Basketball On The Internet.

ONE week out from the “new” NBL’s first preseason Blitz, and it is amazing to review how far the league has come in a few short months.

Never forget this was the off-season which gave us Wollongong Hawks in voluntary administration, Townsville Crocodiles in voluntary administration, Adelaide 36ers in involuntary financial convulsions, an administration telling us Brisbane had no suitable venue for an NBL club, a league icon telling TV viewers the competition should take a 12-month hiatus.

The Network 10 television deal was up and there was no sign of any broadcaster wearing out the carpet to the NBL’s door.

Pretty ugly stuff but the thunder clouds have cleared and the forecast for where we sit today is much much brighter.

The reason?

The NBL saw the light and accepted the proposal of shrewd millionaire businessman Larry Kestelman to take over 51 per cent ownership of the league and in return underpin not only its survival, but its growth and prosperity.

Fast forward from that landmark decision and we have:

*A five-year, every game live in high definition, television deal with Fox, games available online via its app and continuing negotiation for a “match of the week” on FTA;

*Virgin Australia confirmed today as the League’s Official Airline Partner;

*An NBL truly pulling up its socks, signing innovative athletic supplier Champion as its ‘Official NBL Sock Supplier’;

*A three-year deal with Wilson Sporting Goods Co to provide the Official Game Ball for all NBL games;

*A new NBL logo and upgraded website;

*A fixture that sees the NBL play five consecutive days a week, from Wednesday-through-Sunday;

*Chemist Warehouse as the NBL’s new Official Chemist Retailer and partner;

*Charismatic superstar Patty Mills is an NBL Ambassador.

I’ve probably overlooked something there too, given how much has happened to turn an off-season we had to wade through and which widely was referred to as the NBL’s “Dark Ages” into one of such anticipation and excitement.

WILD WEST: Nathan Jawai is back!

Let’s start out west and Nathan Jawai is back in the NBL at Perth; Ebi Ere is back at Adelaide; Chris Goulding and Ekene Ibekwe are back in the league at Melbourne; Josh Childress and Julian Khazzouh are back at Sydney; Kevin Lisch, Kirk Penney and AJ Ogilvy are back at Illawarra; Illawarra is back at Illawarra and no longer Wollongong; Brian Conklin and Luke Schenscher are back at Townsville.

There’s got to be some confidence in the league if we can draw such talent back to our shores.

Not to mention the NEW talent, which is in abundance, with men such as Charles Jackson, Kenyon McNeaill, Matt Hodgson, Daniel Carlin, Casey Prather, Jarrod Kenny, Steve Holt, Igor Hadziomerovic, Markel Starks, Marcus Thornton, Jeromie Hill, Dion Prewster, Jordair Jett and Nicholas Kay set to make our acquaintance.

Some major names have switched clubs too, with Mark Worthington among the most prominent but Rhys Carter, Lucas Walker, Todd Blanchfield, Steve Markovic, Cody Ellis, Kevin White, Luke Schenscher, Mitch Young, Corey Maynard and Nathan Sobey among those plying their trade at new destinations.

EXCITEMENT MACHINE: Josh Childress is back.

There’s a fair bit of existing talent around too, such as Boomers selections including Adam Gibson, Chris Goulding, Damian Martin and Cam Gliddon, not to mention a holy host of others.

So I won't.

Can you believe where the NBL was a few months ago to where it is now?

No. Neither can most of us. Yet here we are, the Blitz around the corner and even better days ahead when the regular season tips off on October 7.

Pretty sure we all owe Larry a vote of thanks!