Jawai, 34, was the first Indigenous basketballer to play in the NBA and for the Australian Boomers.
He was dubbed Outback Shaq while playing for the Toronto Raptors in his debut season in 2008 after former LA Lakers, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat legend Shaquille O Neal.
Jawai, a Torres Strait Islander who was a fan favourite for the Cairns Taipans in the NBL, says there was one aspect of his stint in the elite league he disliked. Jawai (pictured) suffered a number of life-threating injuries including an irregular heartbeat and damage to arteries around his head and neck My nickname, Outback Shaq, isn’t abuse, but I hated it and I still hate it to this day, Jawaii told The Advertiser.
Brisbane have kept in touch with the NBL top four by securing a rare win in Cairns, outclassing the Taipans 96-87 on Saturday night.
The Bullets capped a gruelling nine-game road trip with their first victory in Cairns since December 14, 2017, snapping a five-match losing streak in far north Queensland.
Brisbane (12-14 record) remain in sixth spot but are in touching distance of third-place Sydney Kings (14-13), No.4 outfit South East Melbourne Phoenix (14-14) and fifth-ranked Illawarra Hawks (13-14) with 10 games left, including their next five at home.
Tamuri Wigness goes to the basket in the Brisbane Bullets NBL win over the Cairns Taipans
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