Julian Gamble's Basketball Story Spans Three Continents, Three Decades
- Tex Greene
- Mar 26
- 8 min read
The Firebirds' start to the 2025 TBL season has been memorable for many reasons. The team is 3-1, marking their territory as one of the top teams in the league. They’ve shown last year’s run to an Eastern Conference Championship, and being one shot away from the TBL Finals wasn’t a fluke. This year’s squad is deeper, taller, and better than any previous Firebirds team. There are plenty of guys to thank for that shift.
Leading the team is a core nucleus of guards who have been together for a few years: Dreko Palmer, Daequon Antoine, and Ahmad Abdullah. All these players bring different strengths to the court: Palmer is an elite ball-handler and three-level scorer, Antoine is one of the best three-point shooters in the TBL, and Abdullah is a careful facilitator who can knock down shots while rarely turning the ball over. There are plenty of other players who have started making a name for themselves off the bench, such as DJ Thomas, Mason Harrell, and Darius Paul among others. However, the anchor of this team (metaphorically and physically) is Julian Gamble.
Standing at 6’10”, the 35-year-old Gamble is the oldest player on this Firebirds squad. However, he’s not just the old veteran brought in to mentor the young guys. He’s the starting center for the Firebirds and leads the team in points (22.8), rebounds (11.5), and blocks (1.8) per game. Gamble has spent his entire adult life playing basketball at the highest levels, and now, he’s looking to win a championship with his hometown team before sailing off into the sunset.
Unlike many Firebird players, Gamble is Raleigh-born and bred. His first memories of playing basketball came at Roberts Park on the south side of Raleigh; however, basketball was hardly the only sport Gamble played. He played football, baseball, and just about any other sport you could think of. However, basketball was without a doubt his favorite. “Basketball just excited my passion the most,” said Gamble. “Obviously, I was tall at an early age…everyone wants you to play because you’re tall. I didn’t know how difficult it would be to develop {my game} being so young and tall, but I fell in love with the game then.”
Gamble’s first taste of organized basketball came when he was 10 years old, and suited up for local AAU powerhouse Garner Road. Gamble would play a lot of basketball with the organization, and even play on the same team as Chris Lightner, former McDonalds All-American and current GM of the Firebirds.
Attending high school at Southern Durham, Gamble continued to dominate due to his size. However, he was a late bloomer and didn’t come onto the scene until the summer between his sophomore and junior seasons. “Early on I was just getting mid-majors like James Madison, Richmond, and VCU,” said Gamble. “{But} my life changed forever when I went down to Miami in a tournament with one of my mentors. He got me and four of my friends and we went down to play in this tournament. We literally pulled up to the gym right before the game started. We hopped out and I had a great game, I probably had 25 points against a top 50 player in the class. I already started opening some eyes right there. To go forward that weekend, I ended up playing against a team that had multiple McDonald’s All-Americans, and I had an amazing game (30 points, 15 rebounds, 4 blocks). Although we didn’t win, the deed was done at that point. I walked out of the gym that night with maybe 15-20 high D1 offers.”
In 2007 (his senior year of high school), Gamble would commit to the University of Miami. He had sprouted to around 6’7” by this time, and while the height was great for his game, it led to problems in other areas. Throughout his senior year, there were days Gamble would have to miss class because his growing pains were so bad that he couldn’t get out of bed. Most boys stop growing around 16 or 17 years old; not Gamble. By the time he arrived in Miami for college, he had sprouted to 6’9”.
College wasn’t the easiest of transitions for Gamble. He graduated high school at 17, which meant he was going into college ball playing against far more developed 18-22-year-olds. That paired with the lack of minutes available led to Gamble redshirting his freshman year. Throughout his years with Miami, there was a lot of inconsistency for Gamble: ups and downs, varying roles, and the lot. Before the start of his 5th season, Gamble tore his ACL, which rendered him out for the 2011-12 season. It was a blow because there was a new head coach–Jim Larranga–who had just come to Miami. Larranga had lots of prior coaching experience and is best known for leading George Mason to their incredible Final Four run in 2006. “My thinking was new coach, new opportunity, clean slate,” said Gamble. In the end, it was a good thing because Gamble got to watch Larranga and be around an incredible basketball mind while medical redshirting, meaning he could come back for a sixth and final year.
In that sixth season (2012-13), things clicked. Gamble found his role within the Miami offense. He started 28 of Miami’s 36 games, acting as a vocal leader for the team alongside five other seniors. The Hurricanes took control of the nation for a couple of months, finishing 1st in the ACC (15-3 record) and with a 29-7 overall record. They finished the year ranked 5th in the country by the AP.
