06/09/2026
2025-2026 American Basketball Association Champion
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
This week, we sat down with O’Neal Mims, who plays Power Forward and Center to talk about what playing for the Austin Bats means to him. O’Neal Mims has built an impressive basketball career playing professionally across the globe in Bahrain, Brazil, France, Indonesia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Morocco, and Turkey. Now he’s brought that talent and experience home to the Austin Bats.
When asked the most meaningful moments of his career and what it means to play in front of his hometown crowd, he shared:
“I played 14 years in the ABA and I’ve never had my family watch me play, never had any friends at the game so for me coming home and playing in front if my hometown, my home crowd and bringing a championship home it’s pretty big for me … nothing to me was more important than doing something that I love in front of my family.”
Despite a career that has taken him around the world, representing Austin carries a special meaning. For O’Neal, the bats represent something much bigger than basketball:
“We’re here because we worked hard from last year but this year, we’re going to show that we remain here because this is bigger than just a team … it’s for the city, it’s for the organization”
He also reflected on the role basketball plays in the lives of everyone involved with the team:
“The organization, the coaches, and the other players, were going through so much on a day-to-day basis that sometimes the only pressure release we have is those two hours on Saturday or Sunday … we get to be who we truly are and play Austin Bats basketball”
Thank you, O’Neal, for sharing your story and for representing Austin both on and off the court. 🦇❤️🩹
Austin Bats Media: Sara Santos / Ava Salas
