Basketball On The Internet.

BASKETBALL Australia and the National Basketball League need to return to separate Halls of Fame, and the sooner the better.

We've had the demerger and with it, all the BA-signed contracts the NBL inherited and honored, some to its detriment.

But staying a part of BA's Hall is NOT something the league has to maintain.

BA swallowed up the NBL's Hall when it had to step in and save the league five seasons back and I am sure to many, that made perfect sense.

(Like Communism. It makes sense. It just doesn't work once you introduce people to the equation. Same as this.)

BA will reveal its full panorama of inductees over the next few weeks ahead of its grand induction ceremony on November 21.

Currently there are 27 people in the joint Hall who would in some way be affected by a "demerger".

Some are in the Hall because of their services to Basketball Australia, some recognised for their National Basketball League body of work, and a few others for both.

They are Barry Barnes (NBL & BA), Ray Borner (NBL), Cal Bruton (NBL), Steve Carfino (NBL), Wayne Carroll (NBL), Ken Cole (BA & NBL), Eddie Crouch (BA & NBL), Ian Davies (NBL), Mark Davis (NBL), Scott Fisher (NBL), Andrew Gaze (BA), Lindsay Gaze (BA), Ricky Grace (BA), Al Green (NBL), Michael Johnson (NBL), Damien Keogh (NBL), Brian Kerle (NBL), Leroy Loggins (NBL), Herb McEachin (NBL), Danny Morseu (NBL), Bill Palmer (NBL), Darryl Pearce (NBL), John Raschke (NBL & BA), Larry Sengstock (NBL & BA), Phil Smyth (NBL & BA), Mal Speed (NBL), Bob Turner (NBL) and Andrew Vlahov (NBL).

BA already has revealed Brian Goorjian will be inducted this year and he too would have to go in for his services to the NBL as a player, as its most successful coach of all time but also as a dual-Olympic coach. So his induction will read, or should: Brian Goorjian (NBL & BA).

The problem with BA's Hall seems to me to be the haphazard nature of its inductions and inflexible procedures which, most recently, cost the late, great Ken Richardson his moment in the sun for all he gave Australian basketball.

The NBL would have fast-tracked Richardson into its Hall (if it still had one) because it is now run by men who do display common sense.

I know I irritated BA CEO Kristina Keneally at the recent Pete's Bar Lunch when I made the same observation - the NBL is now run with common sense - in relation to the issue of wearing white or colored uniforms at its games.

Back at our table, she asked me if I'd raised the "wearing white on the road" issue with the previous BA-run NBL, as if to establish the previous group also would have offered a willing ear. Well yes, I had, as had numerous others, and it fell on the usual deaf ears of indolence.

Just as any prodding to fast-track Kenny into the Hall - and that one had the support of many existing Hall of Fame members who understood and appreciated his massive contribution to the game in Oz - fell on deaf ears.

Like I said, it wasn't just me but some of our biggest names in the game pleading behind the scenes with BA to fast-track Ken before it was too late.

It's too late now and BA's intractable position just reinforced to me personally why the NBL needed to get its own Hall back.

You see for BA it was all about protocols, procedures and pontificating.

It was never about recognising an oversight and fixing it immediately, while there was still time to do it. It was never about recognising an overlooked but major contribution and going: "Oops, we can fix this and we can fix it now so let's do that because this man gave our game so very much. He gave it his talent, his skill, his heart and soul. We owe him at least as much."

No. It was about "he's not on our current list of potential and future inductees so our hands are tied."

What a load of crap.

Let me tell you something. I am fairly sure David Adkins isn't on BA's current list. I am also fairly sure when BA trots out its full and final number of 2013 inductees, Adkins' bona fides as an NBL pioneer will far outweigh many of the recipients.

If the NBL had its own Hall back, by now Richardson would have been inducted. James Crawford would have been inducted. Rocky Smith would have been inducted.

Where are they in the BA list? Well I know Ken wasn't even on the long-termers so who knows?

BA has already revealed the names of eight inductees. Eight.

I believe there will be a total of 14.