After eventually graduating from Miami in 2013, Gamble knew what he wanted, like all college basketball players: “I wanted my shot at the NBA. Or at least a shot at a summer league roster to try and prove myself.” The odds were stacked against Gamble. He came out of college at 23 years old, with subpar stats for an ACC big man. While he signed with an agent and got several workouts with various NBA teams, the contact with basketball’s top league stopped there. Ultimately, Gamble and his agent would begin navigating through overseas basketball, landing him opportunities to play all across the world.
Gamble’s first stop of his professional career was France. He played with a team in the country’s second league, and while it wasn’t a great team, it allowed Gamble to showcase his abilities and create film to send to other teams. After that season in France, Gamble was back home in Raleigh until October, when a team in Brussels, Belgium reached out. He signed with them and played so well that in December he signed a contract extension. “I was a rookie and didn’t save a ton of money,” said Gamble, “So I jumped at the opportunity.”
Gamble would go on to spend two years in Belgium, and after that, two years in Germany. Germany would hold a special place in Gamble’s heart, as it’s where his first son was born. “I feel like at every stop I was able to grow in a major way,” said Gamble. “And it wasn’t just on the court.” Gamble’s next stop would be France; however, this time around he played in the country’s top league. Additionally, his second son would be born during this stint in France.
Next, Gamble played in China, where his style of play would be very similar to that of the Firebirds–bringing the ball up the court, dominating in the post, and collecting lots of rebounds. After China, Gamble spent two years in Italy. During his second year, Gamble and his team were on track to win the league’s championship; unfortunately, the year was 2020, and so the season was shut down before a winner could be declared. "It was tough because I didn’t have any pro championships at the time,” said Gamble, “But the next season {2021} we were able to win one.” Gamble’s youngest son was born during this time in Italy, giving him three international children.
From 2021-2024, Gamble would play for two different teams in Spain (with one of whom he won another championship), a team in Israel, and then another team in Italy. After that, he returned home for the Firebirds’ 2024 season, joining the squad midway through the year. “I’ve known Wade for a long time,” said Gamble. “I just walked over to him and was like ‘You need a player?’ He was like ‘Not necessarily, but for you, we’re making room for sure.’ That was cool.” With Gamble, the 2024 Firebirds had their most successful season in franchise history, winning an Eastern Conference Championship and being one shot away from battling for The Lillie in the TBL Finals.
With unfinished business, Gamble and the Firebirds had to run it back. Between the Firebirds’ 2024 and 2025 seasons, Gamble played in Mexico and Taiwan. But once 2025 rolled around, Gamble knew what it was time for. “I knew the Firebirds season was coming up. I told Wade I want to be here for the team because I want to win a championship for you, for this organization, for this city.”
For Gamble, it’s not just about playing for old friends; it’s about the chance to play high-level basketball at home. “It’s a special opportunity to play in my city in front of my family and friends. For 12 years I didn’t get that opportunity.”
Gamble’s 35 years old, although his playstyle (and dominance) haven’t changed much. He’s not an explosive, athletic center who dunks on his defenders and screams at them; rather, Gamble breaks you down methodically. He gets to his spots in the post, faces the basket, and drives, using a spin move or two when needed. TBL defenders find it near impossible to stop his 6’10” 250-pound frame, which means easy buckets, double teams, or trips to the free throw line.
This year, Gamble’s been on a tear. His best performance of the season so far? A 37-pont 19-rebound clinic against the Jacksonville 95ers on the road. In fact, those 37 points were the most scored on that day by any basketball player in the entire world. Yup. On March 9th, 2025, no one scored more points in a professional basketball game than Julian Gamble.
This year’s Firebirds team is poised (just like last year’s) to contend for the TBL’s championship (The Lillie) and make a deep playoff run. Gamble certainly believes in the team and the offseason upgrades. “We definitely have more talent, more depth,” he said. “Of course the coaching has also changed, going from Bob {MacKinnon} to Coach {Antonio} Davis. Bob was great, and Coach Davis is good as well. Of course, some things are different, everyone’s different. It’s still early in the season and we have so many things to do, things to organize. If you can work on those things while you’re winning, that’s a luxury.
“I like this group of guys, {we’re} more talented top to bottom than last year. We have a little bit more size as well. The team is primed to make a championship run.”
At this point, it’s championship or bust for Gamble and the Firebirds. The team won’t be satisfied with another deep playoff run; that’s already happened. At this point, “Winning the Lillie is all I’m really interested in.”