Joe Ingles today launched an exclusive insight into the life of a professional basketball star with his weekly on-line feature, The Inside Word.

In the first entry in his tell-all diary, Ingles details how injury almost ruined his shot at NBL fame, how the South Dragons almost missed the boat signing him to the club and how he overcame controversy to take the league by storm.

Ingles’ career has come a long way since his arrival at the Australian Institute of Sport in 2004, where he spent the "best two years of (his) life" plying his trade.

“At the end of 2005 my scholarship was quickly coming to an end and I had to decide if I’d follow the US college or NBL route,” Ingles writes.

“I chose the NBL, so towards the end of 2005 and at the start of 2006 I began the journey to find a team.

“The Dragons were actually the last team to contact me and I put the other clubs on hold to fly down and see what it was like - one thing led to another and here I am. I couldn’t be happier with my decision!”

It’s been a stellar rise for the 19-year-old Dragon, who arrived at the club a prospect and ended the season a star.

“My first year in the league was something I’ll never forget,” Ingles writes.

“It all hit me how serious the national league is with the controversy at the start of the season, but Shane (Heal) took over and gave me a lot of freedom to play my game and I think that’s why I had a good, consistent year.”

Ingles’ consistency earned him a start in the NBL All-Star showdown, an experience he considers a highlight of his debut season.

“The All-Star game in November was definitely one for the memory bank,” he writes.

“I was sitting on the bus on the way to the game with all these great players and I kept looking around - to be honest, I was quite nervous. The atmosphere at the game was amazing.”

And for Ingles, it’s just the beginning.

Read Ingles’ full diary entry HERE