Basketball On The Internet.

THE new NBL of NBL Pty Ltd will not return to 48-minute games for the 2013-14 season even though fans are clamoring to have the change fast-forwarded along the agenda.

While the general consensus seems to be in favor of a return to the four-X-12-minute quarters package and many are wondering just why it can't happen now, the reason is simple.

Television.

The 40-minute game fits comfortably into a two-hour timeslot so while NBL Pty Ltd concludes its dealings with Network 10 regarding what shape this season's free-to-air coverage might/will take, 48 minutes is NOT on the table.

It, like the return of the jumpball, time-outs on the floor and other innovations pioneered by the NBA - unquestionably basketball's global entertainment pacesetter - WILL be up for discussion post-season.

So will other aspects of NBL Pty Ltd's three-year plan - don't be alarmed, Marty Clarke had nothing to do with this three-year plan - including expansion into south Queensland and the second Melbourne franchise.

The NBL's long-awaited re-launch will occur early in August when all the deals originally signed by Basketball Australia on the league's behalf, revert to NBL Pty Ltd as the de-merger officially concludes.

Under NBL Pty Ltd's ownership restructure, its eight clubs will be shareholders and have majority voting rights, while there also will be private equity in the competition.

"We will have a three-year plan,'' interim NBL CEO Steve Dunn revealed this week.

"Any major changes however to things like rules, season formats, will probably have to wait until 2014-15 because of current contractual arrangements, plus the shortness of time.

"We are looking at the next three years to build clubs' memberships, TV viewerships and game-day audiences."

Clubs already are sharing their game-night activities. Some clubs, such as Perth and Sydney, put on an exceptional night's entertainment which makes going to the basketball the "event" it should be, especially for new faces.

In Adelaide, game-night presentation has barely changed in 21 years and is as stale as the state of Adelaide Arena.

A concerted, unified approach from the new NBL to coordinate game night activities can only be a positive. 

"We believe that the new NBL structure will make expansion easier to achieve and should allow the likes of a Brisbane team or whoever else we decide to be in the competition come 2014-15,'' Dunn said.

Drawing quality people back into the re-launch of the league also can only be a positive.

Personally, to see a Mal Cooper running the officials or a Cal Bruton back in a marketing capacity would be a Godsend.

NBL basketball was trundling along in Western Australia when Bruton was recruited by the Wildcats leading into the 1987 season.

He set about rebuilding the Wildcats in the 36ers' image, Adelaide coming off its "Invincibles" season of 1986 when it went an unprecedented 24-2 and lost those two on last-shot prayers.

I still vividly recall seeing Bruton lead his men into the Sebel Townhouse in Sydney during the 1987 K-Mart (Preseason) Classic run by the late, great Mike Wrublewski out at Homebush.

They were resplendent in white tracksuits and names such as Ellis, Crawford, Pinder made them look more than just a little formidable.

Who the hell were these guys? Perth came into the NBL in 1982 and for those first five years, did not taste any type of play-off experience.

Then along came Bruton, spouting all about "run, stun and have fun" and we suddenly saw the birth of the NBL's superpower.

From never making the finals, the Wildcats stormed into the 1987 Grand Final where Bruton lost to his nemesis of the day, Brian Kerle and his Brisbane Bullets.

Not to worry. Perth has never missed a finals series since (no pressure Trevor) and the job Bruton did should never be under-estimated or understated.

The NBL sorely has lacked true believers such as Bruton spruiking the sport into the mainstream and NBL Pty Ltd should be looking for characters such as the Hall of Famer to help drive the league's resurgence.

In the meantime, the future looks bright for the league, even if we have to wait a little longer for the return and recovery of some of the aspects lost when BA took the reins four years ago.

PORT Hedland or Dandenong.

Those are the locations I am hearing for the NBL's PreSeaSon Tournament this season.

Frankly, if the WA Government is jumping in and Port Hedland is the PSST destination, that again can only be good for the game.

And if it is back at Dandy and held in conjunction with the WNBL's PSST, that's pretty good too.

Win-Win in basketball? Who'd have thought?

THE WNBL draw is out for the 2013-14 season.

This is an Adelaide perspective on it: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/adelaide-lightning-to-play-six-double-headers-with-sixers/story-fnii09gt-1226686503269

JUST in case you entertained the notion NBA star Kyrie Irving - son of Drederick, a Bulleen Boomers SEABL import from the early 90s, and born in Melbourne - would one day play for Australia?

This was his tweet yesterday from the USA Basketball Minicamp for potential World Championship and Olympic players for the US: "Truly a honor and a blessing to be apart of @usabasketball minicamp this week. Hope the fans enjoyed the game!!"

Guessing those weren't Boomers fans to which he was referring.