(image source)

Melbourne Tigers star forward Seth Scott will face the NBL tribunal, following a heated Sunday afternoon clash with the Sydney Kings at Hisense Arena. Scott was ejected from the Kings' eventual 72-67 victory during the third quarter, cited for striking the head of league-leading scorer Ben Madgen.

Scott's ejection came during a sequence of heated interaction between the two teams, where the Kings seemingly got under the skin of the Tigers, winning the mental battle -- and ultimately the game. 

According to the NBL press release:

The match referees filed a charge of ‘Striking – other’ against Scott arising out of an alleged incident in the third period of the game involving Sydney’s Ben Madgen.

The report alleges that Scott struck Madgen to the head with his open right hand.

Under NBL Rules, all reports by match officials are automatically referred to the NBL Tribunal. 

Scott has until 12:00PM Midday AEDT tomorrow, Tuesday 20 November, to respond to the charge and determine if he wishes it to be heard by telephone interviews or in a formal sitting of the NBL Tribunal.

The Melbourne Tigers are reportedly set to sign former NBA point guard Jonny Flynn, replacing Kevin Braswell. Rumours have circulated for some days of the signing and today there appears to be confirmation of the move, with Tigers coach Chris Anstey citing niggling injuries to Braswell as the reason for the move. 

"Kev has been an absoute pro this whole time but he has been playing hurt and we need someone with a few different capabilities to really help us build on what we are doing here," Anstey said. 

"There's no hard feelings and we're sure Kev will get another job because he has a lot to offer the league."

Flynn, who was drafted sixth overall in the 2009 NBA Draft, is only 23 years old yet has seen time with four NBA clubs. He was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves and managed to make the All-Rookie 2nd Team in his best NBA season, but after two seasons was traded to the Houston Rockets. After 11 games there, he moved onto the Portland Trail Blazers where he put up 5.2ppg and 3.8apg. He recently did time with the Detroit Pistons in pre-season play, but did not make the cut. 

Ultimately it appears that Flynn's aim is to return to the NBA, so his time with the Tigers may be curtailed by any opportunities that arise on that front. That said, this is an extremely impressive signing, in one of the better NBA players that has set foot on an NBL court.

Flynn is known for his quickness and ability to distribute the ball and could form a potent combo with the likes of Seth Scott, Adam Ballinger, Lucas Walker and Chris Goulding.

"He's in his prime and wanted to reinvigorate his career and we're really excited about what he's going to bring," Anstey said.

Flynn is expected to train with his new teammates as soon as Tuesday and could potentially suit up for the Tigers against Adelaide at Hisense Arena on Friday night.

He will see solid competition from opposing speedy import point guards in Corin Henry, Gary Ervin, Jamar Wilson and Adris Deleon.

Once again this season I'll be writing my weekly column over on the official website of the National Basketball League. This season we've got the so, so humorous title for the column, Mookie's Minute. 

The column is pretty much about anything I feel like putting my pen to that week, with an Australian basketball bent, obviously.

So far this season, the articles I've posted include:

Round 1: Lights, camera, action!

Round 2: Five Breakout Stars of NBL Season 2012/13

Round 3: Ranking the Rookies

Round 4: Marksmen and high-flyers (who will be in the NBL All-Star Slam Dunk and Three-Point Shoot-out Contests?)

Check them out each week and tell me what you think via twitter or facebook.

We all know that Gerald Green is an athletic freak. But this video is just further confirmation of that fact.

Watch as Green jumps during a Indiana Pacers training session, with his head well and truly above the rim.

Wilt Chamberlain was a remarkable athlete. I think that goes without saying. However, the thing about Wilt the Stilt coming from a bygone era is that so many of us have not watched him in action.

It's easy to dismiss his abilities as not worthy of the current era of superstar athletes. Truthfully, many NBA stars of the past would look like pansies in the modern day. 

Not so with Wilt. This guy was a phenomenal athlete, the type of which has rarely been seen for a seven-footer. 

