Basketball On The Internet.

IT’S pretty rare for management to say it’s in everyone’s best interests to have a strong union but that’s exactly what BA, the NBL and WNBL have said today about the Australian Basketballers’ Alliance.

Tomorrow, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance formally will announce the formation of the ABA, representing all NBL, WNBL, Boomers and Opals players and headed by Jacob Holmes and Lauren Jackson.

Holmes last week foreshadowed the end of the NBL Players Association he headed as president in favour of the new ABA, which gives all of the nation’s elite players one voice.

“It’s fantastic,” BA chief executive Anthony Moore said. “For us to be able to coordinate what we want with WNBL standard contracts, how the Opals are paid, standard pay, standard players’ agreements – you need clarity who you’re dealing with.”

FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES: Lauren Jackson with some post-game autograph hunters.

Moore said Australian basketball had not had that and it now would be better for the formation of the ABA.

“I think it’s a good thing,” NBL chief exec Jeremy Loeliger agreed. “It will raise the profile of the players' association generally and broadening the scope of who they represent can only be a good thing.

“Conversations so far (with the ABA) have been productive and moving forward.

“Anything that links our international players and our domestic players is a positive.”

Jacob and Jacko will be running the ABA while Joe Ingles and David Andersen are co-presidents repping the Boomers.

JACOB HOLMES' RESOURCES: "I think I have it here somewhere."

“For me, the best thing about this is it does bring our most notable and best-performed international players closer to home and to what we’re doing here,” WNBL chief exec Paul Maley said.

“For them to be more involved and bringing more profile – even adding their profile to our leagues is a good thing.

“Top level basketball in Australia has suffered from the lack of exposure of its best international players, unlike other sports such as cricket and Rugby League.

“The fact we haven’t had more regular exposure for our Boomers and Opals hasn’t helped (raise) the awareness of how good we are.

“For a country of this size to be as successful as it is internationally is a big deal.”

One of the reasons Ingles attended Boomers sessions this week was to be part of the ABA, which he wholeheartedly supports.

Online

News Corp on the ABA: http://bit.ly/1L58xLF

NBL news: http://bit.ly/1J34Ofq