Nathan Jawai
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| Position | Centre |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Baby Shaq |
| Height | 208 cm |
| Weight | 130 kg |
| Team | Cairns Taipans (NBL) |
| Nationality |  Australia |
| Born | October 10, 1986  Sydney, NSW[1] |
| Junior Association | Cairns |
| College/University | Midland College |
| Debut | 2007 |
| Career Highlights | 2007 NBL All Star Game MVP |
Nathan Jawai (born 10 October 1986) is an Australian basketball player. He plays for the Cairns Taipans in the Australian NBL. Jawai is expected to make the step up to the NBA.[2] He was named the MVP of the 2007 NBL All Star game, and is nicknamed the "Aussie Shaq" or "Baby Shaq" due to his resemblance to Shaquille O'Neal.[3]
The Torres Strait Islander and Cape York Peninsula native (the northernmost point in Australia, in the state of Queensland) is draft eligible this year, both having been born in 1986 (making him automatically eligible as an international player), as well as having left the college ranks last season for a professional contract. Jawai played for Midland Community College (one of the top JUCOs in the country) briefly last year before suffering a knee injury and deciding to return home.
He averaged 11 points and 6 rebounds on 49% shooting from the field in 14 games. He also spent a year at the renowned Australian Institute of Sports, and reportedly only started playing basketball at the age of 15, after people at St Augustine College in Cairns first tried to make him into a Rugby player. On the season, Jawai is averaging 17.9 points, 9.4 rebounds per game (4th in the league) and 1 block per game in 30 minutes and shooting 59.1% from the field making him second in the league.
Jawai has declared for the 2008 NBA Draft and has left for the US for tryouts.
In an NBA Mock Draft, Jawai is predicted to be picked up at number 29, landing him at the Detroit Pistons.
