New Zealand Breakers star swingman Tom Abercrombie is taking the first step in what he hopes will be his NBA journey. The athletic 25 year-old is making his way to Chicago where he will prepare himself for trials with several NBA clubs.

Abercrombie's Chicago-based agent has lined up mini-camp workouts with the Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks. Whilst there, the 6'6" Tall Black will have the opportunity to show off his skills, with a both short-term and longer-term view to making an impression with scouts in those franchises.

Strongly Oceania-focused San Antonio (with assistant coach Brett Brown, Australian players Patty Mills and Aron Baynes, and exec and former player, Kiwi Sean Marks on board) is always an intriguing destination for any Australian or New Zealand player. Oddly enough, Abercrombie notes that he has never met Marks before -- the big-daddy of all Kiwis in the NBA.

In addition to his mini-camps, the 2011 NBL Grand Final MVP will have the chance to represent the Phoenix Suns at the Las Vegas NBA Summer League. Whilst there, Abercrombie will have to prove that his athleticism -- which is extraordinary in the NBL -- is of a sufficient level to be an asset at an NBA level, in addition to showing that he has sufficient other skills in areas like shooting and ball-handling, to be a swingman in an NBA team.

This from NBA.com regarding Las Vegas Summer League:

The ninth NBA Summer League in Las Vegas tips off on Friday, July 12, and will conclude with a championship game on Monday, July 22. All participating teams will play a minimum of five games. After the conclusion of games on July 16, all teams will have completed three games and will be seeded for single-elimination tournament play that will lead to a champion being crowned on July 22.

Below is a complete list of teams that will participate in NBA Summer League 2013 (years participated):

Atlanta Hawks (2010-12)*
Charlotte Bobcats (2008, 2012)
Chicago Bulls (2005, 2009-12)*
Cleveland Cavaliers (2004-12)
Dallas Mavericks (2005-12)
Denver Nuggets (2004-12)*
Golden State Warriors (2005-12)*
L.A. Clippers (2005-12)*
L.A. Lakers (2007-12)*
Memphis Grizzlies (2007-12)*
Miami Heat (2010-12)*
Milwaukee Bucks (2007-12)*
Minnesota Timberwolves (2006-12)
NBA D-League Select (2009-12)
New Orleans Pelicans (2005-12)
New York Knicks (2005-12)*
Phoenix Suns (2004-12)
Portland Trail Blazers (2005-12)
Sacramento Kings (2005-12)
San Antonio Spurs (2007-12)*
Toronto Raptors (2008-12)
Washington Wizards (2004-12)

*Indicates 2012-13 NBA Playoff team.

Should Abercrombie make the unlikely immediate transition to an NBA team, or (contract permitting) is offered a substantial European contract, or an attractive NBA D-League offer, the Breakers need to think about how they will restructure their team, without such a key piece of their three-peat roster.

Check out video interviews with Abercrombie here:

• http://tvnz.co.nz/basketball-news/high-flying-abercrombie-takes-off-nba-bid-5460406
• http://www.3news.co.nz/VIDEO-FULL-INTERVIEW-Tom-Abercrombie-heads-to-US-to-earn-NBA-contract/tabid/317/articleID/300871/Default.aspx
• http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/basketball/8773461/Tom-Abercrombie-jets-to-USA-for-tilt-at-NBA

In other interesting news mentioned by new Breakers coach Dean Vickerman, big man Alex Pledger will be working out with fellow One Management client Andrew Bogut in the off-season. This could be an ominous sign for Pledger's NBL opponents in 2013-14 and beyond.

Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze has joined the likes of David Robinson and Teresa Edwards (USA), Zoran Slavnic (Serbia), Paula Gonclaves (Brazil) and Jean-Jacques Conceicao (Angola) as a 2013 player inductee into the FIBA Hall of Fame. He joins his father, Lindsay Gaze, as one of three Australians to be inducted to the Hall.

The press release from Basketball Australia lists the great man's outstanding career achievements:

Basketball Australia today congratulated Andrew Gaze AM on his induction to the FIBA Hall of Fame.

Gaze will be one of just twelve world class basketball personalities from 10 different countries to make up the 2013 Class that will be inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame on 19 June 2013.

One of the greats of Australian and international basketball, Gaze led the Australian Boomers to an astounding five Olympic Games – including as the flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the Australian Team Captain.

He was inducted into the Basketball Australia Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2005 after becoming a member of the Order of Australia in 2002.

Gaze joins his father Lindsay, the legendary NBL and Boomers coach, in the FIBA Hall of Fame as just the third Australian (along with Dr Al Ramsay).

A humbled Gaze said to be honoured by the game governing body and to be recognised alongside basketball’s greats was an amazing experience.

“I’ve been very fortunate throughout my career to be a part of this great game both here in Australia and on the international stage,” Gaze said.

“To be inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame is the highest honour in our sport and I feel truly humbled to join these amazing men and women who have served basketball so well.”

In a career spanning three decades, Gaze became an all-time great of the National Basketball League, winning 14 scoring titles and seven NBL MVPs to go with two NBL Championships.

Gaze was named NBL Rookie of the Year in 1984, going on to play all of his 612 games with the Melbourne Tigers, setting the all-time mark for points (18,908). 

