Basketball On The Internet.

ALWAYS far too anxious to copy the NBA or to claim it is the world's second-best league behind it, the NBL has just missed a golden opportunity to actually make a bold claim which genuinely stands up. The NBL's five-game 2026 championship was far more entertaining than the NBA's.

Not even close.

Apart from Sydney's Game 1 rout, this was edge-of-the-seat stuff the rest of the way.

Locally we watched as two teams at the peak of their powers went head-to-head, the deciding fifth game then going into overtime to again elevate the Kings to champions.

The 36ers went down fighting - at least in regulation - after forcing the series to a decider, Games 2 and 4 in Adelaide both last-gasp thrilling classics to force this the distance.

Winning this series was about shrewd decision-making, adjustments and the ability to think and execute in the eye of the storm.

When you have players such as Matthew Dellavedova, Bryce Cotton, Kendric Davis, Zylan Cheatham, Torrey Craig engaged, you aren't going to see an ever-expanding laundry list of stupid decisions.

Brian Goorjian sending in Makuach Maluach in the Game 5 overtime to guard a tiring Cotton - this was masterful and ballsy coaching.

Swing your focus now to the New York Knicks cleaning up the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in five games and it was not, by any stretch, two teams at the peak of their powers going head-to-head.

This was the Knicks, led by resolute playmaker Jaylen Brunson, exposing the Spurs as young, inexperienced and immature.

This was no Boston Celtics-LA Lakers 1984 Final, or their 1985 revisit. Those were teams primed and at their very best when it mattered. This wasn't even the Chicago Bulls taking down the Phoenix Suns or Utah Jazz.

Sadly, the occasion was far too big for San Antonio whose mistakes and error-filled Game 4 loss from a 29-point lead was one of the greatest examples of boneheaded basketball you could ever hope to witness. It was amazing to see it unfold, unprecedented.

Many of us in Australia enjoy and/or support the Spurs, dating back to our connection through players such as Andrew Gaze, Patty Mills, Aron Baynes and others who don't have an NBA championship ring.

We came on board and loved the style Gregg Popovich had them playing, the Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, David Robinson, Manu Ginobili, Kawhi Leonard days when they had leadership on court and off.

These Spurs are young and it showed in how they squandered Game 4 and again Game 5. They were devoid of leadership.

To be honest, those of us waiting for a Knicks championship since 1973, despite any San Antonio affiliations, were delighted to see the championship return to Madison Square Garden.

Yes, OG Anunoby was huge and Brunson, with his 45-point Game 5 tour de force, easily the Championship Series MVP.

But do you reckon these guys could beat the 1986 Celtics of Bird, Johnson, McHale and Walton?

It's doubtful.

But could the 1986 NBL champs and record-setting 36ers beat the 2026 Sydney Kings? 

Not a chance.

That reflects that although the NBL boasts nowhere near the athletic talent of the NBA, it is continuing to positively evolve. Some of the shot-making and action of the Sydney-Adelaide series was genuinely breath-taking.

Comparitively the NBA Final, with the Spurs playing like dunces down the stretches after double-digit leads in every game had many of us thinking that yes, this team will be good for a long time - when it matures.

But it simply was so repeatedly undisciplined at key moments that head coach (Elon Musk's stuntman) Mitch Johnson either also had no clue or his message just did not get across to a few notable knuckleheads.

Jacking up threes instead of using the clock? Damn.

Victor Wembanyama is going to be very special but the way the refs allow him to be manhandled is borderline criminal. Ah, jack up some threes. Everyone else is.

It is thrilling to see the Knicks as champions and we know the Spurs will be better.

But if you're wondering which was the better series, Kings-36ers never let either fanbase down and the standard never waivered.

