Hoops

How did you follow the NBA pre-internet?

This thread reminded me of this article/interview with Leigh Ellis (best known for 'The Basketball Jones' podcast)

http://www.foxsports.com.au/other-sports/basketball/australian-leigh-ellis-living-out-his-dream-working-in-canada-on-nba-podcast-the-basketball-jones/story-e6frf3f3-1226623740488#.UeE2ksp7DzQ

The obsession went to absurd lengths, as getting information from the NBA was very difficult in Australia in the late eighties.

"A friend of mine, his dad used to work at the airport, and he'd be cleaning the airplane and there’d often be those newspapers there, and once I found that out, I said if your dad gets the USA Today can you give it to me - because they always had the box scores, and the odd NBA article.

"So I remember paying my friend to get his dad to get used newspapers off the Qantas flights and give them to me, even though they were a week or so late, and I would just pore through box scores, recaps and things like that. That was the closest thing we had to the internet.

PBT, great magazine. Finished up about 10 years ago. It had been hanging on for grim death for a while before it finally folded. Shame, back then getting a weekly update was considered a massive upgrade to the monthly magazines

I remember NBA on channel 7 on Sunday (?) mornings I think. Early to mid 80's. I thought the league only had four teams though as it was always Boston, Lakers, Pistons or 76ers games on there. Then one morning it was Lakers V Spurs....I was very confused.

PBT was like a drug to me. Couldn't wait for it to come out, then read and studied every boxscore for the week. To the point that a friend of mine tested me on the starting five of every team, and I named them all off the top of my head.

Ah yes, those were still great days.

As already said, PBT, One on One, SLAM, Street and Smiths..and the good old Advertiser for the day before's games.
(Still have every one on one, and a box of PBT - mainly double 3 peat era haha)

Also Friday nights on ABC, then it switched to Sat morning NBL game, NBA Action, then NBA game of the week. Then straight to the HS courts..good times.

I used to go into the newspaper room of the State Library and read the sports section of the International Herald Tribune, which gave scores and mini-boxscores from games played a day or so previously. This was in the early '80s. Now you kids get off my lawn!

late night NBA game of the week on ten, Thursday nights.

PBT was great. Mix of NBA and NBL that kept you engaged with all the goings on.

Think that finished up mid-1993?

There was also an earlier magazine, cant recall name, mid 80's??

NBA on ABC was also good coverage. A game per week and few extra in playoffs!

I remember when it switched to 10 going to mates places for few beers and watch the bulls/Knicks fight it out!! Got a real sense of community about it!

I can relate to most of the reflections shared in this thread.

Now can someone please tell me how I can follow the NBL with the help of the internet?

Yeah, they can't even get highlights/plays of the week up.

Step 1: Do that

Then start making highlight packages similar to NBA. As Isaac mentioned above:

- Not simply highlight plays.
- Add in videos like "Tom Abercrombie Top 10 Dunks of the Season" or "Top 10 Dimes of the NBL Season".."Top 10 36ers Plays of the Season"

Sports Illustrated really got me hooked on the game in the 70s & 80s. I'd read them agains and again, and then grab the scissors and stick the pics all over my walls.

The Champ 33 - the same as you, plus there was a time when we in Oz did get a few NBA game of weeks on TV...but that was back when Jordan was still playing

Is there an NBL app?

I have the Bleacher Report App on my Android. It allows me to follow a team and get all information, scores and updates about that team

Also have the ESPN scorecenter app. It's awesome. Gives me live score updates and my phone plays that ESPN introductory music when the game is over (Love it). Also get 2 minute warnings etc.

If NBL did this it would be cool. But I imagine it would be costly.

Also, when the NBA is on, its daytime and getting updates while at work, Uni or while im busy is cool.

Don't know if I would be as excited to get updates on Friday or Saturday nights for NBL games when I am a few deep with mates at a pub on a Saturday night. Hmm