Were the Boomers/Team USA Games in Melbourne Worth the Money?

History was made. Wallets were hurt.

Russell Crowe didn’t auction off all his worldly possessions just to pay for bad seats at the basketball.

On Thursday, from his "$1,500" plastic chair, Rusty decided to Tweet his courtside view of the Australian Boomers’ friendly against Team USA at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium, a football arena that had been transformed to accommodate 50,000 basketball fans.

He was not entertained.

$1500 a ticket for this view. AUS v USA .
Jokes on me.
If you weren’t among 50,000 there and you chose to watch it on tv at home, good decision . pic.twitter.com/VlNuXWp6iI

— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) August 22, 2019

Anyone who had been to a live basketball game before—at a recommended-15k-capacity venue—could predict there would be some disappointed and strained eyes up in the "cheap" seats (which started at $69 for kids and $89 for adults).

But who’da thunk that the most bummed out people in Marvel Stadium would be those in spitting distance of the players (a Gladiator among them)?

The only thing achieved tonight by @BasketballAus was enjoining with the promoters in ripping off well meaning lovers of the sport. It was a farce. https://t.co/M04iiL26Xm

— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) August 22, 2019

The production team that transformed Marvel Stadium into a basketball court decided to elevate the playing surface for the two exhibition matches, ensuring the view wasn’t obscured for the majority, and giving those in closest proximity (who’d paid the highest price) a neck ache.

A flurry of complaints followed, seeing the event branded by the media as everything from a "Frankenstein-esque experiment" to "Australia’s basketball Fyre Festival".

In the lead-up to the two games on Thursday 22 August and Saturday 24 August, there had been demands of refunds for those punters fooled by the promotional posters featuring NBA stars who had long since decided against flying to Australia for the friendlies (and subsequently representing Team USA at the FIBA World Cup in China).

Promoter TEG Live finally relented, though they insisted only "two refunds were requested" after Game 1.

I only have sympathy for those who rocked up to Marvel Stadium and found themselves either too far—or to close!—to enjoy the games, and especially for the families who shelled out for their NBA-mad kids to catch their heroes in the flesh, only to be faced with (*checks notes*) Mason Plumlee.

I even have sympathy for Russell Crowe (and not just because the Dark Universe was canned before we got to see his standalone Jekyll & Hyde film).

The tickets were too expensive; expectations for the calibre of visiting stars were raised too high and too early; the seating controversy should have been seen coming a mile away, and solved; and the half-time entertainment, delivered almost exclusively by "international DJ" Yo Mafia and some freebie-slinging hype-people, was, um, fine. (Send a prayer to the positive thinkers in the nosebleed section who stood up and called for the T-shirt cannons to fire their way, despite the shirts never getting past anyone seated on the stadium floor.)

But as someone who indeed paid for overpriced tickets a year in advance, and got to witness Game 1 from the Level 3 cheap seats, and the history-making Game 2 from the Level 1 boundary line, I gotta say: it was a sight to see.

Pictured: The view from the "cheap" seats. (Simon Miraudo)

It’s true that basketball shouldn’t be played in stadiums of this size. That also meant this was one of the only opportunities to watch a basketball game with this many people at once. The volume of attendees was the reason to attend. In close second position: to support the finest ever team of Boomers (even without Ben Simmons) as they did battle with an extremely competitive Team USA. When Patty Mills finally flipped the switch in the second half of Game 2, the stadium shook with stomping feet and giddy cheers. You truly felt it.

Patty Mills is FIRED UP! 💪🇦🇺

📺: NBA TV | @FIBAWC pic.twitter.com/qq4UhxYoDw

— NBA TV (@NBATV) August 24, 2019

And when the Boomers ended USA’s 13-year winning streak, finally triumphing over a team that had bested them in every prior match-up, well, everyone seemed pretty happy with their decision to not go for the refund too.

Pictured: The view from the boundary line. (Simon Miraudo)

Sadly, no photos taken from any seat could convince those at home that you had a decent view, or that, no, seriously, you could make out the players’ faces from where you were, and it’s unlikely Marvel Stadium will ever be transformed to accommodate anything other than AFL football, rugby, MMA or boxing after this controversy.

Still, 100,000 Aussies (perhaps not counting those up-front awkwardly craning to get a glimpse) got to share in a truly special occasion.

They got to cheer 'Kuuuuz' half-jokingly every time Kyle Kuzma neared the ball, especially after he displayed his effortless touch by accidentally scoring for Australia.

They couldn't keep from cheering Jayson Tatum whenever he took flight.

✈️ JAYSON TATUM ✈️

📺: NBA TV | @FIBAWC pic.twitter.com/0zrqaZQWFJ

— NBA TV (@NBATV) August 24, 2019

And they got to see Mills sprinting around the court and causing a visible stress headache for his San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

🇺🇸 vs 🇦🇺 :
Gregg Popovich 🚫 🤝 🚫 Patty Mills #FIBAWC#MondialiTipo pic.twitter.com/yCkjdu9KM5

— Marco A. Munno (@MarcoAMunno) August 23, 2019

Even if he got rid of his Game 2 tickets, Russell Crowe had to admit that it was an incredible weekend for basketball in Australia. Those who went seeking some world class hooping can firmly say they got it.

Australia beats the USA in basketball.
Fantastic result.

— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) August 24, 2019

When the loudest voice speaks, you gotta listen.

Header Image: Simon Miraudo