Agree 100%. In the outpouring of moral indignation, this has been completely overlooked.

Top 4 in the world means $$$ for athletes.

The Football Federation Australia are also able to generate revenue by having strong commercial partnerships with big companies like Nike and Qantas.

Basketball Australia don't have those commercial opportunities. They've started to, but it's not at the level of the Socceroos or the Wallabies or the Australian Cricket team.

most major media corporations in Aus like soccer.

It was decided in the late 90s after a school survey the found that Jordan was the most popular sports star in Aus that Bball would be ignored almost completely and AFL, tennis, Cricket, Rugby and Cricket would be forced down kids throats.

Government funding is jus a reflection of this decision, Aus government is controlled by a combination of media and mineral resource corporations.

As for the tankin, its up to FIBA to set a tournament that doesn't encourage it. Happens everytime, jus we are on the other side of it this time.

Here's an idea.... how about you finish first in the group so you don't have to worry about losing to avoid second place.

The funding KPI's were adjusted to top 8 after the withdrawal of Bogut and Mills. If we lose to Turkey, then Lemanis should be in trouble. I may be wrong but it looks like if we had won against Angola, we would have played NZ which would have all but guaranteed top 8 and our funding.

We would have finished 2nd meaning Dominican Republic then USA

I would prefer to face the Dominican Republic with millions on the line. We would then lose to the US and that is not ideal, but at least we would have the funding and resources to qualify for the Olympics.

It's a lame excuse for a basketball program if they have to use these kinds of tactics. The reliance of government handouts doesn't bode well for any industry to begin with. An industry that can't support itself will eventually die, it's been the formula for business forever.

Ultimately it's the fans and supporters that dictate market share, the governing bodies have never been able to capitalize on the strong underlying grassroots of basketball and turn the local game into a viable commercial entity.

The Australian automotive industry is a classic example of govt propped up industry that was always doomed unless it could compete globally.

Basketball needs to become cool again here before it will ever stand alone.

Afl , nrl and a league are all quasi dependent on government hand outs. Collingwood alone got 10 million from government last year

Sport in this country needs government funding at all levels

The AFL can survive without funding. There are obvious government agendas to promote the game over others, is it really up to the government to decide this?
Basketball fans are tax payers too!

If it was equally shared I would have no problem. but it isn't.

I know this has all been raked over and everyone has more or less moved on ... but I think it's important to distinguish between resting key players and deliberately throwing the game. I don't think it's clear that the players who were playing were tanking per the Coach's instructions. Did they treat the Angola game as a win-at-all-costs game? Of course not. That was clear, (and completely justifiable), when Lemanis decided to bench Ingles, Dellavedova, Baynes and Andersen.

But did the players who did play simply follow through on instructions to lose? I'm not so sure. People are pointing to defensive lapses in the second half. I'd look at some of the players involved:

Jawai, I think it's fair to say, isn't in peak physical condition and on top of that he was playing big minutes for the first time in a long time.

Exum, too, has shown that he doesn't yet have the conditioning and stamina to defend at a high intensity when playing extended minutes.

And Goulding has never been a great defender and is prone to lapses.

Some have also pointed to some of the unstructured offence as proof of tanking, such as the quick pull-ups by guys like Motum and Goulding. Well obviously Goulding doesn't need to be asked twice to put up a shot, and Motum, while capable of being a crafty-efficient player, has been known to have a quick-trigger sometimes.

The whole notion of engineering a loss is also fairly dismissive of Angola as a basketball nation, which remember came close to beating Slovenia the game before.

While this was clearly not the Boomers' finest hour, the allegation that they were playing to lose is a significant one, even if it was justified through the foresight of avoiding the USA in the Q/F.