"Everyone talks about the golden era of basketball being the early 90s, but there's absolutely no question this right now is the glory days of basketball in our country," NBL general manager of major events and programs says Tommy Greer tells ESPN.
With a respectful nod to old Aussie rocker John Paul Young, love is in the air around the National Basketball League.
Yesiree, business is booming in the NBL - on and off the court - much like it was back in the halcyon days of the early 90s and again briefly in the early 2000s. The difference this time is that long-time followers of Australian basketball are practically unanimous in the belief that the latest honeymoon is the sweetest of them all.
On the court, the talent level and quality of games has never been better. Off the court, basketball has become cool again judging by the big jump in attendance, sponsorship and TV ratings over the past two years. Australian basketball's profile and credibility also are at an all-time high on the international front, with several Australian players and former NBL imports playing for NBA teams. Next month three NBL sides will fly to America to take on NBA teams in unprecedented exhibition games between the two leagues, with the matches to be broadcast Live in Australia on ESPN.
"Everyone talks about the golden era of basketball being the early 90s, but there's absolutely no question this right now is the glory days of basketball in our country," says Tommy Greer, the NBL's general manager of major events and programs.
"Not only in the NBL but the international game and how well our boys did at the Olympics and the Asian Cup. It's firing on all cylinders right now."
Greer believes the sky's the limit for the hoops game.
"There's no reason why basketball can't be the No. 1 sport in Australia," he tells ESPN.
"When you start looking at participation and all the positives the sport has -- it's an indoor sport played in two hours and it's purpose-built for excitement. It's got all those things going for it and I feel like there's no reason why we shouldn't have our eyes set on becoming one of, if not the, most popular sport in Australia."
The NBL was on its knees a few short years ago. Almost half the league's teams were close to folding or did fold (Townsville) and sponsors were hard to attract.
Melbourne multi-millionaire Larry Kestelman stepped in with a vision of the future, paying about $7 million to buy the NBL and charting a new course for growth. The league began heading north virtually overnight, and it is now thriving rather than surviving.
Greer is confident the potential for continued growth far outweighs the likelihood of basketball's bubble bursting all over again.
"National brands don't jump on board something that's not headed in the right direction, so that's always a good sign," the former Melbourne Tigers forward tells ESPN. "The stardom that's created by the those guys like Joe Ingles who came through the NBL and progressed to the NBA, the crowds coming through the door and the TV audiences, there's no question the NBL benefits from that."
Four-time Olympian Shane Heal played 440 NBL games over 21 years and had coaching stints at the South Dragons and Sydney Kings. Now working as an NBL commentator, the 47-year-old who played in the NBA and Europe has seen all the Australian league's highs and lows.
"It's definitely in the best state it's been in since the 90s," Heal tells ESPN.
"Larry [Kestelman] and [NBL CEO] Jeremy [Loeliger] have been smart, because the sponsorship is something that comes after they've laid the foundations. And while there's a big bank balance there to be able to make it happen, they've invested in making sure they got their head office right and got the stability of the teams right.
"They've built the profile and then I think sponsors have jumped on once you start seeing Melbourne selling out and massive crowds in Perth, new ownership in Sydney, sell-outs in Cairns and Adelaide's probably healthier than it's been for a long time.
"You go around the country commentating games feeling the excitement and seeing that it's really starting to kick off. Sponsors see that and want to be part of that, and they jump on now that there's a bit of proof in the pudding and it's not just talk."
Heal paid tribute to the action between the paint, saying the latest boom probably wouldn't be happening if the standard on the court wasn't so high.
"When you start having teams playing against NBA teams and all the trips to China and the opportunities for the players, all those sort of things back up that the game couldn't be healthier right now," he says.
"The import situation with some of these guys starting to make NBA rosters and performing, and some of our Australian guys have been to Summer League, so the league couldn't be stronger, and I think the fans see that as well.
"The danger for me is if the rich keep getting stronger and the teams that don't have the same budget drop off because they can't compete. But that was a worry for me last year, and then teams like Illawarra, Cairns and Adelaide, that don't have the same budgets, were smart with the way they put their rosters together and built competitive teams.
"Those three teams making the top four just proves it's not just about having a big budget. As long as those teams can continue to do that and over-perform their budgets, it probably gets rid of the only worrying part for me."
Aussie basketball legend Andrew Gaze echoed Heal's sentiments that the NBL's star is on the rise, but he warned also of the dangers of complacency.
"The marketing and presentation of the game and the level of professionalism that's come in is as good as it's ever been, and we've got a great opportunity to capitalise on it because anyone who's been around in the past can understand the goodwill that's out there and the perception that we have can all fade very, very quickly," Gaze, the Sydney Kings coach, tells ESPN.
"So we can't rest on where we are right now.
"It's fantastic that everything's heading in the right direction and there's some real positive things happening here and internationally, but I'm also encouraged by the recognition by all those within that it's not perhaps like other times when we've had this type of momentum where there's a belief that you rest on your laurels and perhaps take things for granted. There is a genuine understanding that there's a lot of work to be done.
"Ultimately it's built on the product that's on the floor. The marketing and presentation is absolutely vital, but if the product is not great, there's only so much the sizzle can do.
"With the quality of players that are coming to this country to play, the ongoing development of our Australian players, we're in a real solid position with the talent that's available and how frighteningly good the parity of the competition is. That always holds you in good stead when you know you've got a great product, and we certainly have that right now."
NBL greats and front-office types are not alone in loving the renewed interest in basketball in Australia.
Illawarra Hawks co-captain Oscar Forman has 16 seasons under his belt and reckons the future looks bright for the NBL.
"Over the years I've seen a lot of different changes in the league in terms of structure and I've seen a lot of different GMs, and everyone has talked a great game," Forman says.
"But this is the first group in quite a while that has actually put their money where their mouth is and backed themselves. They've rolled out announcement after announcement over the past two or three years. It used to be a big deal when the league got a new game ball sponsor. Now it's announcements about playing against NBA teams.
"Every time I see Larry and Jeremy, I congratulate them on the fantastic job they've done with the league. They're dragging it forward and pushing it to where it should be. It's finally getting the recognition it deserves."
