Melbourne Tigers superstar Chris Anstey has been named the National Basketball League’s (NBL) Most Valuable Player for the 2007/08 HUMMER Championship season and takes home not only the coveted Andrew Gaze Trophy, but also a luxury HUMMER H3 automobile.

Melbourne Tigers superstar Chris Anstey has been named the National Basketball League’s (NBL) Most Valuable Player for the 2007/08 HUMMER Championship season and takes home not only the coveted Andrew Gaze Trophy, but also a luxury HUMMER H3 automobile.

Anstey, who also took out the NBL’s top honour in 2006, won the award after polling 140 votes to clinch the MVP award from Brisbane’s Ebi Ere on 124.  Perth’s Shawn Redhage came third with 116 while Adam Ballinger of Adelaide was fourth (111) and Wollongong’s Kavossy Franklin fifth (110).

The 213cm Tigers centre, who will lead his side in Game One of the HUMMER Championship Grand Final series on Wednesday night at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, registered votes in every round that the Tigers participated in, highlighting his outstanding consistency. 

During the course of the 2007/08 regular season, Anstey averaged 21.7 points per game (sixth in the NBL) at 49% from the field, as well as 12.0 rebounds (first in the NBL), 2.9 assists, 1.9 blocks (first in the NBL) and 1.5 steals. 

He played in all 30 of Melbourne’s games and led the Tigers to a 22-8 record, which was the second best in the league.  

Anstey was announced as the winner of the award at the NBL’s Grand Final luncheon in Sydney on Tuesday and also received the keys to a brand new HUMMER H3 valued at over $60,000 as a reward, which was put up by the NBL’s naming rights sponsor. 

Voting for the MVP award is conducted following each regular season game by the coaching staffs of each team, with the player amassing the most votes at the end of the season being declared the winner.  

The NBL’s MVP award is named after Melbourne Tigers great Andrew Gaze, with the trophy being a specially commissioned sculpture of Gaze in action.  Anstey will receive the actual MVP trophy at the annual NBL Awards Ceremony in Melbourne on the night of Thursday 20 March.

NBL Most Valuable Player

1979 Ken Richardson (West Adelaide Bearcats)

1980 Rocky Smith (St. Kilda Saints)

1981 Mike Jones (Illawarra Hawks)

1982 Al Green (West Adelaide Bearcats)

1983 Owen Wells (Sydney Supersonics)

1984 Leroy Loggins (Brisbane Bullets)

1985 Ray Borner (Coburg Giants)

1986 Leroy Loggins (Brisbane Bullets)

1987 Mark Davis (Adelaide 36ers) &

Leroy Loggins (Brisbane Bullets)

1988 Joe Hurst (Hobart Tassie Devils)

1989 Scott Fisher (North Melbourne Giants)

1990 Derek Rucker (Brisbane Bullets)

1991 Andrew Gaze (Melbourne Tigers)

1992 Scott Fisher (North Melbourne Giants) & Andrew Gaze (Melbourne Tigers)

1993 Robert Rose (South East Melbourne Magic)

1994 Andrew Gaze (Melbourne Tigers)

1995 Andrew Gaze (Melbourne Tigers)

1996 Andrew Gaze (Melbourne Tigers)

1997 Andrew Gaze (Melbourne Tigers)

1998 Andrew Gaze (Melbourne Tigers)

1999 Steve Woodberry (Brisbane Bullets)

2000 Paul Rogers (Perth Wildcats)

2001 Robert Rose (Townsville Crocodiles)

2002 Mark Bradtke (Melbourne Tigers)

2003 Chris Williams (Sydney Kings)

2004 Matthew Nielsen (Sydney Kings)

2005 Brian Wethers (Hunter Pirates)

2006 Chris Anstey (Melbourne Tigers)

2007 Sam Mackinnon (Brisbane Bullets)

2008 Chris Anstey (Melbourne Tigers)