It’s been just over a week since the NBLxNBA experiment concluded, and now that the dust has settled, and the basketball world has normalised, it’s time to look back and see what we learned from the three games.
The NBL has Arrived
To even gain a single game with the sides from the best league in the world is groundbreaking, but to wrangle up three games is game-changing. It gave our league an automatic audience of millions, as well as a massive increase in publicity in Australia.
Now there were people everywhere talking about basketball, using that catchphrases like, “like back in the 90s.” Football commentators are forgoing their usual spiel of trade talks and Richmond banter to spruik how Melbourne United lost by only one point. There were billboards, advertisements and social chatter everywhere.
After Quarter Time, Sydney and Brisbane held their own
Unfortunately for the Kings and Bullets, they were blasted out of the water right from the get-go. After quarter time, the Kings were down 35-19, while Brisbane had a bigger deficit at 38-12. Neither team looked comfortable.
However, whether it be the nerves wore off, or the NBA teams went to their benches for longer, the teams came back and made it a decent game. Although Sydney lost by 24 points and Brisbane went down by 21, the two teams held their own after quarter time. Sydney were -5 in the final three quarters and Brisbane even beat Phoenix by five points, and both teams showed that they were quality teams.
Melbourne should be the clear favourite for the NBL Championship
The United may have lost to Perth and New Zealand last round in the NBL, that doesn’t change the fact that Melbourne is the favourites to win the title. Losing by only one point to a full-strength Oklahoma City team is a spectacular result, one that demonstrates their class, talent and depth.
It may have just been a pre-season game for the Thunder, but no other international team in this season’s pre-season came anywhere close to the result of the United and Thunder game. The next closest was Maccabi Haifa’s 19-point loss to Indiana.
Perth should be in the next NBLxNBA
There was a massive uproar when Perth wasn’t invited to the NBLxNBA games, but that was the team’s decision. With all the exposure and success gained from the three games, it would be shocking if the Wildcats don’t play an NBA game next time.
They have been the best team in the league for a long time, and their rabid fans (in a good way) would be exactly what the league needs to promote the games. Perth is more talented than both Sydney and Brisbane, so if Melbourne can come close to knocking off OKC, can the Wildcats cause an upset?
The Trolls Will Troll About Anything
Just like with anything popular, people will always hate on it to try and be cool and different. Obviously, the trolls discrediting the three NBL teams, or trying to downplay the game’s importance need to have a good hard look at themselves as basketball fans.
It was only a vocal minority that was raining on everyone’s parade, but it’s still disappointing that there are people out there saying that losing by a point to OKC didn’t mean anything, or even not wanting Australian basketball to get more popular and at the same time complaining that the competition is terrible. It’s best not to engage with people who do not see this as what is it: a magnificent opportunity.
The Takeaway
Sydney playing Utah, Melbourne battling Oklahoma City and Brisbane taking on Phoenix was an opportunity that was too good to pass up and has set up the league for the future in so many ways/
It has got people talking about the NBL is excited tones. The NBA now sees this league with more respect and has the potential to take this to further heights. Even Ben Simmons has said that he wants to take on the next batch of NBL teams.
If this kind of momentum continues, it’s not hard to imagine NBA teams travelling down under to play Australian teams in their own backyard.