Crosscourt: Latest NBL news, likes and dislikes out of round 7 of the 2024-25 season
Amid Ben Simmons’ interest in NBL team ownership, league boss Larry Kestelman has confirmed he’s spoken with the Brooklyn Nets star — and he’s not the only NBA player in the league’s sights. That and more in Crosscourt.
NBL owner Larry Kestelman has confirmed to Crosscourt he’s held preliminary talks with a host of Aussie NBA players about playing a role in the league, including three-time All-Star Ben Simmons and Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey.
It comes as Simmons told this masthead he has a desire to own an NBL team in the future.
Kestelman, who believes the NBL’s growing professionalism and global appeal has fuelled interest in team ownership, welcomed Simmons’ interest and is keen to ramp up talks with the Brooklyn Nets star and other NBA players.
“We’re chatting to a number of current and past NBA players and I think the confidence in the league, the professionalism and where we are going with the league is definitely getting a lot of traction globally,” Kestelman said.
“When you have such a professional athlete in the NBA, the only time they become interested in anything else is when they see the professionalism lifting.
“I think they (the players) have been sitting on the sidelines, standing and observing and listening to people on what is happening in the NBL.
“We’ve had early conversations with his (Ben’s) representatives and there is interest from other players as well.”
Several current and former Australian and international NBA players have ownership stakes in NBL teams including Dante Exum (South East Melbourne Phoenix), Andrew Bogut (Sydney Kings), Luc Longley (Kings) and Kevin Martin (Bullets).
Kestelman said he’d been in contact with Simmons’ representation and regularly speaks with former NBL Rookie of the Year Giddey about the health and future of Australian basketball.
The league boss wants the NBL to continue to be a desired destination for Aussie NBA stars, as either a player, part-owner or another role in the domestic game.
Kestelman referenced Bogut as the perfect example. The legendary big man joined the Sydney Kings as a player in 2018 after leaving the NBA. He used his stint in Sydney as a platform to return to the NBA with Golden State Warriors, before retiring with a stake in the Kings.
Kestelman can see other players following in Bogut’s footsteps.
“We want the Andrew Bogut story — we want someone to come and play or be involved as a part-owner,” he said.
“That circular economy would be amazing and it has already started and I think it’s only going to accelerate.
“I talk to Josh (Giddey), for example, a lot, and he watches a lot of our games.
“You look at other NBA players and they watch what’s happening here and I think they are proud Australians and they are super interested.
“They love basketball and a lot of them grew up here, played here in the junior programs and they love what is happening here and want to be involved.
“They are super interested.
“If we can see some or all of our NBA players come back and play or be involved as part owners, I think that is an amazing thing for our sport.”
The NBL’s emergence as a proven pathway to the NBA has been further strengthened this season via the success of Montrezl Harrell in Adelaide.
Harrell could have played anywhere in the world, but he chose Australia and the 36ers to relaunch his career as a former NBA Sixth Man of the Year.
Kestelman stressed he wants to make the NBA players’ passions a priority when determining what role they play in the NBL.
“We want to make sure that we listen to what is important to them,” he said.
“Do they want to be involved in an existing team, an expanding franchise and which locations.”
DISLIKES
TATUM’S REF RANTS GO TOO FAR
Illawarra coach Justin Tatum made valid points when he called out the officials for a host of contentious calls last round but his ongoing tiff with the referees is becoming tiresome.
Left $3000 lighter in the pocket and forced to publicly apologise for his post-game ref diss last round, Tatum’s continued frustrations with the whistleblowers boiled to the surface again in an unproductive and condescending way during Friday’s loss to Perth.
A large chunk of Tatum’s time on the sidelines was taken up by his constant chirping at the referees over calls.
His irritation reached breaking point during the third quarter when he had a verbal confrontation with one of the referees that could be heard on the in-game mic.
"You think you're that important?" 🤣
— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) November 1, 2024
Justin Tatum doesn't mince his words with the refs.
Watch the #NBL LIVE on ESPN 📺 pic.twitter.com/SlsYwkDmam
The official approached the Hawks coach to have a conversation after hearing him make remarks from the sideline.
Tatum’s response was unnecessarily confrontational.
“Do you think I’m saying this to you?,” Tatum fired.
“You think everybody is saying something to you? You think you are that important that I’m talking to you all the time?.”
The referee responded with: “No, I’m just trying to have a simple conversation with you.”
Tatum continued his rant: “I’m telling my team, let’s get it going, nothing to do with you. You’re the least of my worries.”
Tatum was also heard making a subtle dig at the officials after Mason Peatling drained a three and the refs called a foul off the ball that sent Lachie Olbrich to the line for a potential 5-point play.
“I’m proud of you,” he said.
Tatum’s thoughts on inconsistent calls have been justified, but the constant chatter towards the officials during a game isn’t a good look and his energy would be better spent on coaching.
In fairness to Tatum, Perth coach John Rillie was just as vocal via the coach’s mic during Friday’s clash.
Rillie continued his rants at the refs against the Phoenix on Sunday.
The coach microphone picked up him telling the officials to call Nathan Sobey for a pushing foul and that Sobey is a “bad defender”.
REASON TO GET TECHED OFF WITH NBL REFS
There were behaviour warnings dished out left, right and centre during the ugly clash between Tasmania and South East Melbourne.
But the refs cooked the goose when they slapped fiery Phoenix guard Nathan Sobey with a technical foul with 4.11 to go in the third quarter.
