20 years ago today was my first basketball game I remember going to – it was the first NBL game I went too, but we aren’t too sure if I had been to basketball games earlier to see Dad umpiring. It was a very memorable game, I don’t remember a lot of the game but I remember the result and the feeling towards the end of the game. It was Game 3 of the 1986 NBL Grand Final Series at the Apollo Stadium the Adelaide 36ers at home to the Brisbane Bullets. The 36ers won the first game in Brisbane in overtime, but lost the second game at home. Dad had my Uncle buy me a ticket with a group of guys from his church (hi Nick and Jim – I think they were both there – at least one of them was). Like I say I don’t remember a lot of the game but I do remember some awesome players – Mark Davis, Bill Jones, Darryl Pearce, Mike McKay, Scott Ninnis, Al Green, Peter Ali, Mike Sexton and a few others these were the Invincibles they had a 24-2 record. Sadly their infamous coach Ken Cole was caught smoking dope and and was sacked, but he coached this last game and my most vivid memory was the 3000 strong crowd chanting King Cole as clock wound down and the 36ers were home, for their first Championship. Sadly my tape of the game has dissappeared hopefully one day I’ll find someone with a copy they will lend me and I can convert it to DVD – leave a comment and I’ll get back to you if you do.
Fast forward 20 years and I have been lucky enough to see 3 more championships since – and not just on TV I have been at the Championship winning game each time. Sadly this years team doesn’t look like getting close to the heights of a championship this year – but stranger things have happened, they have the talent they just have the attitude or the desperation.

Ken Cole has done a few interviews this week and has said some exceptional things, hopeful many of current team become inspiried by his words and are able to turn around their poor start to the season. Ken coached in a time where the players not only played basketball they worked, today he seems to think the players are only in the basketball for the money and not there for the love of the game. I am not knocking but this was displayed by the fact that Oscar Forman, Jacob Holmes and Dusty Rychart left the club for greener (more $$$) pastures at other clubs. Sadly since the NBL has become professional players are chasing the dollar because they can only play for so long until their playing career ends and they have to find real jobs.

Can the NBL go back to being amateur and back to its glory days of the 80s and early 90s. I cant see it happening, but the NBL has finally got a FTA deal with Channel 9 and they will be showing highlights of a game a week on Sunday at 11:30am, of course this will have to be put on hold during a test match or one day game, but it is better than the coverage we had last season. Hopefully this can be built upon in the future and a proper FTA deal can be worked out and we will see more NBL on TV in the future.

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