From the brink of death to a powerhouse, the NBL has finally arrived on the global scene

When Kestelman took over the NBL in 2015, the competition had one sponsor, no media deal while officials hoped to attract an average audience of just 4,200.

Heading into his 11th season in charge, Australia’s domestic basketball competition is a powerhouse widely regarded as the best pathway to the NBA.

The NBL will be watched by 200-plus countries and territories this season, with the hope of record numbers in Asia after attracting 700,000 viewers per game in China last year.

The competition has become legitimately world-class, as shown via the 2,393 games of NBA experience across the NBL this season.

Three-time champion JaVale McGee and NBA Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell are choosing to play in the NBL.

This big-name presence has helped the league’s broadcast audiences increase by a whopping 106% in three seasons.

Crowds are also booming, with over one million fans through the gates last year, including 55 sell outs.

Code Sports can also reveal the NBL is close to inking deals with the NBA League Pass to further expand the league’s reach into the American market.

On the eve of the NBL26 tip-off, Kestelman is pinching himself at how far the league has come in a short period.

“I feel like we’ve arrived and I almost feel like we’ve completed the journey,” Kestelman said.

“We’ve got the best exposure we could possibly hope for, we’re as global as we could hope.

“In the space of a three-week period we’ve got everything we could have ever dreamt for with European games here, the Hawks playing in the ICC Cup against the world’s best teams and the NBA on our shores for the first time.

“We’ve also got four Aussies being a million dollar plus a season.

“To tick those boxes is pretty incredible.”

The NBL is in a strong position, but Kestelman knows it only takes one wrong step to take the game backwards.

He points to the A-League’s recent battles as the perfect reminder not to take basketball’s success for granted.

“You can get carried away with yourself,” he said.

“I don’t necessarily want to bag them, but if you compare what has happened to the A League.

“They de-merged from a federation just like we did and they’ve gone down a club-owned model and egos are destroying it.

“I’ve got a couple of friends who are in clubs and it is a disaster what is happening there.

“The NBL is privately owned and I have the ultimate say in a league sense and we’re going from strength to strength.”

NBL import clears the air on fiery axing

South East Melbourne Phoenix have made the bombshell decision to cut ties with Belgian import Vrenz Bleijenbergh just four days before their first game of the NBL season.

Bleijenbergh , a 211cm 24-year-old centre, was ejected from the Phoenix preseason game last Friday against Ryukyu Golden Kings after allegedly making comments directed at the referee.

“Make a bloody call, you bitch,” Bleijenbergh is alleged to have told referee Mark Grist in comments caught on the broadcast.

Bleijenbergh denied he said those words to the referee when contacted by Code Sports.

“I’m a professional and I like to keep things clear,” he said.

“First sentence I said was in my own language and second I said ‘that’s a bumass call’.

“Nothing to do with ‘bitch’.

“I’m all good with SEM, they kept it all professional.

“Had a great vibe with my teammates and almost all staff members.

“I loved being here, loved the club and I do like the city a lot.

“Also if I don’t fly out to my next team yet I will be attending the game on Saturday.

“No bad blood at all, just an unfortunate situation.“

It’s understood the Phoenix are going through the process of terminating Bleijenbergh ’s contract and are set to release a statement in the coming days.

Code Sports understands there have been concerns around his on-court demeanour and it was decided to part ways with the big ahead of Saturday’s season opening clash with Cairns Taipans at John Cain Arena.

The silver lining for the Phoenix here is that, while it is a shake-up to the roster, the decision has been made before a ball has been bounced on NBL26, giving them ample time to make adjustments.

It will also allow the club to wait until NBA pre-season ends on October 17 and teams make their cuts ahead of opening rosters being set on October 20.

That can result in desperation times for many fringe NBA players unable to secure contracts in the US who will then be looking overseas for job security.

WHY INTENSE SIXERS HAVE TO BE SAVED FROM THEMSELVES

After the tumult of last year, big-spending Adelaide’s remarkable off-season recruiting spree is paying huge dividends.

A club source told Crosscourt the outside championship expectations were being matched by the professionalism and competitiveness inside the four walls of the club — characteristics recruiters targeted in the off-season.

The source said gone is the “hatred and spite” of last season that often derailed training.

It’s been replaced by a group of professionals who challenge each other, without letting their competitiveness in practice get in the way of team chemistry and relationships.

“Our practices have been so intense, but without the hatred and spite,” the source told Crosscourt.

“They’re professionals, they turn up to work early, they leave late, they challenge each other and there’s arguments, but it doesn’t turn into issues that erupt and ruin training.”

Instead of cancelling practice because emotions spilt over, the coach Mike Wells and the Sixers’ high performance department now must consider player workloads.

“We’re three or four practices in — I’m not sure we had three good practices in a row the whole of last season,” the source said.

“Last year, we had guys literally rocking up four minutes before practice and just walking onto the court.

“Now these guys are going at it an hour before practice is supposed to start.

“We now have to save these guys from themselves.

“Flynn Cameron, Michael Harris, Isaac White, Che Brogan, Matty Kenyon, Zylan Cheatham, they don’t have a dial that allows them to give 70 or 80 per cent. They only know how to train and play one way, so they’ve just got to make sure they don’t overdo it.”

Star import Montrezl Harrell, who only arrive back in Australia last week but he’s been busy, with practices, and a trip to Melbourne for media commitments — where he fired back at former teammate Kendric Davis after the new Sydney King spent the off-season trashing the 36ers.

He’s backed the Sixers’ cultural renewal.

“These guys have been working hard and getting after it in pre-season, man,” Harrell said.

“And, as far as the flow of things, the chemistry we’re building, it’s definitely coming along.

“We’ve changed the character dynamic in the room.

“I think that was the biggest switch. There was a lot of bumping heads and stuff like that going on last year and it didn’t pan out well for us because it cost us a great opportunity to do something special.

“So it’s definitely a complete change of what we had from last year, man, but it’s all in the right and the most positive way to what we’re trying to accomplish now, and that’s actually win the NBL championship.”

BRYCE WHO? HAS THE RED ARMY ALREADY FOUND IT’S NEW HERO?

Wildcats fans who spent the off-sesaon baying for blood after their icon Bryce Cotton split and the club took an eternity to sign his replacement are resting a hell of a lot easier this week.

Former NBA man Mason Jones put pen-to-paper last week and has arrived better than advertised.

The stunned Wildnation watched on Sunday night as the 27-year-old reigning NBA G League MVP plundered visiting Japanese club Ryukyu Golden Kings.

Not the toughest competition but Jones, without a full practice with the Cats and just a couple of days removed from a long haul flight to Perth, drained a ridiculous seven-of-10 from the three-point line on his way to 22 points in 23 minutes, while dealing out 7 assists and grabbing 5 rebounds.

Jones makes the difficult look very, very easy and the Red Army has been crowing ever since they had their first look at 193cm guard in the flesh.

ROUND 1 NBL FIXTURE

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

JackJumpers v United

MyState Bank Arena 7.30pm (AEST), 7.30pm (local)

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

Breakers v Bullets

Spark Arena 5.30pm (AEST), 7.30pm (local)

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

Phoenix v Taipans

John Cain Arena 5.30pm (AEST)

Wildcats v Jackjumpers

RAC Arena 8pm (AEST), 6pm (local)

More Coverage

WATCH: 36ers star Harrell torches ‘childish, bitter ex’ Davis

Michael Randall and Matt Logue

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

United v Breakers

John Cain Arena 2.30pm (AEST)