Basketball On The Internet.

KYRIE Irving will be confronted by the Big V when he returns to the capital of the Big V, Melbourne, hopefully in July.

But in this instance, Simon Mitchell will be waiting for the NBA superstar with a VB in one hand and a jar of Vegemite in the other.

Mitchell, head of basketball operations for the Frankston and District Basketball Association, is trying to bring Irving back to his Melbourne birthplace and should have final confirmations within days.

For those who don't know, Kyrie was born in Melbourne in 1992 when his dad Drederick was playing as an import for Bulleen Boomers in the SEABL.

It got a few people excited about him being a Boomer but he has been too busy ripping up the NBA with Cleveland Cavaliers to concern himself with that.

Not that he has abandoned his Aussie connection, as shown by his proposed upcoming camps at the State Basketball Centre in Knox from July 1-5.

Drederick and Mitchell, who were teammates at Bulleen, have stayed good friends.

The full story is up at adelaidenow.com.au at http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/melbourne-born-nba-star-kyrie-irving-set-to-visit-australia-for-a-series-of-coaching-clinics/story-fndekpx4-1226638819750

While some are hoping Irving might don his Pepsi Max commercial alter-ego Uncle Drew, and maybe play one-on-one against our own Drewey - the genuine veteran Andrew Gaze - it is unlikely, sadly.

BIG day for the Hills - excluding LA Clipper Grant, who has retired - with Brad joining Sydney Kings and Jo returning for Adelaide Lightning.

No, they are not related.

For the pertinent stories, check out adelaidenow at http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/former-adelaide-36er-brad-hill-joins-shane-heal-at-sydney-kings/story-fndekpx4-1226638539705 and http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/jo-hill-will-play-on-for-adelaide-lightning-in-the-2013-14-season/story-fne5r4t9-1226638463219

Yeah. It's been a good day at the office.

SEE where Rhys Carter had a nice little SEABL return with Knox, producing 12 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and six steals in a 92-94 overtime loss to Canberra at the weekend.

CJ Massingale was missing from the Raiders again though, still recovering from tendinitis which also should keep him out this round.

JOEY Wright has yet to announce who will assist him as Adelaide 36ers coach but said he was under no pressure to bring in Sixers favorite son Brett Maher.

"Brett's name was never mentioned," Wright said of his interviews for the job which led to a three-year deal and the revitalisation of a 36ers program buried deep in the doldrums.

Despite no previous coaching experience, Maher's name frequently was thrown around as a "certainty" for the coaching job in the weeks leading up to Wright's appointment.

Wright's lead assistant at Brisbane and Gold Coast, former Bullets championship guard Ron Radliff, is unavailable to follow his coaching mentor to Adelaide.

"I'll look at some of my past players and maybe some of Adelaide's, such as a Kevin Brooks," Wright said.

BIG tip doing the rounds today is that Aaron Bruce will join his brother Shaun at Cairns Taipans.

The club is still trying to dissuade Aaron Grabau from joining his uniform in retirement and Aaron, if you're reading this, think about sticking around.

As Jo Hill will readily tell you, you are a long time retired.

Same goes for you too Dusty.

If it is in you to keep playing, you still love it and have something to offer, plus they still want you, why stop?

THEY just keep signing back up in Perth, with Greg Hire today joining Shawn Redhage and Matt Knight in pulling a Wildcats singlet back on.

Club CEO Nick Marvin is in the US on a fact-finding - coach-finding? - mission but you cannot help feeling that with the crew signing back on, Rob Beveridge is still the man to lead the men in red.