This article was originally published in print in the Swan Hill Guardian on July 20, 2021.
THE Milwaukee Bucks haven’t reached the National Basketball Association playoffs since 1974… until now.
And it’s Balranald-born Doctor Troy Flanagan who has helped his team reach the heights of their sport.
He works with some of the best NBA players in the league including Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, both power forwards for the Bucks.
Dr Flanagan is the vice president of performance overseeing the Bucks preparation and support services.
“It has been a long time between NBA finals, so it’s pretty amazing to see them at the top of the NBA again and competing for a championship,” Dr Flanagan told The Guardian.
“To be a part of it is really amazing.”
Dr Flanagan has always been a big fan of the NBA, with his favourite team growing up being the Los Angeles Lakers.
“(I) especially liked watching Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,” he said.
“I remember watching NBA games on Saturday mornings as a kid growing up.”
Dr Flanagan joined the Milwaukee Bucks in 2015, with the Bucks being part of the Eastern Conference.
Dr Flanagan said to make the final, the teams had to win the Eastern or Western Conference.
“The NBA finals is the best of seven games,” Dr Flanagan said.
The Bucks beat Atlanta Hawks 4-2 in the Eastern Conference to make the finals, now playing against the Phoenix Suns to gain the title.
“The Bucks won the Eastern Conference and are playing the Suns, who won the west,” he said.
Dr Flanagan said the experience for him and his team’s playoffs and finals has been incredible.
“It’s like an Olympic final every day for weeks,” he said.
His role has been to oversee the fitness, sports medicine, nutrition, sport psychology, sports technology and recovery of the team between games.
It’s not just on the court Dr Flanagan has helped his team but off-court, designing specialty sport seating for his beloved Bucks to “enhance on-court performance by maintaining elevated body temperature and proper anthropometrics when players are seated” that were rolled out in the 2018-2019 season.
Dr Flanagan acknowledged his family for their support and commitment to his education.
“In addition, I would also like the thank and acknowledge my former coaches at Nyah Two Bays, Shirley Swan and the late Janelle Masters for investing time in me and inspiring me to choose a life in elite sport,” he said.
“Without their generosity to me, I would not be here in the NBA today.”
The Milwaukee Bucks will play games 6 and 7 this week.
Dr Flanagan was born and raised in Balranald, also spending four years at Swan Hill High.
He was also part of the Nyah Two Bays Swan Hill Swimming Club.
Dr Flanagan studied at RMIT University, graduating with a first class honours degree in sport science and a PhD in aerospace engineering and sports technology.
He ran a sports science lab at RMIT for four years, working primarily with Australian Football League teams
Dr Flanagan spent 12 years at the Victorian Institute of Sport preparing Olympic athletes for the Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000) and Athens (2004) Olympics, as well as nine years working with the US Winter Olympic team for the Vancouver (2010) and Sochi (2014) Olympics.
Lillian Altman 