Basketball On The Internet.

KENDRIC Davis' return to his most pathetic and immature behaviour that saw out Adelaide's well planned and executed win over somebody's "benchmark" team yesterday, needs to be looked at deeper than "it's good for the game" because pedestalling a sore loser is not what Aussie sports is about, or ever has been.

We pride ourselves on our sportsmanship and humility, or at least we did in the days before Adam Goodes could mercilessly be booed and villified by AFL crowds for no real reason, and before we embraced just a little too much of "the American way".

Everyone understands Davis' coach, Brian Goorjian, had to publicly come out and support his player, especially after last season when the GOAT himself swore in the face of South East Melbourne's Owen Foxwell and all the east coast wise heads applauded and nodded their approval.

Frankly I felt it both unwarranted and undignified but this is pro sports so it had the desired effect and the NBL did not see fit to even issue a sanction for behaviour no-one would care to see young coaches exhibit.

So again yesterday, the 36ers having the result against Sydney in their keeping, Davis, who has a complete swarm of bees in his bonnet about Bryce Cotton, again chose to make the game about himself.

Make no mistake, Davis can ball but his obsession with the GOTE is completely one-sided. Flashing the 2026 championship emblem on his uniform at Cotton - who has three championships and six MVPs - further reflects how obsessed he has become and how the little master lives in his mind, rent free.

At 26.3 seconds to go of a Kings loss after Cotton stole the ball from him, Davis chased him to the sideline to deliberately bump him and create some late-game chaos.

It was typically immature and consistent with his petulance. And for those saying this is what we love to see, maybe try to not confuse passion with immaturity.

You don't have to like or even respect any opponent, but maybe respect yourself sufficiently to not sink to such pathetic lengths. And for those applauding Davis' behaviour, wait until you see that duplicated in a junior game or have someone try to diminish your son or daughter because they simply cannot handle being beaten. Yeah, jolly good show.

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How bad is the officiating when United's Cole Anthony can openly mock their complete lack of common sense or feel for the game, by playing defence down the court against Adelaide with his hands behind his back, training-drill style?

Not to worry, more reinforcement of the depths of our officiating was not long in coming when one of our most officious authority-loving refs blew a tech foul across the court on 36ers coach Trevor Gleeson who was speaking to a different official! 

"I was talking to one referee, cause Whitey got a backhand right in the face, and the other referee on the other side of the floor gives me a technical foul ... when I'm having a conversation with this referee," Gleeson said. "So I think I was targeted for that today. Again, I'll talk to (refs boss) Scott Butler and say why? .. send him clips again and 'yeah that should've been a foul, that should've been a foul' and we get to the game and it doesn't foul."

Having been away (in the NBA and Japan) for five years, Gleeson said he returned expecting the officiating would have improved. "But it just seems when the bright lights come on, something else happens."

That's Trev above, copping the tech from ACROSS THE COURT, the ref he was chatting looking just as shocked and bemused as the players. James Grigoul, take a bow.

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What on earth was going on with Zylan Cheatham in Adelaide's loss to Melbourne? His reluctance to shoot bordered on embarrassing and followed him taking just two shots in the previous home loss to New Zealand. Currently he is making Ben Simmons look like Steph Curry.

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No sooner had Taran Armstrong dished a superlative behind-the-back bounce pass to a curling Josh Bannan for the basket that sent Tassie's road match with Brisbane into overtime, than Joe Ingles said "hold my beer". Ingles drove and threw a behind-the-backer to United teammate Fabijan Krslovic early against the 36ers which Special K had no trouble laying in.

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Those old superstitions regarding the number 13 popped up again at the weekend. Sydney had won its previous 12 straight matches at Afterpay (previously Qudos Bank) Arena before a wounded Adelaide limped in on Sunday. They limped in and they strode out, making 13 unlucky yet again.

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You have to love the TV commentary, don't you? Well, "love" may not be the correct description. With Illawarra struggling for any sort of on-court leadership or guidance against Tasmania, Derek Rucker mentioned Biwali Bayles among his possible solutions. Obviously he had seen Bayles in the game ... except he plays for the JackJumpers now ...

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JackJumpers' championship winner Anthony Drmic announced his retirement today after 279 NBL games, a nagging back complaint forcing him to a call a premature end to his career. Never lost in the shadow of his brogther Frank Drmic, Anthony was the NBL Rookie of the Year in the 2016-17 season, debuting with Adelaide 36ers.

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A training injury to his lower leg will force New Zealand import Parker Jackson-Cartwright out of commission for three weeks while Brisbane's Lithuanian playmaker Arnas Velicka suffered an injury in the loss to Cairns and will be sidelined for eight weeks. Velicka may lead the league in assists but this break represents a good chance to practice those free throws.

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JackJumpers import David Johnson had 32 points on 9-of-10 shooting, with 5-of-6 threeballs in 17:39 as Tassie tossed Illawarra. He might have scored a great deal more with the way he was going, had he chosen not to foul indiscriminately. Five fouls in 17:39 is a lot when 32 points could have been built into a lot more.

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Melbourne United had such a great round with wins over Adelaide and South East, Joe Ingles was speechless.