a ▁regular ▁season ▁match ▁where ▁the ▁Wild c ats ▁played ▁host ▁to ▁another ▁N BL ▁team ▁in ▁Singapore ). ▁The ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁spect ac ular ▁actually ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁Singapore ▁S ling ers ▁( former ly ▁the ▁Can ber ra ▁C ann ons ▁( 1 9 7 9 - 2 0 0 2 ) ▁and ▁Hunter ▁Pir ates ▁( 2 0 0 3 – 2 0 0 6 )) ▁joining ▁the ▁N BL ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁Although ▁the ▁S ling ers ▁only ▁last ed ▁in ▁the ▁league ▁until ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁they ▁remain ▁the ▁only ▁Asian ▁based ▁team ▁in ▁N BL ▁history . ▁ ▁V lah ov ▁now ▁leads ▁R V ▁Sport , ▁a ▁prem ium ▁sports ▁and ▁event ▁market ing ▁company . ▁V lah ov ▁appeared ▁in ▁a ▁television ▁commercial ▁for ▁" K ing ▁Size ▁Big ▁and ▁T all ", ▁an ▁Australian ▁cl othing ▁company ▁that ▁special ises ▁in ▁cl othing ▁for ▁big ▁men . ▁ ▁On ▁ 4 ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁V lah ov ▁was ▁named ▁in ▁the ▁Per th ▁Wild c ats ▁ 3 0 th ▁An ni versary ▁All - Star ▁team . ▁ ▁On ▁Australia ▁Day ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁V lah ov ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Medal ▁of ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁Australia ▁( O AM ) ▁for ▁service ▁to ▁basketball ▁as ▁an ▁ath lete ▁and ▁administrator . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : 1 9 6 9 ▁birth s ▁Category : L iving ▁people ▁Category