Basketball On The Internet.

IT IS a great day for basketball in South Australia and, by extension, for the NBL and WNBL.

The announcement today which has been a long-held secret since late last year - that Adelaide Arena successfully had been sold to a "basketball-friendly'' group - finally was clarified, with Scouts SA and SA Church Basketball pooling resources to secure the venue.

Frankly, it is fantastic.

With Adelaide 36ers and Adelaide Lightning secured as permanent tenants and plans by the new Arena Stadium Management Pty Ltd to use the venue in the many and varied ways it was intended, the future suddenly is bright.

Considering the doom and gloom over the heads of the Sixers and the finals fadeouts of the Lightning, to know both have secured the playing facility - and now, as a joined entity also will offer greater value-for-money with their run of double-headers - the folks over at Basketball Australia can breathe easier.

(Those that are even aware of what has been transpiring in SA, that is. Anybody? Anybody? Bueller?)

Truthfully, without a home to call their own and with the high cost of laying a floor etcetera at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, the 36ers very much were staring at extinction.

Subtract an established brand from the NBL such as the Adelaide 36ers, reduce it to seven teams and what have you got?

The sure and imminent demise of our elite competition.

That's how serious the plight was but once Scouts SA and SA Church stepped into the breach, EVERYONE was a winner.

"It's a win-win,'' SA Church Basketball Association general manager Fiona Frick said in reference to the ownership agreement serving basketball and the community.

There is a certain irony that the great fear in SA was that a church might buy the building and give basketball the flick and instead, Church Basketball is a 50 per cent owner and savior.

Similarly, back in the day, scout halls were among the first venues used in the 1940s when basketballs started being bounced in Adelaide so Scouts SA jointly owning the venue is a blast from the past too.

Two community-oriented groups owning the facility makes it a win at every level and also leaves the Sixers and Lightning to get on with and focus on their own on-court issues at last.

To take in the different points of view, check out http://www.sa.scouts.com.au/arena and/or http://www.adelaide36ers.com/article/id/w5y46el137wq1raduwf57y2vh

My own piece at adelaidenow is: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/sa-church-basketball-scouts-sa-buy-adelaide-arena/story-fne5r4t9-1226611832030

I know a few basketball purists will cringe to think the house local basketball built is now part-owned by church basketball but they too will come around and appreciate just how positive a day this is for all concerned.

All I can say is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76RrdwElnTU

And what do you think would be a good NEW name for the venue?

It has been the Clipsal Powerhouse, Distinctive Homes Dome, Brett Maher Court, Adelaide Arena.

Got a good name suggestion? Tweet it to me at @boti_nagy or email it to botirnagy@gmail.com and I'll print the best nominees here on the weekend.