Melbourne United have landed in the US and the team's star import Casper Ware can't wait to take on Ben Simmons' Philadelphia 76ers.
Ware is no stranger to the 76ers.
The 28-year-old Los Angeles-born guard was a member of the 76ers during the NBA team's horror 2013-14 season when Brett Brown's squad won just 19 games, lost 63 and included a 26-game losing streak.
Despite the dark days Ware experienced in Philadelphia he is keen for another shot at the NBA and knows a strong performance on Friday (Saturday 9am AEST) for Melbourne against the 76ers at Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Centre might generate a contract offer.
"That's always the goal," Ware told NBC after United attempted to shake off the jet-lag on Wednesday with a training session at Temple University.
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"I'm a guy that says I'll never give up.
"My goal is to make it to the NBA and play at the top level.
"I'm at Melbourne, but I'm still looking forward to trying to get back to the NBA."
It was Ware and United who proved NBL teams could compete with billion- dollar NBA franchises, with Ware going head-to-head in a point guard battle last year with NBA All-Star Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook's Oklahoma City Thunder just held on for a nail-biting 86-85 win.
The Melbourne-Philadelphia clash is the first game of the NBA pre-season and kicks off a busy schedule for the NBL and NBA teams.
The other NBL/NBA clashes are: the Perth Wildcats face the Joel Ingles-Dante Exum's Utah Jazz; Andrew Bogut returns to the NBA with his Sydney Kings playing the Los Angeles Clippers in Hawaii; the Phoenix Suns host the New Zealand Breakers; Melbourne moves north to play the Toronto Raptors; the Perth take on the Denver Nuggets; and the Adelaide 36ers face the Jazz.