On the international stage Gaze forged his reputation as one of Australia’s finest products, appearing at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games as a 19-year-old.

The Olympic Games and FIBA World Championships (4 – 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998) weren’t Gaze’s only international foray, leading Seaton Hall University to the 1989 NCAA Championship game before stints in the NBA with the Washington Bullets (Wizards) and the San Antonio Spurs – winning the 1999 NBA title.

Chair of the Basketball Australia Board Scott Derwin praised Gaze’s contribution to basketball in Australia and internationally, congratulating him on the Hall of Fame accolade.

“Andrew is one of the icons of the game in Australia and around the world,” Derwin said.

“His contribution to basketball as a player is legendary, and now as a member of the Basketball Australia board, Andrew continues to devote himself to the game.

“We congratulate Andrew on becoming the third Australian to be inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame.”

Gaze has served on Basketball Australia Board since July 2008 and is currently Chair of the High Performance Commission. 

Andrew Gaze - Profile

NBL Career

• 612 NBL Games for the Melbourne Tigers (1984-2005)
• NBL Most Valuable Player: (7) 1991-1992, 1994-1998
• NBL Scoring Title: (14) 1986, 1988-1989, 1991-2001
• NBL Championship: (2) 1993, 1997
• NBL All-time Leading Scorer: 18,908 points

Australian Boomers

• Olympic Games: (5) 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000
• FIBA World Championships: (4) 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998
• Australian International Player of the Year: (6) 1990, 1994-1996, 1998, 2000
• FIBA Greatest 50 Players (1991)

Can't Buy A Basket has put together a cool Venn Diagram of all of the NBL team names since 1990. 

Go to CBAB to get on some other great NBL gear.

News surfaced this morning via the Townsville Bulletin and social media that the Townsville Crocodiles (under the ownership of Barrier Reef Basketball Pty Ltd) were going to return their licence to Basketball Australia, under financial stress. 

Basketball Australia have responded to these revelations with a statement this afternoon:

Basketball Australia has this afternoon met with representatives from National Basketball League Clubs, in light of the Townsville McDonalds Crocodiles’ moves to surrender their license to participate in the League.

It is our intention to support a viable NBL into the 2013/14 season, and we are working collaboratively with NBL Clubs to that end.

Basketball Australia will continue to work through the NBL White Paper process in order to ascertain a strategic direction – endorsed by the Basketball Australia Board and the NBL – to give the League the best opportunity at financial success.

Regarding the Crocodiles, Basketball Australia Chief Executive Officer Kristina Keneally is writing to Barrier Reef Basketball Pty Ltd to advise Basketball Australia will not accept the immediate return of their license, as the Club has not complied with the terms of the NBL License Agreement which would allow immediate surrender.

An immediate surrender of license would require the club to demonstrate they are insolvent.

Regardless of what direction BRB takes in their ownership of the team, it would be great to see the Crocs continue in the NBL in 2013/14 and beyond. If a community model can be established, as has worked well with the Wollongong Hawks, all the better. 

Either way, the loss of the Crocs to the league would be a tragedy, given the strong supporter base they have provided in Townsville over the years, since their introduction to the league as the Suns in 1993. The Crocs have boasted such league talents/personalities as Robert Rose, John Rillie, Derek Rucker, Pat Reidy, Corey Williams, Peter Crawford, Russell Hinder, Gary Ervin, Sam Mackinnon, Clarence Tyson and Larry Abney -- to name but a selection. It would be a true shame to lose their rich history permanently to the NBL.

Time will tell how this scenario plays out. One positive is that the league has an entire off-season to look for a solution.

One week after the National Basketball League Tribunal heard a case against Jacob Holmes (Townsville Crocodiles) for tripping, a second case regarding Larry Davidson (Wollongong Hawks) came before it today.

Whilst Holmes came away from his alleged trip of Wollongong's Tyson Demos unscathed, Davidson was not as fortunate in his incident with Sydney Kings guard Ben Madgen. Davidson was found guilty of the charge of tripping and will cop a $1,500 fine.

The tribunal findings indicated:

The finding of the Tribunal is that the reported player fell to the floor in a rebound situation. As a result of that fall the player was on the floor and was very close to the feet of Ben Madgen as he went to run up the floor. That player continued to run, that is directly over the player on the floor.

 

The umpire Brett Hogan told the Tribunal he was unsure if there had been any contact by Ben Madgen as he ran by Larry Davidson but that he had seen a grab with the left arm around the leg of the player. He explained to the Tribunal that he was unsure at the time if the player Ben Madgen had stepped on the player on the floor or if his leg had made contact with the body of Larry Davidson. The player Ben Madgen told the Tribunal he had not made any contact with the player on the floor and felt a hold on his leg around the shin which as he continued to move slipped down to his foot.

 

Larry Davidson in his statement to the Tribunal said he saw the leg of the player and he attempted to deflect any contact to him. The Tribunal did not accept the explanation given by the player and formed the view that the player grabbed the lower leg and foot of the player Ben Madgen which tripped the player who subsequently fell. The Tribunal accepted that this action of grabbing the leg was not a premeditated action on the part of the player but rather a reaction to the situation in the game. The contact in the view of the Tribunal could not be described as accidental.

The tribunal took into account the fact that Davidson had not been previously reported during his nine years in the league and contributes to the community.

(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.

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.

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.