Check out this rare video of Wilt skying approximately 13 feet in the air to erase shots, followed by footage of him doing the triple jump and high jump.

The Sydney Kings today announced Crown as a major sponsor of the team for the 2012/13 NBL season. In an aptly connected name with the Kings brand, Crown will also come on board as the naming sponsor of the Kings homecourt, the Crown Kingdome.

“The Sydney Kings is very excited about having such a high-profile brand as Crown as a major sponsor of the team,” Sydney Kings Executive Director, Stephen Dunn said.

“Crown’s community engagement philosophy and their commitment to the value of a team effort in achieving their goals is a perfect fit with the Sydney Kings modus operandi,” he added.

“After a successful elite sports sponsorship arrangement with the Melbourne Storm, Crown has selected the Sydney Kings as a Sydney-based sports franchise to proudly wear and promote their brand on the national basketball stage.

“The Sydney Kings recently spent part of the off-season in the Northern Territory running coaching clinics for a remote indigenous population of around 600 people. It was a very satisfying and wonderful experience. The team is therefore very committed and looking forward to working with Crown, which has a great track record in developing programs and opportunities for indigenous people,” Mr Dunn said.

The coaching clinics to which Dunn is referring involved himself, star guard Ben Madgen, his sister, Australian Opal Tess Madgen, and Kings assistant coach Tim Hudson. The group gave up their own time in the off-season to make the trip to the Northern Territory, visiting a remote community which the Madgens' mother had been teaching in.

Speaking on behalf of Crown, Chief Executive Officer, Rowen Craigie said that Crown is building a global resort company and Sydney is an important market to attract visitors to our hotels in Perth and Melbourne.

“Just like the Sydney Kings, Crown is committed to excellence and providing visitors with a fun and enjoyable experience,” Mr Craigie said.

“Crown has recently launched a national campaign to promote our success and achievements as one of Australia’s largest employers and leading tourist destinations.

“Crown’s Indigenous employment programs are considered a best practice model in the sector and have won numerous government and industry awards. We have an excellent retention rate of Indigenous Australians and Crown was the first employer to sign the Australian Employment Covenant. We are looking forward to working with the Sydney Kings to expand these initiatives to Sydney’s Indigenous community, particularly in conjunction with the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence in Redfern.

The Crown sponsorship news comes on the back of the announcement that Mighty Mite (Three 3s brand) would adorn the Kings' jerseys this season as apparel sponsor.

Did you know that simply by purchasing a Jell-O cup back in 1996 you could look like a hard-hitting gangsta with your very own 1996 Dream Team tattoo? Tattoo... or applique... same thing, right? 

Either way, this is a pretty fun flashback commercial. Who is that little white guy wearing number 12, by the way?

The much awaited debut of Steve Nash in Los Angeles Lakers colours came today, as the Lakeshow took on the Golden State Warriors in NBA pre-season play. Whilst Dwight Howard sat courtside in a clownish suit, Nash put up five points and three assists in 14 minutes, including a decent ankle breaker on Jarrett Jack (see video below). 

The score always means little when it comes to the pre-season, and this game was no different. The Warriors came out 110-83 victors on the back of a 37-10 third quarter. Very few of you would have been rushing to place bets on your iPhone on this one, but if you did back the Warriors to win by that much, the odds would've been pretty impressive. 

Of course, the real anticipation comes when the regular season arrives. It is then that we will see if Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Nash, Howard and Metta World Peace can co-exist on the basketball court; and more than this, whether they can take their talent to an expected NBA title. (boxscore here)

You may have noticed that the National Basketball League is back into full swing, as evidenced by the four entertaining games this past weekend. Both new Wollongong Hawks import Lance Hurdle and Adelaide 36ers high-flyer Mitch Creek managed to put down some impressive jams in week one, showing promise for the season ahead.

Despite the new season being upon us, it's not too late to review the season that was in 2011/12. The NBL have just released this video of the top ten dunks of last season. Sure, they're not NBA-standard, but we already knew that.

Take a peep and see what you think.

