Australian NBA players have been known for their toughness battling it out in the world's best league.
Matthew Dellavedova has developed a reputation as someone teammates love, but can get the opposition riled up at the same time.
Washington Wizards star John Wall went as far as to call the Boomers guard a "dirty player" after a brief scuffle during a game in January.
But NBA head honchos have been loving the way Australians go about their basketball, looking to the way homegrown players are developed.
The NBA has started rolling out bases for young talent around the world, with their Global Academy run out of the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.
Representatives from NBA teams and NCAA schools are in the nation's capital this week for the NBA Academy Games as teenage prospects test themselves against other young talent from China, India, Mexico and Senegal.
"Australian basketball has obviously done an amazing job developing players, punching well above its weight in producing NBA players," NBA Elite Basketball Operations lead Chris Ebersole told AAP.
"I think there's something about Australian players that NBA coaches know they're going to get.
"Tough players, and something that kind of ties them altogether is the toughness on the court.
"That's been something that we've tried to take from the BA (Basketball Australia) model is how we can instil some of that toughness in the players from these other markets, where basketball infrastructure isn't as developed."
While the academies are still in their infancy, with director Marty Clarke only taking up his position at the AIS this year, Ebersole says the NBA is delighted with the development.
The Academy Games were held for the first time in Canberra last year, but the NBA has grand visions of what could be possible in the future.
"A year ago, we had a really successful event, but this year the talent level has risen and and we've brought in the BA prospects camp as well," Ebersole said.
"Making it a NCAA sanctioned event have enhanced it and taken it to another level.
"We're hoping it becomes a must-see and must attend event for college coaches and NBA team personnel going forward."
