Only a week before I shot what was the greatest game of basketball I have ever seen. Kings v Melbourne Semi, with the Kings down by 18 points with 5 minutes to play. They came back and won in the dying seconds and it was just a privilege to be there. https://chasinglight.photo.blog/2020/03/07/sydney-kings-v-melbourne-united-semi-final-game-3/
Fast forward a week or so later and with the Corona Virus in it’s early days, the NBL decided to play both game 2 and 3 without fans. So Sydney host game 3, it’s 1-1 and still a best of 5 series at this point.
No fans, just a small handful of workers and family are in the building. The great Rodney O, the in game announcer did a awesome job as always of hyping up the crowd. This game tho just had no crowd to hype up.
It felt more like a pre season game, a trial match then a series on the line game 3 Grand Final. It was a grand Final yes, but without a crowd and so much uncertainty about whether the game or series will be played out it just felt odd.
For myself and many of the players and coaches who dreamed to be apart of a NBL Grand Final series one day, although it was still cool to be apart of and no doubt will go down in history. It was a hollow feeling all round.
The NBL eventually cancelled games 4 and 5 after Perth won this one making it 2-1 Perth. So seeing Perth were up they were awarded the Grand Final winners. It must have felt odd to hear you are the winner or loser of a Grand Final series via a team meeting, 3 days after you played game 3 and 2 days before the scheduled game 4.
None of us knew it at the time, but this game ended up a series decider. It certainly didn’t feel like it sitting on the cold timber floor and I’m sure the players didn’t think it was as they played their collective hearts out.
I feel for everyone involved, but it’s great to see basketball back to where it should be in Australia, and the League with all the players, coaches and the greater staff involved in the game should all be proud of their achievements. Although it was a shame for the season to end like this, the best is yet to come in Australian Basketball.
Onwards and upwards from here anyway. The right calls were made by many during this crazy time, and I’ll be the first one there when the new season rolls around anyway!
Til next time!
Chris
Chasing Light by Chris Lane 