FOURTEEN!!

Let me stress, I have no quibble with BA's selections. But if you are going to name freaking' 14, how hard would 15 have been?

It just makes my blood boil. If BA was admitting say, five people, then OK, maybe Ken Richardson was a bit rushed and we can all accept that.

But fourteen?

And out here among us great unwashed, who knew there would be 14, or 15 or six or 10 inducted this year? What difference would it have made to add one?

Maybe one of the judging panel (who is going to be admitted themself this year) could have said: "You know what, maybe do me another year. I know Ken hasn't got long to live and I also know how big he was for and in basketball."

But the judge didn't think to do that. Because being inducted into a Hall of Fame is such a great honor, such vindication and recognition of your body of work, if you have a chance you want to grab it with both hands.

None of us can know if Ken would have been alive today, would have continued the fight, if he had known he was going to be inducted.

Being the self-effacing and self-deprecating individual he was and never fully understanding just how big and important he was to our sport, Ken actually felt being inducted would have diminished the event for the other inductees because of the parlous state of his health. And he didn't want to be responsible for anyone else not having a huge night on their huge night.

That was Ken. He didn't want to put anyone out. And heaven forbid BA break with procedure to honor a man's life.

There are other Ken Richardson stories in the NBL, which is a league of its own. James Crawford for one.

As such, it should restore its own Hall of Fame and its criteria. 

In that process, the NBL also could revisit its inductees and determine who it wants back too, because there's no doubt mistakes were made and players pushed to ensure certain (big) cities were represented.

This is where BA comes in. For example, Borner, Bruton, Carfino, Carroll, Cole, Davies, Davis, Fisher, Andrew and Lindsay Gaze, Grace, Green, Keogh, Kerle, Loggins, Morseu, Pearce and Vlahov should be revisited.

Borner is now in BA's Hall for his NBL contribution, as is Bruton, Carfino, Carroll, Davies, Davis, Fisher, Green, Keogh, Kerle, Loggins, Morseu, Pearce and Vlahov.

These men should stay in the BA Hall of Fame because beyond their NBL inductions, they all contributed mightily to Australian basketball.

Borner was a four-time Olympian who also represented Australia at four World Championships.

Bruton was a Boomer at the 1986 Worlds and has continued to work in basketball and to emphatically promote the game.

Carfino's NBL contribution is so miniscule as to make many wonder how he even made the Hall in the first place. He played five years - two in Hobart, three in Sydney - and a grand total of 132 games, was never an MVP or a championship winner. Or even in a Grand Final.

Don't get me wrong. Steve was a very good import. But so was Bennie Lewis. And Mike Jones. And Derek Rucker. And none of them are in any Hall.

Let's be brutal. Carfino and his FoxSport co-caller at the time, John Casey, ran a year-long unashamed on-air TV campaign for Carfino's induction throughout 2003-04 - it was embarrassingly bold-faced at times - and enough of the voting panellists bought it.

Carfino should not be in any NBL Hall of Fame I can think of ahead of say, Robert Rose.

But he is.

That said, post-playing career, he has been the face of television commentary on Ten, then Fox, then Ten again for what's getting on to the better part of two decades.

That IS a contribution to the game in Australia. And, combined with his solid NBL career, should keep him in the BA Hall of Fame but as: Steve Carfino (BA & NBL).

Carroll and Davies both played in two World Championships and two Olympics - Davies leading the scoring at one - and would thoroughly deserve BA Hall of Fame retention.

Cole should be in both Halls and his story has been well told now.

Davis won a record five Woollacott Medals in SA as the state's fairest and most brilliant player and after naturalising, played for the Boomers in an Oceania Series. Like Fisher, who is an Olympian, there should be no argument about their BA Hall retention.

But again, like the others, their designation should now not just be "NBL" but "BA & NBL".

Same for Green, a dual-Woolacott Medallist and multiple-championship winner in SA.

Keogh was another premature NBL Hall of Fame induction. His NBL career did not warrant his induction by itself. If we're talking about Keogh's whole career, now it's a different conversation.

