Nearly a decade ago this very site was born on a rather simple principle. Obsessive basketball fans needed an outlet to display their artistic and fanatical opinions. The birth of RealGM?s Trade Checker, the tremendous activity on our forums and the growth of expert content from a growing number of analysts have helped many channel their basketball creativity.

Now, a recent partnership between RealGM and OwnMyTeam.com will give basketball fans from all over the world the ability to keep their fingers on the pulse of their very own professional basketball franchise.

OwnMyTeam has gotten their hands on a new International Basketball League team thanks to the tremendous support of IBL Commissioner Mikal Duilio.

The team will participate in the upcoming season, making them the first ownership group to both attempt and succeed with such an idea in the United States.

It would be insane to expect something similar to take place in the NBA, but the stability and continuing growth of the IBL is a fanatical hoophead?s best chance to make game-changing decisions relating to a team's day-to-day operations.

OwnMyTeam is following in the successful footsteps of www.myfootballclub.co.uk, which became the first company to ever succeed at such a venture.

What better partnership than one between RealGM and OwnMyTeam?

Millions of people visit RealGM every month to read the latest basketball news, post their opinions on our forums, and run numerous deals through our Trade Checker.

Very soon RealGM will feature an IBL forum, which will allow fans of the up-and-coming league to discuss the developments surrounding it. Mainstream media outlets like Yahoo! (Own Your Own Professional Basketball Team by J.E. Skeets) have embraced the idea, as well, showcasing its staying power.

If you want to take the next step and help the team actually make decisions, just cruise over to OwnMyTeam to register and get in on the ground floor.

Once you become a member, you?ll be able to vote on decisions aplenty. You?ll have a say in what the team?s colors will be, what the jerseys will look like, the hiring of coaches, which players should be signed, strategy, ticket prices, marketing, and much more.

It seems too good to be true for hoop fans, but it is very much a reality. Comparing this opportunity to fantasy sports could almost be considered an insult, considering the seriousness of the decisions the fans/owners will be making.

Think about RealGM?s Trade Checker ? only the deal you create could actually be considered.

Think about how you might look in your own team?s jersey.

Think about agonizing over the same types of decisions that guys like Donnie Walsh, Bryan Colangelo, Danny Ainge, and Mitch Kupchak do on a daily basis.

Stay tuned to RealGM in the coming months as our relationship with OwnMyTeam.com/IBL continues to grow. It?s your best chance to own a piece of a real-life basketball team, without needing a bank account the size of Mark Cuban?s.

In the coming days we?ll even kick off a contest that will allow readers and posters to win a share of the team free of cost!

Andrew Perna is a Senior Writer for RealGM. Stay tuned in the coming weeks and months as he continues to cover the growing relationship between RealGM and OwnMyTeam.com. If you?d like to contact him, please send an e-mail to Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com.