The Adelaide 36ers have fired a warning shot to the rest of the Australian National Basketball League [NBL] by becoming the first Aussie team to beat an NBA side in history on Monday.
Playing in the annual NBLxNBA pre-season tournament in the United States, few gave the 36ers any hope of competing against the Phoenix Suns.
However the Adelaide squad, featuring three imports and a host of domestic talent, pulled off the David v Goliath feat to down the Suns 134-124 in a three-point scoring blitz.
Cameron Thew, Kyrin Galloway, Kai Sotto and Hyrum Harris of the Adelaide 36ers react
Craig Randall II celebrates back to back triples and Mitch McCarron defends Torrey Craig
The combined salary of the entire Adelaide 36ers squad is just $A1.7million compared to the $A270million roster the Suns had at their disposal – including Australian Boomer Jock Landale.
The 36ers are a product of a rebuilt NBL that came perilously close to folding a decade ago.
Powerhouse sides Sydney Kings, Melbourne Tigers, South Dragons and Brisbane Bullets had all folded leaving a mostly regional competition, flagging audiences and a threadbare television deal.
They shot the slop out of it – Australian basketball legend Andrew GazeÂ
Today, under the ownership of Melbourne entrepreneur Larry Kestelman, the league has seen the Bullets and Kings return along with new franchises Melbourne United, South-East Melbourne Phoenix and Tasmania JackJumpers.
Now the league is regarded as one of the top 10 talent-wise in the world and the 36ers victory over the Suns has shown how far the NBL has come.
 Former NBA, Australian Boomer and Melbourne Tigers player Andrew Gaze – widely regarded as the GOAT of Australian basketball – was at the game and said the US supporters were stunned by the quality of play from the 36ers.
Robert Franks of the Adelaide 36ers drives to the basket and Mitch McCarron dribbles the ball
‘They shot the slop out of it. The way they shot the ball was just extraordinary. To see the stunned Phoenix fans,’ he said.
‘I was in the crowd and just the reaction and respect [towards] this team that I was able to gauge – fans were asking questions ‘why aren’t these guys on our team?’. Amazing.’
Adelaide coach CJ Bruton said the result was just the beginning for Australian basketball and pointed to the record number of Aussie players in the NBA as proof of the quality of talent in our country.Â
‘When you have opportunities, you need to grasp it. This is not about us being the first; it is about us setting a standard for our competition and for our league,’ he said.
‘Right now, in our league we have the ‘Next Stars Program’, this program has been amazing for our league and generated players like Torrey Craig, Jock [Landale] and even Jack White. The guys like that get an opportunity to play at this level as well.
‘I think there are a lot more players in Australia that you need to continue to look at in depth. I know we only play six months and it is not 82 games but that consistency and toughness is good.’
Adelaide 36ers head coach CJ Bruton shouts a play to his team against the Phoenix Suns
Chris ‘CP3’Â Paul can’t believe what he is seeing in his side’s loss to the Adelaide 36ers
Suns star Devin Booker tried to compare the loss to the infamous Miami Heat capitulation in the NBA finals in 2011 with a Twitter post.
At the time Heat star LeBron James said:Â ‘At the end of the day, all the people that’s rooting for me to fail, they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today.’Â
Booker was widely mocked for trying to compare a pre-season loss to an Australian side to an NBA Finals exit.Â
Booker has since deactivated his Twitter account.Â
Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker during the NBA preseason game against the Adelaide 36ers
Suns coach Monty Williams tried to play down the loss.Â
‘[We] just didn’t give them the respect they deserved as a pro team,’ he said.
 But NBA superstar Chris Paul countered his coach’s stance and admitted they had simply been beaten fair and square on the day.
‘I know I definitely respected them, and I think the guys did,’ he said.
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‘They played a heck of a game. It’s a preseason game. Our first time playing together, not all of us, but some of us. We lost. Got to get ready for the next one.’
Chris Ball escapes the attention of Adelaide defender Mitch McCarron on MondayÂ
 Suns centre Deandre Ayton added that there were lessons to be learned ahead of their NBA campaign.
‘Just to see how those dudes did not take this opportunity for granted,’ he said.
‘Those boys came out to play and they listened to their coach. They had their head on their shoulders and that’s what’s you expect out of a team coming to play an NBA team.’
Adelaide product Josh Giddey is another graduate of the Next Stars program and currently plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
 Giddey will get to line up against his old NBL side when the two teams meet in the next NBLxNBA clash on Friday.
