Basketball On The Internet.

JACOB Holmes may be hanging up the boots on a glorious 407-game NBL career, but he’s far from disappearing.

Holmes will continue to be an advocate for Australian basketball players not just in the NBL, but across a number of leagues and even for our players overseas.

But before going forward, it was great to look back on the young man whose first taste of elite basketball came when he was a school student at Heathfield High who opted to do his work experience with the Adelaide 36ers.

Holmes said he loved the 36ers’ 2002 NBL champion and wished all teams could be like that one for its diversity of talent and personalities.

Coached by Phil Smyth - who had once thrown Holmes into Sixers practice as that high school kid on work experience - it included Brett Maher and Willie Farley, Mark Nash, David Stiff, Paul Rees, Matt Garrison, Rupert Sapwell, close friend Oscar Forman, Jason Williams, Matt Illman and Blake Truslove.

“I also enjoyed my time with the Boomers and (coach Brian) Goorjian,” he said. “Those sessions were hard going.

“But winning that Commonwealth Games Gold medal was special. No, it wasn’t the Olympic Games but for Brad Davidson, Russell Hinder, Neil Mottram and I, it was our Olympics and that’s where lifelong friendships come from.”

Holmes also cherishes the SA Championship win by the fledgling Eastern Mavericks and the work he did with coach Richard Hill to achieve that lofty outcome.

As for toughest opponents?

“Cat (Martin Cattalini). I hated playing against him. He was strong but quick.

“And Chris Williams of the Sydney Kings would be right up there.

“I only had to play (against) him for one year … thank God.”

Holmes’ story is a rich one so, hopefully, you’ll hit this New Corp link http://bit.ly/1NdWFnS and enjoy a larger slice of it.

I interviewed Jacob weeks ago for the feature about his retirement and it was slated to run on The Advertiser’s Saturday sport features pages about a month back.

We lost sporting pages that week so the story was a hold-over casualty. Then it incredibly happened again the following Saturday. And the next.

This week Jacob texted me to ask: “Sooo…am I playing on this year?!”

That’s still bringing a laugh.

JACOB'S GALLERY

The Adelaide 36ers rookie

A Boomers (Commonwealth) Gold Medallist

The Eastern Mavericks championship winner

A stint with South Dragons

A second time around with the 36ers

A champion at Sturt

Last NBL stop at Townsville Crocs

And here he is against Norwood's David Cooper, now his coach at his last stop, the Flames

TOMORROW: The Flashbacks are back!