Skytrans Cairns Taipans veterans Dusty Rychart and Aaron Grabau will celebrate their 300th and 400th National Basketball League appearances respectively when they suit up against the Wollongong Hawks in Cairns this Sunday.

By Sunday the pair will have logged a combined 23 seasons, 700 games, 18,000 minutes, 1,800 field goals and counting.

Taipans head coach Aaron Fearne says these figures add up to one thing for his side: experience.

“Aaron and Dusty bring a lot of experience to the club. They’ve been through so many different situations, environments and runs on the court,” Fearne said.

He praised the pair’s longevity, crediting their work ethic and consistency over long careers.

“They’re exactly how you would define a professional basketball player. They take pride in their work habits, they take pride in their bodies and take pride in being consistent,” he said.

“They’re great teammates too, and that’s what an ultimate professional is all about.

“For them to be playing their 300th and 400th games is an amazing accomplishment, not many players have done it.”

Grabau and Rychart will be recognised for their milestone achievements prior to tip-off at this Sunday’s matchup with the Wollongong Hawks at the Cairns Convention Centre. Tip-off at 4.00pm.

Aaron Grabau

Aaron Grabau is the only remaining rostered foundation Taipans player. He joined the side in 1999, posting a career-high 12.5 points and 4.2 rebounds in 2007. Last season Aaron re-invented himself as a perimeter scorer, converting on 42.3% of his attempts while retaining his physical defensive presence.

Dusty Rychart

Dusty Rychart joined the Skytrans Cairns Taipans in 2009 after stints with the Giants, 36ers, Bullets and Hawks. Boasting career averages of 15.4 points and 8.2 rebounds, Dusty won an NBL championship with the Brisbane Bullets in 2007. He garnered the nickname “garbage man” for doing the dirty work on-court: grabbing rebounds and diving for loose balls.