Emerging basketball talents have been coming out of Canberra for almost 40 years.
NBA rookie of the year Ben Simmons spent time at the Australian Institute of Sport, as did Boomers stars Matthew Dellavedova, Patty Mills and Joe Ingles.
The NBA have kept an eye on what was happening at the AIS' centre of excellence and set-up their Global Academy with Basketball Australia in the nation's capital.
It's culminated with the second NBA Academy Games in the ACT this week as teenage prospects test themselves against other young talent from China, India, Mexico and Senegal.
For the first time, there's also American college (NCAA) scouts and representatives from NBA teams watching on.
The program is in its infancy, but there couldn't be a more experienced person in charge to lead it.
Marty Clarke set the standards at the AIS during a 12-year stint from 1998, including seven as head coach.
Dellavedova still credits Clarke for helping him reach the standards he's at today.
The former Boomers assistant has returned to Canberra as director of the academy after a successful stint as associate coach at St Mary's College in California.
"We're trying to replicate what the centre of excellence has done over the last 35 years," Clarke told AAP.
"We're sort of where the COE were in 1981 right and we're just trying to see what's best for the program.
"It's our first group of kids graduate, so we should hopefully build some trust of the federations around the world to send their good players here."
The Canberra academy consists of mostly rising Australian stars, but there's also players from Egypt, India, Argentina and South Korea on the roster.
Clarke believes having his players engage in such a high-quality of competition in Australia will only see basketball in this country continue on an "upward path".
"You've usually got to get on a plane and fly 15 hours to get this level of play, but the gravy on the side is college coaches are here to watch so that will only further the players' career and studies," Clarke said.
"I think the talent level in Australia has always been there, I just think basketball is doing a better job at promoting itself now and getting out there and saying 'we are pretty good and we've got a good product'."
