Dyson Daniels has doubled down on his desire to one day pivot to the AFL, stating he’d love to lace up the footy boots if his NBA career somehow didn’t work out.
Nicknamed “the Great Barrier Thief”, the star Atlanta Hawks guard joined AFL 360 on Wednesday night to discuss winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award, before the chat quickly turned to his love for footy.
“I always say, if my basketball career doesn’t work out, if I still have a little in me in the end I want to come back and play some footy,” Daniels said.
The 22-year-old was selected to the NBA’s All Defensive Team after leading the league in steals last year, but his deep love for Australian Rules remains having grown up in Bendigo, where he represented Victoria at the national football championships as a junior.
MORE: Sam Darcy in the NBA? Dyson Daniels reveals what type of baller the AFL star would be
A ruck man by trade, the 6 foot 7 big has confessed his desire to one day play in the AFL in the past, hinting at a switch if time is somehow still on his side.
“I had a pretty good junior career… I didn’t want to give footy up,” Daniels went on to say.
“I loved footy so much, I always say, if my basketball career doesn’t work out, if I still have a little in me in the end I want to come back and play some footy.”
"He was still taller then, but it would've been a lot closer than now"
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) July 2, 2025
Imagine playing under-12s and the other team has Dyson Daniels AND Sam Darcy 🤯 #AFL360 pic.twitter.com/Fk6YcdVYQW
Daniels was also asked which current AFL players would make it big in the NBA, and after crossing paths with Western Bulldogs gun Sam Darcy in the under-12 competition in Victoria, it didn't take long for him to name the key forward everyone is talking about.
"So he might be, you know, a (new teammate Kristaps) Porzingis-type player,” Daniels said.
"We played under-12 SSV (School Sport Victoria) footy together. So obviously Sam back there, known him for a while, obviously come through the ranks, and look what he’s doing now on the big stage. So it’s good to see him killing it."