NBL presents a Christmas Carol of its own
IT'S BEEN speculated, discussed, debated and suggested for years, so the NBL finally has taken the punt as the first Australian pro sports league to commit to a Christmas Day fixture - Melbourne v Sydney in Sydney - on December 25 in the forthcoming 2022-23 season.
Taking a (short) break
JUST finished a terrific project for WILKINSON PUBLISHING so taking a few days off to recharge the batteries. Guessing you'll survive without the website's take on what should have been a Boomers' avalanche over Saudi Arabia. Looking forward to being back next week. Cheers all.
Bob's Bonus: WNBA All Stars passing torch
BOB'S BONUS: Our man-on-the-ground in the USA, BOB CRAVEN, has bounced in early with a wrap of the WNBA All Star game which last weekend featured the farewell appearances of two of the league's all-time great superstars but soon-to-be retirees, Sue Bird and Sylvia Fowles.
Boomers take air out of Jordan
AS expected, Australia's national men's team last night thumped Jordan to open its defence of the FIBA Asia Cup in Jakarta. The 78-60 win was built on a sizzling 52-26 first half during which Thon Maker was omnipresent and gave stand-in Boomers coach Mike Kelly his first international victory.
Good, Bad and Ugly for the week
THERE'S a lot going on right now in basketball, Boomer Olympic Bronze Medallist Dante Exum signing at Partizan Belgrade after a successful season with Barcelona, his Utah Jazz pal Joe Ingles at Milwaukee Bucks and Australian players pushing their cases at the NBA Summer League. It's time for "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly".
Bob's Corner: Storm's twin clouds reign at last
BOB'S CORNER: Our US correspondent BOB CRAVEN has had a busy week, following the latest big WNBA news at Seattle, home of two Aussie Olympians, not to mention following Jock Landale and Aron Baynes in their updated NBA developments and more on the plight of Brittney Griner in Russia.
Sigh. And now it's time for the Asia Cup!
THERE are times you have to wonder who is responsible for the scheduling and rostering of international games at FIBA. One week it's men's World Cup qualifying matches, the next another Asia Cup for the Boomers - or those players, coaches available - this time in Jakarta.
Loz's return is Win-Win for Everyone
THE addition of 41-year-old Lauren Jackson to the Australian Opals squad ahead of the FIBA World Cup in Sydney in September was a "good news" story on every possible level, allowing this country's greatest ever basketball player to end her illustrious and unmatchable career on her own terms.
A quarter of slaughter
GOING into last night's final quarter of the feisty FIBA World Cup qualifier between Australia and China with scores locked away at 45-45, few would have predicted the 26-3 final avalanche which buried the visitors 71-48, or that the Boomers' would produce impeccable defence and 5-of-7 triples.
It's time Australia had a new celebration
THERE hardly would be a single Aussie oblivious to the fact today is July 4, American Independence Day. Yet it says volumes about us that almost exactly a month ago on June 3, only a small group of mostly First Nations people celebrated or were even aware of Mabo Day, arguably Australia's most significant reconciliation development in 50 years.