Against all expectations

Australian National Basketball League (NBL) star Harry Froling was once told he would never play basketball again after suffering a heinous one-punch assault. Now, he is striving to return to the court, writing an inspiring comeback story.

Harry Froling, 26, admits that he has always had a certain "delusional confidence" in himself. His latest dream seems almost impossible to many. However, the charm of sports lies in creating incredible miracles, and Harry firmly believes he can do it.

"I often lie in bed at night, imagining myself stepping back onto the NBL court," said the former Brisbane Bullets player. "Thinking about it makes me quite excited."

Just two years ago, Froling was told he would never play basketball again. But this paled in comparison to the conversation his family had. At the time, doctors told them they might lose their son and brother forever. Harry suffered life-threatening brain hemorrhaging and a fractured skull, the severe consequences of that terrible one-punch attack.

In Australian basketball circles, the Froling family is a sporting dynasty. His parents, Shane and Jenny, both had illustrious careers in their respective national leagues, eventually settling in Townsville. Unsurprisingly, their four children—twins Alicia and Keely (29), Harry (26), and Sam (25)—were destined for success and to don the green and gold of the Australian national team. Basketball is deeply ingrained in their genes.

Shane recalled, "Harry was outstanding as a teenager. Time seemed to slow down for him. He could score at will and brought that ability to his NBL career." He added, "The kids were exposed to basketball from a young age, but Harry seemed to have a natural talent for it from the start. He was relentless from the age of three, running to the outdoor hoop and shooting non-stop until dark. Watching them all become professional players... it's just amazing. Watching them play against each other... they enter another state; they are desperate to beat each other."

For a basketball-centric family, basketball became irrelevant on the afternoon of Sunday, January 22, 2023. That's when the phone calls started coming in. Just hours earlier, Harry had been assaulted during a night out in Wollongong and was now in the hospital. "It was a doctor calling, requesting surgery," said his father, Shane. "I asked what would happen without surgery, and the answer was direct... he would die."

Less than 48 hours earlier, Harry had just played his best NBL game of the season for the Brisbane Bullets. It was a reason to celebrate. After a poor season for the club, with four different coaches, Brisbane secured an important away win in Wollongong. Harry's brother, Sam, played for the opposing Hawks, and Harry always enjoyed how the sibling rivalry added spice to the game.

"I was in good form, getting a lot of playing time, and playing well," Harry recalled. So, Harry, Sam, and some teammates went into town for a few drinks. "I left around midnight and woke up in the morning to a lot of missed calls," Sam said. He later learned that his brother had been viciously attacked, suffering severe head injuries, and was lying on the side of the road.

"You know, part of the reason I went home early that night was because I was in a bad mood; I didn't play well," Sam said. "I woke up the next morning to find out this had happened to my brother... I thought, who cares about a basketball game."

Harry didn't watch the sickening video of the attack until last year, a video showing the 210cm athlete lying helplessly on the ground, fighting for his life. "They removed a 10cm by 10cm piece of my skull to drain the bleeding, and then they stitched it up, and now I have three steel plates in my head," Harry said. "I was in the hospital for 10 days; I was completely out of it, and everything felt like slow motion. I have 37 staples in my skull. You know, it's almost like 1000 times a concussion... headaches, dizziness. You just feel unwell, walking around. These were all symptoms that came on immediately after the injury."

He barely remembers the conversation with the neurosurgeon who told him he would never play basketball again. "Hearing that, I was certainly shocked because, you know, I wasn't satisfied with my career," he said.

Harry burst onto the NBL scene in his rookie season like an unstoppable force, like a dunk that echoes long after the buzzer sounds. After interrupting his US college career, he returned to Australia and turned professional at the age of 20. He won the league's Rookie of the Year award and then tried to chase his NBA dream, but he was always under immense pressure of expectation. After five years chasing NBA glory, playing for three clubs, his form fluctuated, but he eventually returned to the Brisbane Bullets, having played 154 NBL games. He never imagined that his game against his brother in Wollongong might be the last game of his career.

"You know, the mental health side of things, and everything that happened, your life is turned upside down in an instant," he said. Needing constant care, financial, physical, and mental support, Harry moved back home to Townsville, living under the care of his parents and sister, Alicia. "I went to a very dark place. I put on almost 160kg in 12 months," he said. "Going from being a full-time athlete to sitting at home, depressed and out of shape."

It was a difficult journey for his childhood friend, Kay Woodfall. "In basketball... he's that unicorn type of player—tall, but can do guard-type things," Kay said. "I remember as kids we talked about playing in the NBL or for Australia... and then Harry, he did it." Kay is a resident doctor and was at his bedside after Harry underwent life-saving surgery at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. "This was someone who was larger than life in every way, but he could barely respond," Kay said. "When he got back to Townsville, he would call me often, and we would chat because he would have headaches and tinnitus."

However, through small efforts and returning to doing things he loved—like spearfishing and spending time with family—the 26-year-old found a way to be himself again. "His headaches have improved, although we don't know if they will go away," Kay said. "Now he's back, right... he's still that Harry... walking around with that energy. He's back to being that person, which is amazing. It's simply a miracle."

But there was an important part missing from Harry's life. Perhaps the most important part—basketball. "It's my first love," he said. "It's something I've been doing since I was a kid. It's what I know. It's hard to just give it up all of a sudden. So I think I can go back and move on when I'm ready. I plan to return to the NBL next season."

Today, he took the first step, participating in his first professional basketball game in 786 days. Harry will play for the Taranaki Airs in the New Zealand National Basketball League, signing a short-term contract before returning to Australia next month to play in the NBL1 North League. He will join the NBL's reserve team—the Southern District Spartans. Playing for the Airs will provide Harry with an important opportunity to impress scouts and coaches in the weeks leading up to the NBL's free agency period.

"I'm just excited to be back playing," he said. "It's just about going all out and showing everyone, hey, you know I've overcome all this, and I'm healthy and ready."

Harry also has an excellent opportunity to quickly get into shape, having recently spent six weeks training with the Wollongong Hawks—his brother's club. "There's nothing better than being on the court; you can do a lot of running and weight training on your own... but there's nothing like training in a high-level environment with high-level athletes and professional players," Harry said. "Obviously, the support is great; it can be very lonely when you're injured and doing your own thing, being able to get help from the Hawks and have my brother around."

Certainly, the Froling family is now stepping onto the basketball court with a new perspective. "We've been playing basketball our whole lives, but through one action, basketball was taken away from him," Sam said. "I know how much it means to me, and I think it means even more to him; it's really hard; it's part of his identity. From my perspective, I can continue to play basketball, while he can only watch from the sidelines. But I would love to share the court with him again, to play against him; it's really hard to accept, and I believe it's a huge struggle for him as well."

For Harry, his entire outlook on life has changed. "How I take care of myself, how I take care of my body, how I treat others, everything is more meaningful now," he said. "I think I'm in the best place I can be, given a very bad situation. You know, it's terrible that this happened, but I think I've become a better person, and I think I'm able to come back better than ever."