Australia's Wheelchair Basketball teams have been doing very well in the 2010 IWBF International Wheelchair Basketball Championships. The Rollers (men's team) have just scored a great victory over Team USA in the semi-finals, 68-58. They now go into the Gold Medal game as favourites (see below for BA press release).

The Gliders (women's team), also playing in Birmingham, fell to Germany in their semi-final and will play on Saturday for the Bronze medal against the loser of USA and Canada.

Matt Nielsen continues to carve out a fine international basketball career. His latest stop in Europe comes with a return to Greece, with the versatile forward agreeing to terms on a two-year deal with Greek powerhouse Olympiakos BC.

Nielsen, who started his career with the Sydney Kings, has played in Greece previously (with PAOK Thessaloniki) where he started his European career. More recently he has played with Lietuvos Rytas (the current home of fellow Aussie, Brad Newley) and Valencia (where Portland Trail Blazers draftee Victor Claver plies his trade).

Olympiakos, ever a mover and shaker in Europe, have also just inked 6'4" combo-guard Vassilis Spanoulis. The superstar of Greek basketball has played most of his career with Panathinaikos (interspersed with some time with the Houston Rockets) and alongside Nielsen acts as a huge signing to cover for the loss of Josh Childress (Phoenix Suns) and Linas Kleiza (Toronto Raptors).

The image above (credit: Tim Clayton/SMH) harks back to Nielsen's latter, NBL championship-winning days with the Sydney Kings. His career certainly has taken off from the days of the skinny, long "Nitro" Nielsen that Australian audiences will remember. This Sydney Morning Herald article from 2003 is a fun reminiscence for those that remember those days.

UPDATE: As per The Hoops Market, the deal will be at 900,000 euros per year.

Friday and Sunday night have seen two Australian Boomers victories over Argentina in their three-game friendly series. Game One in Perth was an absolute walk-over, whilst Game Two in Melbourne actually saw the home team relinquish a 31-point three-quarter time lead to allow the Argies back in the game temporarily.

Two of the big keys for Australia in their FIBA World Championships preparations have been NBA players Patty Mills (Portland Trail Blazers) and Nathan Jawai (Minnesota Timberwolves). Both have had their injury woes during recent months and both are vying to not only do their country proud in Turkey, but also to secure new NBA contracts for the 2010-11 season and beyond.

According to a recent Jason Quick post on the Oregonian site, "Guard Patty Mills is a candidate for the Summer League team, but Buchanan said the team must first work out a qualifying offer in order to retain his rights." Now ousted GM Kevin Pritchard had said not long ago on a radio interview that he definitely wanted Mills on the Summer League squad.

On Thursday Night Live, a sports wrap-up show on Australia's ONE HD network, Patty and big Nate were interviewed this past week. As you can see, Patty is the natural floor general, leader type, whereas Jawai is a little more shy in front of the camera.

In the lead-up to Australia's friendly series against Argentina, the Aussie Boomers have been holding camp in Perth. Boomers members Patty Mills (Portland Trail Blazers), Nathan Jawai (Minnesota Timberwolves) and Ater Majok (UConn) all took time away from training to give a boost to some juvenile detainees at the Banksia Hill facility in Western Australia. [video below]

As reported here recently, Nathan Jawai has joined the Australian Boomers in camp, preparing for their series against Argentina (itself a form of preparation for the FIBA World Championships in Turkey). This positive news for the Aussie program has been tempered by word that Jawai will play a limited role for the Boomers, as he recovers from injury.

The depleted Argentine basketball roster has been boosted today by the news that Fabricio Oberto will indeed play for his nation at the FIBA World Championships in Turkey, beginning 28 August. The squad is visiting Australia this month for a series of friendlies, however it is not apparent that Oberto will be part of that series.

This from FIBA.com:

Oberto, who turned 35 in March, had a procedure one year ago to correct an irregular heartbeat and the doctor responsible has done tests on the player and pronounced him fit and ready to help Argentina.

The veteran, who played this season for the Washington Wizards, averaging over 11 minutes in 57 games, called Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez to give him the good news.

"He told me and I was very happy," Hernandez said.

"I had been confident but it has confirmed the tranquility.

"Without Manu, we need as many players from the old hierarchy as possible.

"Fabricio has had no major injuries and is very well physically.

"He may be older but his experience, intelligence and mentality are very important.

"Oberto has been one of the best centers in FIBA competitions the last 10 years and I think Turkey is going to show that."

Positive news has come for the Australian Boomers in the heaving form of big man Nathan Jawai. The Minnesota Timberwolves' power forward is a semi-surprise late inclusion in the squad, which is preparing in camp for their friendly series against Argentina this month.

Jawai bolsters the big man stocks in a squad that is somewhat point guard-heavy, with numerous high-profile Aussie bigs unavailable due to injury and overseas playing commitments. He will be playing alongside the likes of Luke Nevill, Alex Loughton, Aron Baynes and Ater Majok down low.

