Basketball On The Internet.

IT never cease to amaze how often, readily and easily Australian basketball's administrators at any and all levels - federal, state, club - can make a botch of even the best of ideas. Case in point this week? The Australian Basketball Players Association and its noble plan to recognise every past World Cup and Olympic Opals player, as has occurred for the Boomers. 

As you may or may not know, the Boomers of those FIBA World Cup (previously World Championship) and Olympic campaigns have been rewarded with an individual Akubra hat graced by their number on it, that figure representing where they fit in that esteemed group.

If this sounds as if it is something Patty Mills drove, you'd be correct.

So at Saturday's ABPA awards dinner in Melbourne, the Opals - and there are 113 of them who qualify - are to be presented with Opals pendants, or so this excerpt from the official invitation strongly implies.

"The Opals pendant has been specifically designed for each World Cup and Olympic Opal with a: 

*unique design displaying the Opals Coat of Arms

*recognition of each player's individual Opals number, 113 players to ever play for the Opals at World Cups or Olympics

*bespoke Opal from Coober Pedy which pays homage to our namesake, the Australian Opals"

Sounds like a tremendous idea, especially with 2024 celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 1984 Olympic Games, which were the first in which Australia qualified for the women's basketball and made an immediate impact finishing fifth.

What a magnificent opportunity to celebrate that historic anniversary team which comprised captain Jenny Cheesman, Patricia Cockrem, Karen Dalton, Kathy Foster, Sue Geh, Wendy Laidlaw, Robyn Maher, Bronwyn Marshall, Pat Mickan, Marina Moffa, Julie Nykiel and Donna Quinn. It was coached by Brendan Flynn, with Kay McFarlane his assistant, Lorraine Landon the team manageress and Eddie Crouch its referee. That is an outstanding group of all-time greats.

And surely those players would be among the first to receive their bespoke Opals pendants?

Nope, and Donna Quinn, for one, was extremely upset about it.

"The invitation reads like all Olympians were invited to receive their bespoke Opal pendant," Quinn said. "(It) couldn't be further from the truth. It seems very random who has been invited. For example, I wasn't."

Quinn not only competed for the Opals at the 1984 Los Angeles but also the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and at the 1986 FIBA World Cup in between. She comfortably qualifies.

"They said it was because they didn't have my details, which by the way are extremely available.  Julie Nykiel wasn't invited. Shelley Gorman wasn't invited. I am sure there were so many more people not invited.

"It is so wrong. They turn an important occasion into a half-baked function and it demonstrates complete incompetence and lacks professionalism.

"I followed them up thinking I was the only one not invited. However I was told there were only 26 opal pendants, not the 113 indicated in the invitation."

Snubbing Nykiel (right) was a particular disgrace.

An Opals starter throughout the bulk of her illustrious career, she competed for Australia at three World Cups (1979, 1983, 1986) and was the top player in the nation when selected for the 1984 and 1988 Olympic teams.

In both Olympic years, she won the WNBL's Most Valuable Player award and led the league in scoring.

For that matter, one of the game's greatest ever "bigs", she also led the league in scoring in 1982, 1983 and 1985.

Gorman was a prodigy, competing at the 1990 and 1994 FIBA World Cups and representing the Opals at Olympics in 1988, 1996 and 2000.

Like Nykiel in her era - and ultimately Cheesman, Maher, Michele Timms, Rachael Sporn, Lauren Jackson, Kristi Harrower, Penny Taylor - Gorman was always among the first players selected to wear the green-and-gold.

Inviting 26 of 113 players? Not acknowledging our first women's basketball Olympic team, on its 40th anniversary? Pretending some players were difficult to find?

Yep. It never ceases to amaze just how badly yet consistently basketball's pencil-pushers can bungle even the best ideas.