With the score at 53-47, Sobey drew a foul on Tasmania’s Reuben Te Rangi and punched the air. The ref took it as an over-the-top reaction and immediately hit the 34-year-old with a tech.
Shocking tech. Ref Had the chance to walk it back, too - this is what does them no favours. https://t.co/8yAEL7nUiG
— Michael Randall (@MickRandallHS) November 2, 2024
“I was celebrating, like you called the foul on him, I said ‘yes’,” a bewildered Sobey remonstrated with the referees.
NBL legend Lanard Copeland tried to give the call context on the NBL broadcast: “I think the referees thought he was complaining about the foul but he was actually celebrating, he was saying ‘finally I got a call’,” Copeland said.
Melbourne United championship guard Pete Hooley said Sobey was “unlucky”.
“It wasn’t frustration, it was happiness, he’s said ‘yes’, so I think he’s unlucky there,” Hooley said.
Referee Damian Lyons had the chance to walk it back once it became abundantly clear Sobey was pumped up at the call in a key moment.
The refs have been under a mountain of pressure over the past month, with players and coaches taking aim, but they don’t help themselves with moments like these.
Fortunately, the call didn’t impact the result, thanks, ironically, to a clutch Sobey, who iced the 79-77 win with a clutch late layup with 21 seconds to go
LIKES
CAMERON A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK
Melbourne United guard Flynn Cameron is one of the NBL’s brightest young talents and it’s no coincidence when you consider his surname.
Cameron is the son of FIBA Hall of Famer Pero Cameron, a legendary player-turned-coach who is considered New Zealand’s greatest ever.
Pero Cameron was known for his toughness and smarts as a big man — traits his son is consistently displaying for United this season.
Flynn Cameron has impressed starting for Melbourne in three of his 10 games.
The rising guard excelled in Ili’s absence (calf injury) in round 6, starring in big wins over Illawarra and Cairns.
Cameron scored 18 points in a career-high 32 minutes in the win over Illawarra, then backed that up with an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double in 26 minutes against Cairns three days later.
According to NBL commentator Derek Rucker, Cameron is playing with the same swagger and confidence as his famous father.
“He’s the son of a legend (Pero Cameron) and obviously some of the mindset and mentality has passed down to Flynn,” Rucker said.
“He’s trying to excel and make a name for himself.”
With Delly and Ili back in the line-up Thursday against Sydney, Cameron remained in the starting line-up, adding eight points in 19 minutes.
United Captain Chris Goulding said the 24-year-old’s emergence amid absences had been one of the stories of United’s season and Cameron’s play had forced coach Dean Vickerman’s hand into giving him more burn.
“He’s been fantastic, the way he’s applied himself to the defensive end of the ball and really focusing on being a strong defender without fouling,” Goulding said.
“(He’s) been one of the stories, for us, so far, and we’re really excited to see that.
“We’ve all known what he can do offensively and we’ve seen glimpses of the defensive end but for him to put that together … that’s great for him so he’ll push for more minutes for sure.”
HENSHALL SHOWCASES POTENTIAL
The glimpses have always been there and NBA scouts have always admired the potential Perth’s smooth operator Ben Henshall, but he hasn’t always been happy buried on the end of the bench in Perth.
Given expanded opportunities in the new season, if the 20-year-old’s name happens to be called in this year’s NBA draft, we might all look back at his explosion against top-of-the-table Illawarra as the moment Willetton product truly arrived.
Sans superstar Bryce Cotton, still out injured with a busted rib, the Wildcats needed someone to stand up and, while just about everyone who stepped on the floor contributed to the 113-105 win over the Hawks, it was Henshall who was the star of the show.
The young gun piloted the offence with a career-high 26 points to go with 6 assists as the Wildcats matched a 40-minute era record with 39 points in the first quarter.
Henshall revealed his hot night, where he made 5-8 from deep, came on the back of some self-doubt after he missed all 10 of his shots against Sydney last round.
“If I’m being honest, I did, which is rare because normally I’m ‘next shot’, like I’m normally good with that stuff,” Henshall said, when asked about his recent yips.
“Throughout the week when I was missing at practice I was like ‘man what am I doing right now?’
“I had a chat to a couple of guys in the team and they’re like it’s basketball it happens you miss shots
“I got my mental together, I did a couple of things off the court before I got in and it showed.
“I didn’t make one last week so it was good to see the ball finally go through the basket.”
SPACE CAM LAUNCHES AFTER TOUGH STRETCH
Sydney split its weekend double against Melbourne United (loss) and Tasmania (win) but the massive positive out of the round was the improved play of under-pressure import Cam Oliver.
In a week where it emerged the star American big man had a little on-court tanty amid frustration with his role, Oliver almost dragged the battling Kings over the line in a tough away game against United ripping down 16 rebounds to go with 18 points, then made it consecutive double-doubles (12 points, 11 boards) in a Sunday evening demolition of Tasmania.
It helped that creator Jaylen Adams was able to take the floor amid ongoing back issues as his playmaking helped get Oliver the ball where he is most dangerous, but the big man deserves credit for his bounce back, which led to a passionate defence from coach Brian Goorjian.
“Let’s be real specific on Cam Oliver, he’s a hell of a kid and … our discussion was (around) hitting the chair (against New Zealand), he was upset that we’re losing games and he thinks we’re a pretty good team and he could do more,” Goorjian said, post-game.
“Now, that falls on a bunch of avenues, am I playing him enough? Am I using him well enough?
“What really unleashed him, I thought, was his energy package, defensive transition, attacking the glass.”
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