Basketball On The Internet.

IT never ceases to amaze, amuse and ultimately bemuse longtime NBL fans how today's league continuously endeavours to bury its past beneath a relentless stream of recency bias diarrhoea, revisionist history and comical justifications masked behind terms such as "modern era", "40-minute era" and "second era" to promote "alternative facts" on anything record-related.

In a word, it's more of the bullshit today's NBL wants today's NBL fan to believe and it is beyond offensive to all who came before.

We saw the tired self-serving routine trotted out two rounds ago when Chris Goulding shot a magnificent 46 points for Melbourne United against Perth, before Brisbane import James Batemon had fans roaring as he closed in on 51 points, also against the "We-We-We-Can't-Guard-The-Perimeter" Wildcats, last round.

Batemon's 51 was the most points scored by a player, first reported by NBL Media as in the "40-minute era" which later was amended to in the "modern era". Then another "alternate fact" was added when it became the highest individual score for the Bullets too.

The reality is it was the most scored by any player since the RETURN to 40-minute games in 2009-10 and therefore since Goulding scored 50 in 2013-14.

But as has been written here before, there WAS a 40-minute era in our NBL when it launched in 1979. They played 40-minute games in 1979-80-81-82-83, the league switching to 48-minute games in 1984 until Basketball Australia took brief control and reverted back to FIBA's 40 minute international game in 2009-10.

And even since Larry Kestelman took ownership of the NBL, it has stayed in the TV-friendly 40-minute format.

But guess what? The NBL not only has a history pre-dating Larry and BA's ownership but it is bloody brilliant! Instead of trying to swerve everything to where recency is the key with new buzz words to hide the truth, why not just simply acknowledge and embrace reality?

"Modern era"? WTF is that supposed to mean? Was there an "Ancient Era" or a "Medieval Era"? 

There's only the actual history of the NBL. Can you for even a second imagine the NBA claiming Kobe Bryant's 81-point game as the best of the "modern era"? Hell no.

It was the NBA's best single game performance since Wilt Chamberlain went off for 100 in 1962.

Ah well, that's a long time ago so let's forget about it and talk about Kobe's 81. Wait, someone has remembered? OK. Let's call Kobe's the best of the "modern era". 

Yeah, right. No self-respecting league would do or try that, masking it with semantics, so what does that say about ours?

Here is the truth.

The NBL's inaugural highest individual score was the 53 shot by Cal Bruton for Brisbane Bullets in a 40-minute game in 1979. (That also makes it Brisbane's all-time highest score too, by the way.)

It also should be no surprise because Bruton led the league in scoring that season. (And, quick reminder, there was NO 3-point line either.)

Later that same season, the league's inaugural MVP, West Adelaide Bearcats player-coach Ken Richardson went off for 56 points.

Yes, in a 40-minute game and still back in 1979. And still no 3-point line.

That's Kenny pictured below right.

Those high scoring marks were not eclipsed until the 1981 season when another American superstar of the time, Reg Biddings - a.k.a. Sir Reginald - enjoyed a 63-point game for Forestville Eagles.

Again, 1981 still had a 40-MINUTE GAME format ... and no 3-point line. In fact its only point of difference from today's game was it was two 20-minute halves, as opposed to four 10-minute quarters.

Again, you would think that adds to the degree of difficulty without those extra quarter and three-quarter time breaks - all factors the NBL should be celebrating, not obliterating.

So there you have the truth of it. In the 40-minute game - not era or god knows what other bullshit attempt to diminish the past - 63 is the highest score.

It is high time the NBL acknowledged that instead of, as said previously, engaging in relentless semantics.

Here's something else to consider.

The highest individual score in an NBL game was delivered by West Adelaide Bearcats import Al Green in 1984. The "Mean Machine" scored 71 but yes, it was at the start of the 48-minute era and yes, he had the 3-point line.

It is just a further great shame the NBL never in any way acknowledges that as still being the highest score by anyone ever in an NBL game, albeit with the necessary caveat.

And a young fella named Andrew Gaze had a 60-point game for Melbourne Tigers in 1987, a season in which he also scored 50 or more five additional times.

All of these realities and truths warrant some mention somewhere, sometime, surely?

This obsession with everything today being superior etcetera is not only misinformed, ill-informed and tiresome, it demeans all that has gone before that laid this league's foundation.

And in all honesty, it also diminishes a performance such as Batemon's 51 or Goulding's 46 by making false claims about what should be revered as truly exceptional shooting nights/days.

Above are the record setters, from left Bruton, Richardson, Biddings, Green and Gaze, whose 44.1ppg season average in 1987 will likely never be matched.

There were a lot of great and important players before the so-called modern era. You think the NBL has athletes today? Just have a look at this block by James Crawford from three decades back.

Recency bias is a bitch. Here's a few other guys who played a role in Australia's basketball evolution, some even before the NBL.

That's Ian and Tony. If you don't know their surnames, you're excused from speaking about "the best" etc.

That's Phil and Larry.

That's Andy and Ken.

Here's Werner and Lindsay. And below are Michael and Eddie.

And there's Brian and Ray, for those enjoying a leisurely stroll down Memory Lane.

So a quick reminder - the highest score in a 40-minute NBL game is the 63 by Reg Biddings. No ifs, buts or maybes.

The highest score in an NBL game is the 71 by Al Green ... but that's the 48-minute record. Still worthy of being mentioned now and again though you'd reckon.