Basketball On The Internet.

NO, “Unsound Bites” isn’t about Luis Suarez or, according to the Financial Review’s sports section, the fact 405 players have so far crashed to the ground during soccer’s World Cup in Brazil - only to experience a “miraculous, instantaneous recovery.”

It’s actually about what a magnificent week this has been for Australian basketball in what has been a watershed year for the sport.

Basketball has its bounce back and it’s time to spread the word instead of cringing with defeat whenever the anti-basketball lobby raises its tiresome collective head.

How’s this for a week of basketball bliss?

The NBL’s community-backed Cairns Taipans this week secured a five-year deal with Cairns Regional Council which in itself shows there is long-term potential for the club.

Wollongong Hawks, buoyed by last week’s great news telecommunications guru James Spenceley had put in a bid to buy the club, this week confirmed NBL Coach of the Year Gordie McLeod had re-signed for a further three years.

Of course, with Gordie fully committed to the Hawks’ program, he has stepped out of his assistant role with the Boomers, a position now offered to and accepted by Perth’s Championship-winning coach Trevor Gleeson.

Rolling along and Aussie Dante Exum is selected at #5 by Utah Jazz in the NBA Draft at the age of 18 and with no college or pro background.

Incredible.

A short time later, Cam Bairstow is taken at #49 by Chicago Bulls.

(For those of you playing at home, that’s one spot higher than James Ennis went last year.)

That gives us six potential NBA players in Andrew Bogut (Golden State Warriors), Patty Mills, Aron Baynes (San Antonio Spurs), Matthew Dellavedova (Cleveland Cavaliers), Exum and Bairstow.

WNBL rosters are swimming with unprecedented talent levels, the 36ers have confirmed Luke Schenscher will return, they are pursuing Jamar Wilson and Peter Crawford, Townsville has secured Clint Steindl and Brian Conklin is next on the Crocs’ list. (But you read all that here first, ages ago.)

I’d call that a pretty good week for Aussie basketball.

Rub the naysayers’ faces in that lot.

AND remember, we still have the FIBA World Cup to come for the men who have drawn a winnable group and have their eyes firmly on a medal finish.

Whether they get it or not is no longer this issue.

Knowing they are heading to Spain attacking a dais finish as their target is thrilling.

So too our Opals, who have a medal in their sights as well at Turkey’s World Championship.

THIS on top of the NBL enjoying a crowd boost, an even season – last-placed Townsville made history as the first team to finish in the bomb shelter that still beat every team in the league – with the NBL revitalised in cities such as Adelaide.

Joe Ingles is a Euroleague champion with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Patty Mills and Aron Baynes are NBA champions with San Antonio.

And we have Penny Taylor and Erin Phillips in the Sandy Brondello-coached Phoenix Mercury in the thick of it for a WNBA Championship.

I guess I’m a little “up” today because I had a speaking engagement last night where revisiting much of this stuff made me realise just what a watershed year 2014 has been in Australian basketball … and we’re not even halfway!