NBL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (Best-of-5)

Game 1: Sydney Kings 112 (Davis 25, Soares 22, Galloway 15, Maluach 12, Craig 11; Soares 8 rebs; Davis 7 assts) d Adelaide 36ers 68 (White 11, Humphries, Rakocevic, Cotton 10; Cheatham 7 rebs; Cotton 7 assts) at Qudos Bank Arena. Kings lead series 1-0

Game 2: Adelaide 36ers 91 (Cotton 28, Cameron 17, Jenkins 14, Vasiljevic 12; Rakocevic 9 rebs; Cheatham 7 assts) d Sydney Kings 89 (Davis 20, Cooks 18, Craig 17; Craig, Cooks 10 rebs; Dellavedova 7 assts) at Adelaide Entertainment Centre. Series tied 1-1

Game 3: Sydney Kings 106 (Davis 34, Cooks 18, Galloway 17, Soares 12; Soares 10 rebs; Davis 15 assts) d Adelaide 36ers 93 (Jenkins 22, Cheatham 17, Cotton 15, Humphries, Cameron 12; Cheatham 10 rebs; Cotton 12 assts) at Qudos Bank Arena. Kings lead series 2-1

Game 4: Adelaide 36ers 92 (Cheatham 23, Cotton, Vasiljevic 19, Cameron 11, Humphries 10; Humphries 10 rebs; Cotton 12 assts) d Sydney Kings 91 (Davis 22, Galloway 20, Cooks 16, Maluach 11, Soares 10; Soares 9 rebs; Davis 10 assts) at Adelaide Entertainment Centre. Series tied 2-2

Game 5: Sydney Kings 113 (Davis 35, Soares 20, Cooks 19, Galloway 16, Dellavedova 11; Cooks 12 rebs; Davis 14 assts) d Adelaide 36ers 101 (Cotton 35, Cheatham 15, Humphries 14, Jenkins 13, Rakocevic 11; Rakovecic 13 rebs; Cotton 9 assts) in Overtime {95-95} at Qudos Bank Arena. Kings win Championship, 3-2

NBA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (Best-of-7)

Game 1: New York Knicks 105 (Brunson 30, Towns 18, Anunoby 17, Shamet 13; Hart 15 rebs; Hart 6 assts) d San Antonio Spurs 95 (Wembanyama 26, Castle 17, Harper, Champagnie 16; Wembanyama 12 rebs; Fox 5 assts) at Frost Bank Center, San Antonio. Knicks lead series 1-0

Game 2: New York Knicks 105 (Towns 21, Bridges, Brunson 20, Anunoby 17, Shamet 13; Towns 13 rebs; Brunson, Bridges 6 assts) d San Antonio Spurs 104 (Wembanyama 29, Fox 20, Harper 15, Vassell, Castle 14; Wembanyama, Vassell 9 rebs; Vassell, Fox 5 assts) at Frost Bank Center, San Antonio. Knicks lead series 2-0

Game 3: San Antonio Spurs 115 (Wembanyama 32, Castle 23, Harper 13, Champagnie, Fox 12, Vassell 11; Harper 9 rebs; Fox 8 assts) d New York Knicks 111 (Brunson 32, Anunoby 28, Hart 16, Towns 11, Clarkson 10; Hart 9 rebs; Hart, Brunson 5 assts) at Madison Square Garden. Knicks lead series 2-1

Game 4: New York Knicks 107 (Brunson 36, Anunoby 33, Towns 13; Towns 10 rebs; Brunson 7 assts) d San Antonio Spurs 106 (Wembanyama 24, Harper 21, Vassell, Fox 18, Castle 13; Wembanyama 13 rebs; Fox 7 assts) at Madison Square Garden. Knicks lead series 3-1

Game 5: New York Knicks 94 (Brunson 45, Bridges 14, Hart 13, Anunoby 11; Hart 11 rebs; Bridges 4 assts) d San Antonio Spurs 90 (Harper 25, Wembanyama 19, Champagnie 14, Vassell 12; Wembanyama 14 rebs; Fox 5 assts) at Frost Bank Center, San Antonio. Knicks win Championship 4-1