Bates played for De La Salle Green Archers men's basketball team starting in 2018.
In the first round of his first season (2019), he only averaged 1.8 points on 36% shooting, on top of 7.2 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 17 minutes of play.
[4][5] Bates got selected by Meralco Bolts in the 2023 PBA draft as 8th overall, but he did not sign a contract earlier because he wanted to go home to Australia.
[6] Sharing play time in centre position with Raymond Almazan, he was seen as an energizer[7] with a shot-blocking ability.
He had 6 blocks and 13 rebounds in the Game 7 semifinal match vs. Ginebra in 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.