THEY say only those who have experienced drought understand the value of water.

The same could be said for Australian NBA fans and their thirst for live NBA matches due to the sad lack of NBA games on national television, both free-to-air and pay, as the league has grown its worldwide presence in the past 20 years.

Reigning MVP in the NBA, LeBron James of the Miami Heat. More and more Australians are accessing live NBA games via the organisation's official website. Credit:Reuters

So with that in mind, it's easy to see why Australia has the highest amount of subscribers in the world to the NBA's International League Pass online television service.

International League Pass streams every NBA game, including all playoff matches, live over the internet and provides both a single team and a league-wide versions.