About

Basketball was my sanctuary growing up. It was my acceptance into friendship circles, my outlet, and in a lot of ways my identity. I was good, not great, but basketball served me well. The court was where I felt most myself.

As my life shifted toward physiotherapy and health, I stayed connected to the game. I kept playing, and I started working with local clubs and players. Basketball had given me so much that giving back felt natural.

In 2016 I attended the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, and that trip changed my trajectory. The people I met, the conversations we had, and the innovation happening at the highest level of the game opened my eyes to what was possible in basketball health and performance.

The connections made in Vegas led me to the Adelaide 36ers. For the past decade I have been part of basketball health and performance at the professional level, as a physio, as part of the performance team, and as someone who cares deeply about developing healthy, resilient players.

Working in professional basketball has been a masterclass in what works and what does not. I have treated championship level players and development players. I have seen careers extended by smart preparation, and I have seen what happens without it.

The habits that keep hoopers healthy are not complicated. They are just not widely taught at the youth level. I have treated too many teenage players for injuries that could have been prevented, and that sits with me, because basketball gave me so much.

That is why Healthy Hooper exists. The book, the sessions, and everything on this site carry the same goal: not just better basketball players, but healthy humans who happen to play basketball. Players who understand their bodies, respect their limits, and build habits that serve them long after the final buzzer.

Basketball gave me my sanctuary. I want to help you protect yours.

Tristan Chai, Founder, Healthy Hooper

Consult with me

Away from Healthy Hooper I consult as a physiotherapist in Adelaide. If you would like to work with me one on one, on an injury, a rehab plan, or your performance, you can find me at good.physio.