Professional career
Born in Adelaide, South Australia, Maher was spotted playing for the Sturt Sabres in the Australian Basketball Association where his outstanding form saw him earn a contract with the Adelaide 36ers. He took up an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship between 1989 and 1991.[1] Maher played 526 games for the 36ers between 1992 and 2009, averaging 16.9 points, 4.2 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game.
By 1994, Maher was regarded as one of the NBL's best guards and the 36ers would make its first Grand Final in eight years. Unfortunately for Maher and the 36ers they were defeated 2–0 in the Grand Final series by the North Melbourne Giants. He averaged 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists over the series while averaging 13.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists over the season.
Brett Maher took over from Mark Davis as captain of the 36ers at the start of the 1997 NBL season. Maher played an integral role in three of the four Adelaide 36ers NBL championships (1998, 1998–99 and 2001–02) and has also been the 36ers club MVP on six occasions. He was selected in 4 NBL All-Star Games (1996, 1997, 2005 and 2006) and he has been named in the All-NBL First Team in 2000 and 2003, All-NBL Second Team in 1997, 1998 and All-NBL Third Team in 1999, 2002. He also won the Larry Sengstock Medal for being the Grand Final MVP in 1999 and 2002. Maher is one of only two players to ever win the NBL Grand Final MVP twice, the other being Ricky Grace of the Perth Wildcats who won the award in 1990 and 1993.
On 7 February 2009 in front of a sellout crowd in excess of 8,000, the main court of The Dome was renamed The Brett Maher Court in honor of Maher who was playing his last home game before retiring from the NBL at the end of the 2008-09 season. The court that now bears his name is the only home court that Maher ever played on during his NBL career as the 36ers had moved to the then named Clipsal Powerhouse from their former home at the Apollo Stadium the same year that Maher started with the club. Maher has also been honored as one of only four players to have their number retired by the Adelaide 36ers.
Brett Maher retired as the Adelaide 36ers all-time leader in: games played (525), points (8,941), field goals (3,140), field goals attempted (7,072), three points made (1,162), three-point attempts (2,835), assists (2,267) and steals (703). He is one of only four players to have won 3 or more NBL championships with the 36ers alongside Mark Davis, Paul Rees and Rupert Sapwell, and one of only two 36ers championship winning captains along with American import Bill Jones who captained the club to its first title in 1986.