What’s going on here? I’ve been back in the country barely two days and the NBL starts to fall apart? I like many others have been desperately waiting for an announcement from the league regarding the Expression of Interest process for next season, and all of a sudden we have the South Dragons pulling out of the league, and just a few hours ago I heard the Melbourne Tigers followed suit (here’s another article from Fox on this breaking news). The Melbourne Tigers!! How can we possibly have a National Basketball League without the Melbourne Tigers?! Needless to say, the NBL head office was very disappointed with the decision of these two teams, but still maintain that this does “not change our position in terms of the immediate steps we need to take”. Yeah right. The two most popular and successful teams just pulled out of the competition for 2009/2010. I’d say this changes everything. Thankfully the Perth Wildcats have signaled their intention to playing next season, along with the Gold Coast Blaze. We are still waiting word on a few other teams.
The league’s announcement is expected soon, and I’ll add my thoughts when that time comes. But for now, this seems like really devastating news for Australian Basketball. Watch this space.
UPDATE: Head over to JR On Fire who have you covered on all the NBL happenings over the last couple of days.
UPDATE 12/5: Basketball Australia receved seven submissions for the new league.
Tags: Australian basketball, National Basketball League, NBL
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7 Comments until now.
NBL, I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so – http://250aspirin.blogspot.com/2008/03/nbl-rip.html
That was a good read Leon. and you were spot on.
Part of the reason it’s so frustrating being an Australian basketball fan now is seeing the league in its debilitated state, but knowing how much it rocked ten years ago. the 90’s was proof the NBL can be a hugely successful money-making machine.
surely the league will fold now? if only for a year? trying to forge ahead without teams in Melbourne and Sydney would be foolish.
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one of the dragons owners has floated the idea of starting a ’super league’ which is fancy talk for an independent league. either way they are all in the shit.
they need overly rich people to run the clubs who don’t care when the team makes a loss (like half the NBA teams). plus they need a marquee player system like the a-league. basketballers respond quite well to money and lets face it, our african cousins are a double drawcard over the best white bloke we could muster.
North Queensland is rocking
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