Basketball On The Internet.

ANYTIME Australia knocks off the USA in basketball is a great day for the sport in this country.

It’s not quite “once in a lifetime” stuff – unless you’ve lived a very short life – but it is a rarity.

The “emerging Boomers”, the dreadful name being foisted on Australia’s World University Games men’s basketball team of scholars, students and other budding professors of origami, overnight nailed the USA in Russia.

Yes, we have done it before, “we” being various underage national teams of both sexes, the Opals too at various times, with only the (fully emerged) Boomers yet to strike one up in the “W” column.

But that day is coming, the 78-79 loss to the USA at the 1990 World Championship and 79-89 loss at the 2004 Athens Olympics two games the Boomers most definitely would like to have back.

The story of the win is at: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/australia-has-defeated-usa-at-the-world-university-games/story-fnii09ki-1226678516649  and you can get more at Basketball Australia’s website.

THE 36ers signing Gary Ervin made it a fun day yesterday and a challenging one for Sixers fans (or anyone with an NBL IQ or decent memory) as The Advertiser threw down the “name the imports” Challenge.

If you missed it, there’s a story here about Adelaide’s imports generally: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/the-adelaide-36ers-imports-all-started-with-reg-sir-reginald-biddings-back-in-1982/story-fnii09ki-1226678278532 .

If you plan to do the quiz, which is at: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/its-the-baksketball-import-quiz-can-you-remember-the-42-who-came-before-gary-ervin-nows-your-chance-to-shine/story-fnii09ki-1226678263566 , I would read the previous link’s story first. It will help.

And so long as we’re talking imports, my (e)mail is Jarrid Frye’s name is definitely on the whiteboard in Joey Wright’s palatial new office at Adelaide Arena.

The Arena, formerly the Dump, er, DOME, could become the American forward’s new home as he fits the bill for the type of player Adelaide is seeking.

Had a bit about him here: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/the-adelaide-36ers-have-their-sights-set-on-small-forward-jarrid-frye-as-their-last-import/story-fnii09ki-1226678604807

YES, there will be a great new NBL season coming up too so (basket)ball breakers beware.

Here’s what’s been happening: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/big-changes-are-coming-for-nbl-with-the-re-launch-of-the-league/story-fnii09gt-1226678586545

ARE we warming to Cleveland Cavaliers yet?

Our Melbourne-born Kyrie Irving is there and now Matthew Dellavedova and Chris Goulding  are working out, trying to get a gig.

While we continue the wait-and-see whether former Boomers coach Brett Brown will emerge as coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, their centre, Andrew Bynum, has gone to the Cavs.

Yeah, he never played a game as a Sixer, some describing Bynum’s knees as those “of a 75-year-old”.

But he is happy to be back with coach Mike Brown.

In their one year together in Los Angeles, Bynum enjoyed his only All-Star season.

Reunited at the Cavaliers, Bynum's agent doesn't see any reason why it can't happen again.

"His expectation is to be nothing less than an All-Star next year,'' David Lee told the Akron Beacon Journal yesterday.

"Now I don't know if anybody wants to say that out loud because there's always a hesitancy to put pressure on himself. But in his mind, absolutely. He doesn't see any reason why not.''

Traded by the Lakers to Philadelphia, Bynum missed all of last season with knee problems and had arthroscopic surgery on both knees in March.

SPEAKING of Brett Brown, I had the pleasure of catching up with him this week and yes, the pain of San Antonio Spurs losing the NBA Championship in an epic seven-game series to Miami Heat has not greatly subsided.

"When we got back to San Antonio and the dust had settled a bit, I think Pop (Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich) put it in some perspective though," Brett said.

"He said to the group if that's the worst thing to ever happen to us, then we've lived pretty fortunate lives."

That helped. A little.

"There will still be that moment, and for the rest of our lives when, it doesn't matter if you're out driving, or going fishing or just daydreaming and we'll remember (losing the championship) and it will be 'damn' all over again," Brett said.

OK. You want to know what I asked him about the 76ers job, right?

Sorry but we had a very bad line.

Best I can do is say: maybe come back in seven days or so...