Australia's NBL pitches for NBA star LeBron James and son Bronny to play together down under

The prospect of NBA starLeBron James and his son Bronny linking with the Australian National Basketball League has taken a step closer to becoming reality.

NBL owner Larry Kestelman has confirmed that the league has held preliminary talks with the James family on the prospect of teenage star Bronny playing in Australia this year.

The NBL has become a breeding ground for NBA talent in recent years through its Next Star program, which allows young players to compete against men and be paid - unlike the US college system.

It is a program that has seen the likes of LaMelo Ball,Josh Giddey,RJ Hampton andOusmane Dieng all go on to be high draft picks and NBA stars.

Kestelman has been the driving force behind the revival of the NBL after it came perilously close to collapse around 15 years ago.

He has engineered the return of the Sydney Kings and Brisbane Bullets along with new franchise Tasmania, with more new teams on the horizon.