Basketball On The Internet.

JUST when you start to worry the NBL still is making some questionable decisions, it goes and does something as terrific as appointing Patty Mills a league ambassador.

I mean, you know, Alby Joseph as the new man in charge of the NBL officials when he has no formal experience of that level ... should be a million laughs.

But just as you're palming your forehead at that news, the NBL snaps up our most charismatic basketball character to help promote the game and the league.

Patty, an NBA champion last year with the San Antonio Spurs, returns soon to Texas for the franchise's 2015-16 title assault.

But he will be one of the faces taking a lead role in building the NBL's community participation programs.

“I am excited to welcome Patty Mills to the NBL family," NBL General Manager Jeremy Loeliger said yesterday when the announcement was made at Fitzroy Primary School.

"We have been talking with Patty while he has been home in Australia about his passion for giving back to the sport of basketball in Australia, the NBL, and specifically inspiring indigenous and multicultural kids all across Australia to achieve their goals through sport.

“The NBL is committed to developing a strong community program that will give kids in rural and remote communities, as well as those in the suburbs, an opportunity to participate in basketball and perhaps one day emulate Patty’s success.”

AMBASSADOR MILLS: Patty and students from Fitzroy Primary, site of yesterday's announcement.

Mills likened the NBL project to the formation of the indigenous community basketball club in Canberra where he took his first basketball steps.

“I first played basketball with the Shadows Basketball Club in Canberra, which was set up to enable indigenous people to play basketball. It later expanded to become a multicultural basketball program and included players from all nationalities,” he said.

THE EARLY DAYS OF THE SHADOWS CLUB: Can you recognise anyone in this pic?

“Shadows gave me an opportunity first, to play basketball, and then the confidence to work towards my goals and achieve my full potential.  It’s this sort of community support network that I am passionate about building with the NBL, and continue the legacy of Shadows to help other indigenous kids around Australia get to the NBL, the NBA or just through school.”

Mills’ mother is from Koonibba, near Ceduna in South Australia. His father is from the Torres Strait and his uncle, Danny Morseu was a dual-Olympian with the Boomers after playing at the 1978 FIBA World Championship.

The late Michael Ahmatt in 1964 was Australia's first indigenous Olympian.

Mills, who played briefly in the NBL for Melbourne Tigers during the NBA lock-out, said working with the league was a way of contributing to closing the gap.

“It is so important for me to come back to Australia and participate in encouraging indigenous kids to be the best they can be and help close the gap,” he said.

“Even in basketball that gap is too wide - my uncle Danny Morseu was the second indigenous person to play for the Boomers and that was in the 1980s.

“In my generation, it is Nathan Jawai and myself who have both played for Australia and reached the NBA and Rohanee Cox who played for the Opals. That is a 30-year gap that will hopefully lessen as I commit to building this program, among others, with the NBL.”

While the NBL is at it, maybe it also should look at getting together with the Imparja television network.

If you want to know why, then maybe go back to this link: http://bit.ly/1hHA1ei

ER, apparently I erred in my Ebi Ere chant revisist.

With a thank you to Jason Cadee as the first (of many) to pick me up, it isn't "Rah rah, Ebi Ere" as erroneously errored here yesterday, but, in fact, "Ooo, ahh, Ebi Ere".

I slouch corrected.

Online

Daniel Carlion joins the 36ers: http://bit.ly/1Km0XuQ