NBA legend Carmelo Anthony has labelled the NBL as arguably the second best league in the world, saying Australian basketball is making waves in the United States.

Anthony has arrived in Australia as part of the NBL’s inaugural HoopsFest, a four-day festival that will see NBL, WNBL and youth teams play in Perth.

The 10-time NBA All Star is a global ambassador for the NBL’s Next Stars program and has been pencilled in to be part of an ownership group for a future NBL expansion team.

Anthony, one of the NBA’s greatest ever scorers, has noticed the rise in reputation of the NBL on the world stage, especially in the US.

Melo 🤝 Kenny @WestAustralia ☀️ pic.twitter.com/mOgEK57qhd

— NBL (@NBL) September 19, 2024

“It’s definitely respected,” the 40-year-old told reporters in Perth on Thursday.

“The conversations are happening more and more, the topic of NBL is happening more and more (in the US).

“When you start getting that fraternity, everybody talking and directing into one lane and one conversation, that’s when you know you have something.

“Because we as a fraternity just don’t agree and don’t knight a situation right off the bat. We have to believe in it, we have to understand what’s happening.

“A couple of people have shown me videos of what’s happening over here, the excitement in the crowd and the fans.

“I really got a deeper understanding of why this environment and why this league is arguably the second best league in the world.”