The lockout-shortened 2011-12 NBA season brought us possibly the closest rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers that we've ever seen. With only one win separating the regular season records of both teams, the bolstering of the Clippers' lineup with the arrival of Chris Paul certainly paid dividends. It might be a bit early to say, but a quick check on the sports betting options will no doubt put both teams in the same ballpark for 2012-13.

Of course, the the landscape has changed for quite a few NBA teams this off-season. The Lakers have re-loaded with the huge additions of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard -- and they're not the only ones. The rivalry in the NYC-area between the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets should be one of the closest since Drazen, DC and Kenny A were in town. 

So, which one of the big city matchups will be the most interesting? Let's take a look at how each of the four teams are shaping up.

Brooklyn Nets v New York Knicks

What has changed with the Nets? 

The first and most obvious change to the Nets comes with name and location. No longer "New Jersey", the Jay-Z-led Nets will now be known as Brooklyn. With that change comes a great deal of excitement, new facilities and a fresh start. That has to count for something.

More importantly, the Nets pulled off a blockbuster deal to bring Atlanta's star guard Joe Johnson to town. Johnson provides All-Star quality scoring and size at the two-spot and pulls much of the load away from lead guard Deron Williams. At the same time, the Nets re-signed Williams for five years, and did the same with defensive star Gerald Wallace for four years. They also extended the contract of key center, Brook Lopez.

Supplementary pieces like Andray Blatche, CJ Watson, Kris Humphries and Josh Childress make for a roster with sufficient depth to give cross-town rivals the Knicks some trouble.

What has changed with the Knicks?

Remember the hoopla last season attached to temporarily the most famous basketballer in the world, Jeremy Lin? Well, all of that will be gone next season. Lin was ultimately allowed to walk to the Houston Rockets, with the Knicks determining that he really wasn't worth all that. Instead, we'll be once again graced by the presence of stars Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler.

In addition, the Knicks brought back familiar faces Raymond Felton, Kurt Thomas and Marcus Camby (all of whom had seen time in Portland since their last time in Knicks colours). They signed veteran star point guard Jason Kidd to help mentor Felton. They also re-signed shooter Steve Novak, firebrand guard JR Smith and added guards Pablo Prigioni and Ronnie Brewer. 

Who is better?

This is a tough call. Last season's Nets (22-44) paled in comparison to the 36-30 Knicks -- particularly when Lin was on the court. However it is a much different outlook this season. Linsanity is over in New York, but the Knicks have the opportunity to consolidate on teamwork between Melo, Amar'e and Chandler, whilst adding the veteran presence of Kidd and co. Meanwhile, things are suddenly exciting in Brooklyn. The change of scenery, coupled with the arrival of Johnson makes for a formiddable Nets team.

Which team is better? This one is too close for me to call.

Los Angeles Lakers v Los Angeles Clippers

What has changed with the Lakers?

Two massive names: Steve and Dwight. Suddenly the Lakers are talking title, with no hesitation whatsoever. They're super-relevant again, in the same breath as the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The starting five of Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard is as good as any super-ensemble compiled in recent times. Is this team capable of putting that together for a title? It is an interesting thought, and one that brings back memories of the Payton-Kobe-Malone-Shaq lineup of yesteryear in LA. 

What has changed with the Clippers?

After putting together an impressive combo of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Caron Butler last season, this off-season turned into a consolidation exercise for the Clips. The additions of Grant Hill, Jamal Crawford, Matt Barnes, Willie Green, Ronny Turiaf and extension of Blake Griffin for five years all were positive moves for LA's other team.

However those positives will be balanced against the fact that both Paul and Griffin will be recovering from off-season surgery as the season begins. That could amount to a very slow start.

Who is better?

With the Lakers trying to bring together some very significant players and the Clippers' injury woes, they're both likely to get out of the gates a little slowly. Once all of that is sorted out though, the Lakers are going to very dangerous. The Clips have some interesting moving parts, but it is the Lakers who are boasting about potentially beating all-time regular season records. And rightly so. Look for the Lakers to win the rivalry race in LA -- this season anyway.