Hoops

An NBA game for Australia?

Great Idea, yeah I would travel to Melb or Syd to see them for sure, I think another idea would be to have an NBL all stars team play both of the visiting NBA teams ( the best of the NBL players - local and imports ) could compete as one team ( for NBL promotion purposes as well ) , a great cross promotion opportunity.

Well Etihad Stadium had a WWE pay-per-view event in 2002. It drew a crowd of nearly 57 thousand. The wrestling ring is about 6 metres by 6 metres. So I'm guessing they should be able to do the same for Basketball.

Primarily as promotion - I'd speak to Etihad Airlines and Stadium.

Anon - I don't think anyone should be resting on their laurels for drawing an average NBL croud of about 5,000. That is not exactly impressive when you have a capacity of 8,000 and a city with over a million residents (less than half a pecent attendance rates).

Basketball doesn't draw the crowds it should in this country, and I am not sure that an NBA game would be any different. Sure, I expect you could sell 15,000 seats or whatever to the Sydney Olympic Park basketball stadium, but I have real reservations as to whether you would get anything near 55,000 at Docklands. I guess it would help if the NBA sank several million into advertising it with a long lead time.

I'm with you Curious - that's the game I would love to see and I would pay for tickets. Hold it at Etihad Stadium (Docklands) and the game would sell out. Would get a few interstaters and possibly some from NZ to fly over for the game - would do wonders for tourism in Melbourne as well.

The Age provides more info...

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/basketball/australia-shoots-high-to-bring-an-nba-game-down-under-20110215-1av4f.html

From the article:

"...the main obstacle was the cost of hosting a visit which he expected to be more than $10 million."

"You want to play him on the biggest stadiums so you can get the biggest crowds."

Sengstock could not say when he expected to host the NBA.

Sengstock added the NBA could play a vital role in the battle to keep emerging players from moving to other sports, especially AFL.

'I think we need to promote the NBA more especially while we have players in it,' he said.

'We can say to kids that you can come through our programs and make it all there just like these guys did.'

I would definately travel to melb or syd for this. Would pay top dollar for seats as well. I love the idea of Ethihad Stadium as well. If they could bring to reasonable teams I think enough people would travel from interstate to fill the stadium even if the locals couldn't fill it.

Wow - I never knew that and stand corrected. Thanks for the advice and link.

NBA courts are no larger than a FIBA basketball court - they are the same size!

In fact the new FIBA court markings (laneway, 3 point line and charge circle) are adopting the NBA's markings.

Now this is throwing it out there...what about holding the game at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne?

If they can hold an NBA All Star game at Dallas' 100,000 seat indoor football stadium, then Etihad Stadium could surely do the same. It's configuration already allows for a rectangle soccer/rugby pitch when used...not much more effort for a basketball court config surely?

55,000+ spectators to an NBA game in Melbourne...I think it could happen if organised.

The eastern states would get it simply because they're bigger. You seriously want to bring a team to Adelaide and give the impression that a city our size is what they're trying to attract? hell no.

Anyway, NBA is NBA - NBL crowds might not be large in the Eastern states, but I can guarantee you'll sell out an NBA game.

Now that we have won a game, A new banner definetly is in order.
Shane Heals coming to town, Jacobs coming back, Frozones got his groove back and things are starting to look a little brighter again.
Hit me with some ideas.