Well these are both names well known in Basketball circles both in Australia and abroad. They have both represented our country with pride and provided us with some great memories in the NBL. Australian basketball in general will surely miss the contribution of both Chris Anstey and Sam Mackinnon. Something tells me we will see them again soon in some capacity.

Some other reflections on their careers some other bloggers and newswires:

http://jronfire.blogspot.com/2010/02/anstey-mackinnon-to-retire.html

http://www.asternwarning.com/20100207536/articles/nbl/chris-anstey-calls-it-a-career.html

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,26690450-23769,00.html

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/08/2813420.htm

Discuss at : NBL Forum

Ok maybe that is a big call, after all the Wollongong Hawks and NZ Breakers may be equal on wins for the final playoff spot in the NBL this season, but the Hawks to have a game in hand over the Breakers. But the Hawks were well beaten (trashed) by the NZ Breakers tonight (yesterday by the time this news gets out) 88-60.

The Hawks now have 3 games remaining against the Gold Coast Blaze, Melbourne and Adelaide (you figure they will win 2 out of the 3). While the NZ Breakers have 2 games remaining against the Gold Coast Blaze (in NZ) and Cairns (you figure they will win both those games).

So if all goes to plan (well the plan I just made up) the Hawks and NZ Beakers will finished the season on equal wins and loses, so who gets the 4th and final playoff spot?

Wollongong Hawks (as they have won the season over the NZ Breakers)

That cash bonus could still be coming their way after all!!!

Discuss at : NBL Forum

Point guards Deron Williams of Utah, Chicago's Derrick Rose and Boston's Rajon Rondo will make their All-Star Game debuts next month in Dallas, sources said Thursday. The East roster will also include Boston's Paul Pierce, Toronto's Chris Bosh, Charlotte's Gerald Wallace and Atlanta's Joe Johnson and Al Horford.

The West reserves will be Chris Paul, the Lakers' Pau Gasol, Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, Memphis' Zach Randolph and Portland's Brandon Roy.

The full rosters for the 2010 All-star game including starters and reserves can be found here…

Well this season just gets more confusing day by day. At least we can now say that the Adelaide and Cairns are out of the race for the top four and Perth and the Gold Coast are safe with a little over 2 weeks remaining in the regular season. Thats leaves us with a 4 horse race for the final two spots, the NZ Breakers (won 3 in a row) and Melbourne (won 4of the last 5) are surging at the right time of the season while the Wollongong Hawks and Townsville Crocs are headed in the other direction and need to keep winning to cement their spots.

Here is the ladder and remaining games are below, you try and work it out! As always discuss at : NBL Forum

The Portland Trail Blazers recalled rookie guard Patty Mills on Saturday from the team's NBA Development League team the Idaho Stampede (Mills averaged 26 points, 5 assists in five games in the NBADL)

Mills will join the Blazers for tonight's road game against Detroit to help fill in for Brandon Roy (strained hamstring) and Jerryd Bayless (sprained ankle).

Hopefully Patty get some minutes to show what he has got, and luck goes his way for once.

Discuss at: Australian Players Overseas Forum

At the beginning of the year the Melbourne Tigers were the hot favourites to end the regular season at the top of the ladder, but by the halfway point of the season everyone thought they were getting set for another off-season with mismatch of player injuries, no imports and just plain bad basketball. But the last few weeks have seen a complete turnaround for the Tigers.

The inclusion of Julius Hodge, the successful comebacks from injury by Anstey and Mackinnon and the always solid play of Mark Worthington has now culminated in 5 straight wins for the Tigers and if they can continue their form for the remainder of the season the finals are well with reach (if the Wollongong Hawks lose a couple of games, which they probably will).

The Tigers face their biggest test this Saturday night against the league leading Perth Wildcats in Perth

Discuss at : NBL Forum

Is the Melbourne Tigers Season over?

Well these were not the words from Andrew Bogut (we are sure he has more class than that). But the latest list of Australia's richest sporting stars has just come out and Bogut now ranks as Australia #2 at a cool $14 million a year.

Now to all those young Aussie's that are giving up basketball and heading the AFL, maybe you should think again! Bogut earns $14 Million, that is a cool $6 million more than the entire roster at the Collingwood football club in the AFL which is set at just under $8 million.

Full details of the story can be found here

Discuss at : Off-Topic

Top-placed Perth snuffed out Cairns' finals hopes while there were also victories for Wollongong and Melbourne in NBL action on Saturday evening.

The Wildcats were far too strong for the Taipans at Challenge Stadium, swamping them 86-61 despite Luke Schenscher being their top-scorer with just 14 points.

In Wollongong, the fourth-placed Hawks edged nearer the third-placed Blaze on the standings with an easy 96-75 triumph.

At the State Netball and Hockey Centre, Mark Worthington shone with 24 points as the Tigers edged out the 36ers 89-87.

Read more…

Dicuss at : NBL Forum

Now lets have a look at the box score of the Bucks current west coast road trips (Lakers, Suns and Blazers), Jennings has not scored over 14 points is shooting a horrible less than 30% from the field. Bogut has not scored over 13 points in a game and has only made 9 shots in 3 games. As you can guess the Bucks have also been well beaten in all of these games Lakers 77-95, Suns 101-105  and Blazers 108-120, the Bucks are now also without Michael Redd who is now out for the season with another ACL.

But the show must continue and the Bucks play the Golden State Warriors today (Aussie time). Now lets trace back to November 14 2009, the first round selection for the Bucks Brandon Jennings dropped an amazing 55 points on the Warriors. Add to that the fact that before this west coast road trip, Bogut had been averaging 20+ points and 10+ rebounds in his previous 3 games. Can we expect big thing from the Buck to prime time players against a Warriors team that has not played defense since the 2008 playoff win over the Mavs?
I like to think this could get the Bucks road trip back on track

Yes the headline is correct! It is perhaps the biggest and most important basketball story of 2010, NBA Jam is on the comeback trail.  The game will be produced by EA and will at this stage only be available on the WII. Yes there is no need to waste 100's of dollars being beaten up by some 6 year old that never played the orginal. You will be able to sit in the comfort of you own home and act like a little school boy in privacy.

P.S. I'm hoping that they might just be able to replicate the old teams? My team back in the day was Phoenix Suns with Charles Barkley and Dan Majerle. The old listings for each team can be found here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_Jam