was born in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.[1] He spent most of his childhood in New Zealand.[2] Darling learnt how to dunk a basketball at the age of 12.[3] He attended high school at Christ's College in Christchurch and Nelson College in Nelson.[4] Darling participated in the Mainland Eagles Basketball Academy in Christchurch where he first caught the attention of the Canterbury Rams of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL).[3]

Professional career

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Darling played two games for the Canterbury Rams of the NZNBL in 2017 when he was sixteen-years-old.[5] He returned to the Rams for the 2018 season when he averaged 9.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game and earned the NZNBL Youth Player of the Year Award.[3]

On 18 August 2018, Darling signed with Vrijednosnice Osijek of the Croatian Premijer liga.[1] He became the first New Zealand teenage basketball player to sign in Europe who did not have a European passport.[1] Darling averaged 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds during the 2019–20 season before it was ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6]

On 5 August 2020, Darling signed with the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) on a three-year deal.[6] He appeared in 17 games and averaged five minutes per game.[7] On 19 July 2021, Darling and the Hawks mutually agreed to part ways.[7]

Darling returned to the Rams for the 2021 NZNBL season.[4] He played for Athletic Constanța of the Romanian Liga Națională during the 2021–22 season.[8] Darling again returned to the Rams for the 2022 NZNBL season.[8] He won a NZNBL championship with the Rams during the 2023 NZNBL season and averaged 12.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.[9]

On 26 September 2023, Darling signed with the New Zealand Breakers of the NBL as a development player.[9] He only appeared in one game for the Breakers during the 2023–24 NBL season.[10] Darling returned to the Rams for the 2024 NZNBL season,[5] winning a second consecutive championship.[11]

On 7 August 2024, Darling was elevated to a full roster spot by the Breakers and signed a new two-year contract with a third-year option.[12] On 19 October 2024, he scored 15 points in an 89–85 win over the Perth Wildcats.[13][14]

Darling re-joined the Rams for the 2025 New Zealand NBL season.[15]

On 2 December 2025, Darling was ruled out for six weeks with a fractured eye socket.[16][17] He returned to action in mid January 2026.[18] A week after returning, he suffered a knee injury.[19]

Darling joined the Southland Sharks for the 2026 New Zealand NBL season,[20] but missed the start of the season due to an ankle injury.[21]

National team career

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In 2018, Darling was invited to participate in training camp for the New Zealand men's national basketball team in preparation for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.[22] He played for the New Zealand men's national under-19 basketball team at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup.[4]

Darling was named to the final roster for the New Zealand men's national basketball team at the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup,[23] where the team finished in third place.[24]

In May 2025, Darling was named in the Tall Blacks squad for a trans-Tasman series against Australia.[25] Two months later, he was named in the Tall Blacks squad for the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup.[26]

In November 2025, Darling was named in the Tall Blacks squad for the first window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.[27] He went on to miss the window due to a concussion.[28] In February 2026, he was named in the squad for two more Asian qualifiers.[29]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 Uluc, Olgun (18 August 2018). "Kiwi teen Max Darling bypasses college to sign with Osijek: 'I definitely think I'm ready'". Fox Sports. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  2. ↑ "Max Darling". NBL. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Rollo, Phillip (22 August 2018). "Sharp-shooter Darling to ply trade in Croatia". The Press. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 "Rams Announce The Signing of Max Darling". Canterbury Rams. 27 April 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Max Darling Returns to Rams for 2024 Season". Canterbury Rams. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  6. 1 2 Uluc, Olgun (5 August 2020). "Hawks sign teen rising star Max Darling". ESPN. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  7. 1 2 "Illawarra Hawks and Max Darling to go separate ways". Illawarra Hawks. 19 July 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  8. 1 2 "Fan Favourite Darling to Start in 2022". Canterbury Rams. 10 January 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  9. 1 2 "Max Darling Signs with Breakers". Canterbury Rams. 26 September 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  10. ↑ Egan, Brendon (26 March 2024). "Max Darling eager to show his growth for Canterbury Rams". The Press. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  11. ↑ "Canterbury Rams are back-to-back Sal's NBL Champions". Basketball New Zealand. 28 July 2024. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  12. ↑ "Breakers elevate Darling to full roster spot". NBL. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  13. ↑ "Mooney, Darling fire as 'Cats lose Cotton". National Basketball League | NBL Australia | Australia's Basketball League. 19 October 2024. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  14. ↑ "Max-imum impact". National Basketball League | NBL Australia | Australia's Basketball League. 21 October 2024. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  15. ↑ "Max Darling Confirmed For Upcoming Season - Canterbury Rams". Canterbury Rams. 31 January 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  16. ↑ "A further update on Max Darling's Injury:". facebook.com/nzbreakers. 2 December 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  17. ↑ Hinton, Marc (2 December 2025). "New Zealand Breakers add Tai Webster for remainder of Australian NBL season". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 2 December 2025. Forward Max Darling has also been ruled out with a fractured eye socket that requires surgery.
  18. ↑ "Max Darling is back in the squad for this afternoons game vs the Cairns Taipans!". facebook.com/nzbreakers. 17 January 2026. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  19. ↑ "Effort, pain, and a tough lesson for Breakers". nbl.com.au. 24 January 2026. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  20. ↑ "Tall Black Swims South as Darling Signs". Southland Sharks. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  21. ↑ "Roster Report: Round One vs @otagonuggetsnbl". facebook.com/southlandsharks. 10 April 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  22. ↑ "Youngsters embracing opportunity at Tall Blacks camp". The New Zealand Herald. 17 June 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  23. ↑ "Tall Blacks Squad for FIBA Asia Cup Confirmed". Basketball New Zealand. 9 July 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  24. ↑ "Tall Blacks Dispatch Jordan To Claim Bronze At FIBA Asia Cup". Basketball New Zealand. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  25. ↑ "INTRODUCING THE TRANS-TASMAN THROWDOWN SQUADS |Basketball New Zealand". nz.basketball. 6 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  26. ↑ "Three debutants named in Flavell's 2025 FIBA Asia Cup squad |Basketball New Zealand". nz.basketball. 16 July 2025. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  27. ↑ "Strong Tall Blacks Squad Named to take on the Boomers |Basketball New Zealand". nz.basketball. 10 November 2025. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  28. ↑ "Max Darling will miss the Tall Blacks' basketball World Cup Qualifiers against the Australian Boomers with concussion". nzcity.co.nz. 25 November 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  29. ↑ "Tall Blacks 12-man squad named for Philippines Showdown in Manila |Basketball New Zealand". nz.basketball. 23 February 2026. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
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