He led the NBL in assists in 1986, that's about it. No MVP, no championships. Some great games, without question, and briefly a marquee Australian.

But if you add two Olympic Games and three World Championships, Keogh is definitely Hall of Fame material. Keogh becomes a further "BA & NBL" selection.

Kerle played at an Olympics and two World Championships, not to mention his standing as a long-time Boomers assistant coach.

Loggins won a Woollacott Medal and was a Boomer at the Barcelona Olympics in what was Australia's "Dream Team." He should get to stay in both Halls too.

Morseu, Pearce and Vlahov all had Boomers careers and deserve that additional recognition on top of their NBL careers.

Similarly, Andrew Gaze, Lindsay Gaze and Ricky Grace are all in the Hall as Basketball Australia inductions.

Again, they should stay there but if/when the NBL determines it again wants to annually recognise three or four of its greatest contributors with its own unique Hall of Fame, those three should be automatically added.

BA has so many players, coaches, officials, men and women, disabled and contributors to consider, more NBL folk will get lost, be overlooked, pushed aside or kept out due to protocol.

Just for the record, this is Ken Richardson's contribution to basketball in Australia, and I haven't included his record as South Australian state coach because BSA records are sketchy.

KEN RICHARDSON IN AUSTRALIA

*1974, as a player, led West Adelaide into the SA Championship grand final.

*1975, as a player, led West Adelaide to the SA Championship, defeating Glenelg Tigers in the grand final.

*1975, became the first American to win the Woollacott Medal as the fairest and most brilliant basketball player in SA.

*1976, transferred to St Kilda Saints in Victoria, leading them to the championship and leading the scoring in the VBA.

*1976, led South Australia to a dramatic victory over the 10 Victorian Olympians at Apollo Stadium.

*1977, led St Kilda to the Australian Club Championship title and led the scoring at the tournament in Sydney.

*1978, returned to SA as playing-coach of West Adelaide and in that capacity led them to a record five consecutive SA Championships, winning the titles in 1978-79-80-81-82.

*1979, he led West Adelaide into the NBL and to a fourth-placed finish.

*1979, was the inaugural winner of the NBL's Most Valuable Player award, while averaging 26.2 points per game (#2 in the league).

*1980, playing-coached West Adelaide into the NBL grand final where it lost to St Kilda.

*1980, his 24.1 points per game was #4 in the NBL.

*1980, named in the NBL First Team, the first all-star five in NBL history.

*1981, missed the season with injury but coached West Adelaide to third in the NBL.

*1982, brought himself off West Adelaide's bench, averaging 14.5ppg at 58.8% (143/243 - #2 in NBL), 6.2rpg, 1.4 apg.

*1982, West Adelaide Bearcats won the NBL championship.

*1982, West went 21-5, an 81% success rate and averaged 97.1ppg, conceding 83.7, a winning differential of 13.4ppg.

*In four years as West's NBL playing coach, his win-loss record was 67-27 (71.3%), the best record of any coach at a single club. West finished 4th, 2nd, 3rd and 1st in his four NBL years as its playing-coach.

*1986, coached Geelong Cats to a 14-12 record, missing the playoffs on percentage.

*His overall NBL coaching record is 98-58, 63%, the second-best all-time mark for any coach who coached at least 100 games, behind only his one-time assistant at Geelong, Brian Goorjian.

*In the late 70s, when Ken strongly was considering taking out citizenship, on the assumption he would, then Boomers coach Lindsay Gaze suited him up for Australia to play against a visiting US college team. That makes him the only American who was STILL an American to officially play for Australia. (So proud to wear the green-and-gold of his adopted home, he had 43 points in that game, 29 in the first half.)

While I repeat I have no quibble with anyone BA inducts on November 21, I will be interested to see how Ken's record stacks up.

That said, I have turned down BA's generous invitation to attend the gala function, although I wish all 14 inductees (or 13 inductees and one legend elevation) the very best and add my thanks to all they have given basketball in Australia.

But the sooner the NBL has its own Hall of Fame again, the better for everyone.