Vale the trailblazers Longley and Hughes
THE deaths within a few days of each other last month of Rick Longley and Alan Hughes served again as a potent reminder of our own mortality, especially when basketball players who rightly were legends of their own eras so suddenly leave us.
Two-state chances to farewell The Iceman
FOR the many who have requested further information regarding the funeral of Darryl Pearce, there will be a service in North Melbourne on Friday and a memorial service in Adelaide on Tuesday honouring the life and legacy of the basketballer known Australia-wide as The Iceman, taken far too soon at 64.
Vale Darryl Pearce - The Iceman Leaveth
THE death on Sunday of 1988 Boomers Olympian, dual-NBL champion and Basketball Australia Hall of Famer Darryl "Iceman" Pearce at 64 was a shock, to say the least. It served as a timely reminder to reach out to those who matter to you and let them know what they mean to you, while you can.
Time Out-NO FLOP ZONE: You can get on board!
REGULAR readers here know you can find the Time Out-NO FLOP ZONE podcast with Joey Wright and I talking NBL, NBA, Boomers and basketball in general via YouTube every Thursday but you can now also find us on Apple podcasts and here's your way to get actively involved.
Time Out-NO FLOP ZONE: Closing the book on best of 2024
NO FLOP ZONE podcast colleague Joey Wright is back after tripping to Europe for some international basketball action but this week's Time Out features an extended review of all that went down in 2024 and a shout-out to our unanimous tip for NBL MVP.
Sacre bleu! 2025 is due so here's the good and bad
THERE is no question 2024 was a big year for basketball, France proving at the Olympics it is now #2 in the world in both men and women behind USA, while at home, Tasmania celebrated the state's second NBL championship and continues to show this season it is a force, even with the "Jack" missing from JackJumpers.
Perfect for your Christmas stocking
CHRISTMAS is just around the corner but it will be here quicker than you might expect. Now is the time to hit your local bookstore to buy the perfect gift for lovers of a story of courage and perserverance, intertwined with the history of Australia's Boomers. "PATTY MILLS Beyond Basketball" is that book.
Boomers good as Goulding
CHRIS Goulding today delivered a 3-point shooting bonanza for the ages, nailing a career-best 10 as Australia ultimately swamped South Korea 98-75 to qualify for next year's FIBA Asia Cup in Saudi Arabia. Goulding turned away Korea's comeback attempt as he swished 10-of-16 threes, plus a bonus free throw in his 31-point extravaganza.
Time Out-NO FLOP ZONE: The No Brain at John Cain
IS there some kind of weird irony the "No Brain at John Cain" occurred at 9:11 in the Melbourne-Adelaide fourth quarter? Podcast partner Joey Wright and I look into it, along with James Batemon's 51-point haul in a packed Time Out-NO FLOP ZONE.
WNBL trips while BA takes a huge Chance
THE WNBL tipped off in all its glory this week, the television coverage, sigh, again having its annual amateur hour "teething problems" while Basketball Australia also revealed its latest Boomers outfit for FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers in Thailand, taking a chance on tour coach Jacob Chance.