Prior to Jawai's inclusion, the squad looks like this:

Australian Men's Basketball Squad for Perth Camp

Name/Height/Age/Position/Club

Patrick MILLS / 183cm / 21 / Guard / Portland Trail Blazers (US)
Adam GIBSON / 188cm / 23 / Guard / Gold Coast Blaze
Damian MARTIN / 188cm / 25 / Guard / Perth Wildcats
Jason CADEE / 185cm / 19 / Guard / Gold Coast Blaze
Steven MARKOVIC / 190cm / 25 / Guard / KK Crvena Zvezda Beograd (Serbia)
Joe INGLES / 203cm / 22 / Forward / CB Granada (Spain)
Matthew DELLAVEDOVA / 190cm / 19 / Guard / St Mary's University (US)
Hugh GREENWOOD / 187cm / 18 / Guard / AIS
Brad NEWLEY / 198cm / 25 / Guard / Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania)
Stephen WEIGH / 198cm / 21 / Guard / Perth Wildcats
Mark WORTHINGTON / 202cm / 27 / Forward / Brose Baskets (Germany)
Ater MAJOK / 208cm / 22 / Forward / University of Connecticut (US)
Alex LOUGHTON / 205cm / 27 / Forward / Cairns Taipans
Aron BAYNES / 207cm / 23 / Centre / Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania)
Luke NEVILL / 216cm / 24 / Centre / Melbourne Tigers

Head Coach: Brett Brown
Assistant Coach: Shane Heal
Assistant Coach: Andrej Lemanis
Physiotherapist: Steven Evans
Doctor: Peter Harcourt
Massage Therapist: Diana Glazer
Manager: Nic Mercer

From the Basketball Australia press release:

"I'm really excited to rejoin the Boomers. When we played in Australia against New Zealand last year we didn't go too well so I'm excited to come back and be with the team again and hopefully start on the path towards the World Champs," Jawai said.

"Argentina are the number one team in the world so I'm excited to play them, they're a great team."

Jawai made his Boomers debut in 2009 and was a part of the Australian team that overcame Argentina 110-107 in double overtime in Brazil in August, he finished that game with 22 points and seven rebounds.

"I'm going to feel more comfortable playing them in a home environment with our fans behind us," Jawai said.

"We can repeat our win from 2009 if we play our best. There are a couple of guys available now that weren't available last time we played Argentina such as Patty (Mills) so it should be a great three-game series coming up."

The Australian team to contest the series will be named at the conclusion of the camp on June 24 followed by the World Challenge fixtures in Perth on June 25, at the State Netball Hockey Centre in Melbourne on June 27 and the final game at Brett Maher Court at The Dome in Adelaide on June 29.

All training sessions throughout the five-day camp from June 20-24 at the WA Basketball Centre are open to media.

Boomers Training Camp Schedule

Sunday 20 June: 5.15pm-7.30pm Training at WA Basketball Centre
Monday 21 June: 9.30am-11.45am Training at WA Basketball Centre
5.15pm-7.30pm Training at WA Basketball Centre
Tuesday 22 June: 9.30am-11.45am Training at WA Basketball Centre
Wednesday 23 June: 9.30am-11.45am Training at WA Basketball Centre
5.15pm-7.30pm Training at WA Basketball Centre
Thursday 24 June: 9.30am-11.45am Training at WA Basketball Centre

Is anyone surprised at the allegations coming out of the University of Kansas this week? Word is that two power brokers, with the help of an athletic department employee and the father of a Jayhawk basketball player, profited as much as $1 million by brokering the sale of valuable tickets to home games.

The Pump brothers, David and Dana, are the main targets of the probe into the powerhouse Jayhawk basketball program, and their influence within the program runs deep. This investigation has significant implications, with word that head coach Bill Self may have been aware of what was transpiring.

But that is how this game works isn't it? The Pump brothers run several travelling AAU teams. The funnelling of players towards Kansas from these teams includes the likes of Mario Chalmers and Brady Morningstar, the former, who's father also happened to be his AAU coach, the latter, who's father was key to securing the tickets for the brothers.

Chinese sportswear emerging giant, Li-Ning are gradually making their mark across the world. In 2007 they signed on with the Argentine national basketball program as their sportswear sponsor; this coming in addition to their sponsorship of the Spanish squad. Other basketball stars who have been linked to Li-Ning through sponsorship deals include Shaquille O'Neal, Baron Davis, José Calderon, Damon Jones and Chuck Hayes.

Li-Ning is slowly attempting to take on the likes of Nike and adidas. Interestingly, Li-Ning opened their US headquarters in Portland, Oregon in January, 2010 -- the same place as the longstanding headquarters of the competitor with a very similar swoosh-like logo...

Argentina and Spain will wear Li-Ning at least through the 2012 London Olympics, under their current agreements. Check out this latest commercial spot for Li-Ning in collaboration with the Argentina national basketball squad (including Luis Scola and Carlos Delfino).

Just as Australia's National Basketball League recently has undergone an overhaul and rebranding, basketball in Indonesia is seeing the same transformation. The Indonesian Basketball League, which has been around since 2003, is re-launching itself as the National Basketball League (of Indonesia).

Last night was the big event to ring in the changes and on hand to lend support for the launch were former NBA big man Sam Perkins, former WNBA player Sue Wicks, as well as Basketball Australia/NBL representative, Andrew Vlahov (formerly of the Perth Wildcats and Australian Boomers). The theme of the re-launch was "New Season, New Hope for Indonesia."