The National Basketball League announced Melbourne United, Sydney Kings and Brisbane Bullets will travel to the U.S. "to play NBA sides on the eve of the NBA season," according to Roy Ward of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. Melbourne United will play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 8, the Kings will take on the Utah Jazz on Oct. 3 and the Brisbane Bullets will play the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 13. If the games are a "success," it will "add to the NBL's push for the NBA to bring games to Australia." But, "most importantly, it shows how far the NBL and Australian basketball has risen in the eyes of NBA bosses over the past two seasons" (SMH, 8/1). In Sydney, Matt Logue reported in a bid to return basketball in Australia to its "glory years" of the mid-'90s, the NBL is "working overtime to build a respected relationship with the world's best basketball competition." This "tireless effort, which has been years in the making, came to fruition on Tuesday" with the NBL announcing the Australian tripleheader against NBA teams. For NBL Exec Dir Larry Kestelman, the preseason matches are the "culmination of a vision years in the making." But he will not stop with games in the U.S. Kestelman is "already in talks about NBA franchises playing in Australia in the coming years" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 7/31).
