Not many people can say they were involved in both of Tasmania's NBL championship wins but Dean Draper can.
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On Sunday, the JackJumpers became the second Tasmanian team to win the NBL, following in the footsteps of Launceston Casino City Tigers in 1981.
Draper was a squad member for the Tigers in their second season and in the heavily-United crowd for the JackJumpers' decider.
"They were just as passionate then, the 4-500 compared to the thousands now, but that's the different scale of how the game has evolved really," he said.
"To see the Tasmanian people unite and make as much noise as 8000 Melburnians, that makes you really proud to be a Tasmanian.
"That's the magnificent thing of what the JackJumpers have done, not just winning the championship but what Scott Roth has done in uniting the state.
"If you had told me that three years ago, I would've said not a hope in hell."
Having been involved in basketball throughout his life, the 63-year-old admitted he's more analytical than a fan when at the games.
Attending games three and five in Melbourne and two and four in Hobart, he leaves the cheering to his wife, Karen.
"You feel the crowd up and down, 'are we right, are we not?' and for it to be finally over, for me it's relief - thinking 'we really won that'," he said.
"For true fans, who are just passionate about it, I just love sitting there watching it.
"I love the basketball but I'd rather see everyone else excited than be excited myself."
Like many, Draper began playing basketball through a school tournament and eventually progressed to junior Tasmanian teams - captaining the under-20s in 1979.
A year later, Casino City took to the court and the following season, Draper was part of their squad.
Filled with modesty, he said he was just lucky enough to be there - "if I lived somewhere else, it wouldn't have happened".
"We don't kid ourselves, the blokes who were around, we weren't that great comparatively to today," he said.
"We were alright then but I couldn't walk out on the court with these blokes, it would be embarrassing.
"They're athletes and we didn't know much about basketball, if we dribbled it between our legs people thought we were showing off."
However, Casino City had some stars in all-NBL first team member Ian Davies and US imports Richard Smith, Jim Ericksen and Cliff Martin.
"Unfortunately it didn't last long but they brought in some great Americans, we were lucky enough to have Ian Davies, he was a Tasmanian who someone contacted and he came back [from America].
"He's one of the few players from that era that would've fitted in today because he shot three-pointers before the three-point line became a thing - he was a freak."
Draper is one of 19 members of the Tasmania Bloodlines group put together by the JackJumpers.
When contacted by Roth, his initial reaction was 'what are you calling me for?' but the JackJumpers' leader asked what was needed to get Tasmania behind the team.
"It's about the history of Tasmanian basketball, these people that they've brought in have been mixed up in a lot of things - refereeing, coaching, administration, the whole deal," Draper explained.
"There's been no real history of basketball in Tasmania until this, so that's the JackJumpers' way of trying to make sure everyone knows where we've come from and where we're heading.
"That's a great thing because even in Launceston, the Tornadoes have won championships, Launceston Casino City have won a championship, we've had men's SEABL teams that have played and disappeared but unless you're my age - you don't know about it because we haven't got a home.
"We're talking about building more courts and that but basketball really needs a home where we can have all of these things."