Hoops

United vs. China tommorow 3pm AEST

Australians know the NBL. Changing the leagues name would be stupid especially as its on the up again.

The league has a hard enough time getting any form of mainstream recognition, yet the NBL is still well known. Changing it to the "B-League" "ABL" "BAL" or whatever would be the start of another decline in basketball as no one would know what it is. It wouldnt get enough media attention for people to catch on.

I'm proud NBL has had the same name since 1979. Every other pro sport has newer names, hardly any stable history in Aus pro sport. Most are just glorified state leagues who added a McFranchise teams who go on about having 100yrs of history... lmao

ME no way calling NBL A-League is like Melb being named United.... oh :s

The reason why football here is A-League because it's the common naming of leagues in Asia like J-League and K-League... naming a basketball league that way in this region would be awfu'.

I knew you would reply kr.. lol.

Six year league from 1890... I doubt the founding fathers of the NBL in 1979 knew of it.

What irks me is the Canadian one now in this day and age of the internet and still went with NBL...

It sucks that soccer took the A League name because I think that would have fit the NBL just as well.

There's also the other US NBL (1937), the UK NBL (1972), and Bulgarian NBL (1942).

Annoying as we were first and all others NBLs like the NZ, Canadian, Chinese ones came way after.

Canada has a league called the NBL as well. NBL seems to be the go-to name for a league when you don't have any ideas. The league has been begging for a new name for a while now as far as I'm concerned.

You're right about the Chinese second division being called the NBL. Doesn't help NBL Aus due to the confusion.

In fairness though that Boomers vs China annual series there was always called the Sino-Australia series and this series replaced that one plus China's second-tier league is also called the NBL like the NZ league so marketing the team there as Australia would be much less confusing to the locals.

"I read somewhere that somehow this game may tarnish relations between China and the NBL"

During the NBL All-Australian games the Chinese were promoting the series as "China vs. Australia" with no mention at all of the NBL or that it was a select NBL team not the Boomers. So really I question the relationship between the two. NBL seem to think they can benefit from it but how do you when the Chinese simply marketed the team as "Australia"?

In Chinese characters it was branded as 2017 SINO-AUSTRALIAN BASKETBALL CHALLENGE

The Chinese fans thinking the series win was against the Boomers would further inflate their heads. Now scratching them re: how they lost to an Australian club and probably thinking it was the refs because they didn't get "special treatment" like back at home... LOL

http://www.fibalivestats.com/matches/78611/19/04/64/554uL0N7F049s/

I was wondering who that import trialing with MU was, Damon Bozeman.

Maybe one day Chinese basketball will wake up to itself and see the following:

1) They're just not that good. They have the biggest player base on the planet yet struggle to compete with decent nations.

2) They're extremely coddled in their own nation, which is one of the reasons that they're just not that good.

Australia and New Zealand joining Asia will inevitably prove that to them. China is being forced out of its own little self aggrandizing rut and will have to face facts one way or another. I look forward to the arrogance being thoroughly dismantled.

Also my prediction is now that AU & NZ are co-members of FIBA Asia due to the new regular qualifiers structure, and when they see how we dominate the Asia zone China will start crying because their status as one of the top dogs goes by the wayside. Sucked in China!

Wow really? If our relationship were to be tarnished it should be over the cheating refs we've endured in China for the past 15 years. But the last laugh is that as mentioned above it stunts their development because they live in fairlyland. Good luck at the Asia Cup, World Cup & Olympics lol.

Chinese people tend to be so humble but you get them anywhere near a basketball court and they're some of the most arrogant pricks on the planet. Sure, China may have "won easily" if they had the same amount of free throws but for that to happen Melbourne United would have to have committed the same amount of foul and they simply didn't. I read somewhere that somehow this game may tarnish relations between China and the NBL; well if that's the case, let them be tarnished. If refereeing a game fairly to a team used to getting their own way will tarnish basketball relations then they aren't really a country you want relations with.

Yeah well, as many have said, that's what happens when you get babied on your home court... A sense of entitlement that you think you can get away with anything and then when the game is called properly (ie. not constantly in their favour) they honestly have no clue why they aren't getting the calls...

As many have said before as well, if they constantly get treated like they do at home, it will stunt their growth as a basketball nation when they get on that international stage...

China's coach sounds like an idiot. You foul heaps yet you expect the same amount of free throws? And you think you can win 'easy'? Bit disrespectful.

Seems like they cant handle having refs that call the game their way (or correctly) for that matter.

due

Melbourne shot more free throws because China were fouling like crazy. Enjoyable game despite it die to the closeness of it.

Anderson 20, Moller 20, Adnam 19, good game, enjoyable. Majok limit off with ankle injury. Anderson and Moller looked very formidable together at the 4 and 3.

OT MEL 104-94 CHN

China are playing with only four players at the end of OT. Due to too many players fouling out? They kept fouling as if their own dodgy refs were there not to call it.

NBL in winter - the way it should be! Memories are floodimg back.

China suck.

You would of thought if this was not the case that the NBL would of made such a statement advising so, rather than abruptly interrupting service.

Anyone else's stream stop with two minutes to go?

You would of thought if this was not the case that the NBL would of made such a statement advising so, rather than abruptly interrupting service.

Nobody ever said Telstra customers get it free forever.

Need more NBL in your life? For the complete NBL TV experience you’ll be needing our 'All Access Pass'.

UPGRADE

Anyone got this?

I am a Telstra customer so I should get it for free, like last year???

Video quality on nbl.tv was absolute rubbish for the NBL vs China series, and now not working at all for the United vs China game.

Anyone else's nbl tv app just runnin like pure shite?

Yes on Nbl tv.

Nbl tv?

^ no but u can stream it on Melbourne united's Facebook page

Game on fox sports?

Vandenburg playing because United dont have any backup bigmen outside Tohi Smith-Milner

CG not playing

Inclusion would be to shore up numbers of the squad for the game.

Moller and WMW did very well together at the Kings, both are team players first. CG on limited minutes I beleive he said in his interview. Adnam to start at the point I'd say, Balow at 2 if CG on small minutes, Moller 3, Anderson at 4, Majoc at 5. Sam Short also playing.. Don't understand the Vandenburg inclusion.

Im travelling to Starplex on Friday .Does the Northern Expressway decrease travelling timeor is that not the way to go.

I have not been there for at least 2 years.