Hoops

Keneally quits politics to become the BA CEO

I'm actually very surprised that the role would pay that much!
Shouldn't a salary be based on how much money is generated for the business?
Just about every NBL side is making a loss and I don't think that BA is making millions either.
Not sure why people would say take the Americanisation out of the sport...the NBA is struggling isn't it???
The AFL are becoming more "American" every day and they are making an absolute killing!
Every change they have made to the game has almost followed the changes the NBA have made.
They are basing free agency on what??? AMERICAN SPORT!
I would love to see trades happening in the NBL, would make things very interesting.
People whinged about Larry Sengstock since day one, let's see what this girl can bring.
All I hope is she can organise some funding for the sport and distribute that right down to grass roots level, because I think that's where things need to be fixed.

The reason football gets more money than soccer is because it has a more stable organisation running it with members who have a proven track record of business success. When your organisation is being run by the man who set up Westfield, you know you're on a good wicket. 10 or so years ago, basketball had everything at its feet in Australia. Then one year if I remember correctly, they slashed the salary cap by a long way (might have been over 500k), introduced the point system and ultimately the league spiralled downhill into something that a lot of sporting fans in Australia deem irrelevant. The NSL 10 years ago was a joke. But the difference there was that the crowd numbers were low and the league has a whole wasn't anything special due to the clubs being ethnic based. When Lowy first joined the FFA, the first thing he wanted to stamp out of the sport was the ethnic problems with it. The establishment of the A-League has been a success in becoming a feeder league for young Australians to develop their skills before attracting moves overseas to bigger European clubs. Then you consider the success the Socceroos had with world cup qualifying, the FFA moving into the AFC and it's clear that soccer is on the up in Australia.

The problem is that you can't say the same about basketball. The main problem with basketball in Australia is that for so many years the administrators would shoot themselves in the foot and find many ways to ruin the NBL. They have to go back to what they were doing 10-15 years ago when the league was running well, analyse what they were doing right back then, and use that as a marketing blueprint to attract fans back to the game. The fans were there 10-15 years ago, but not as many are now. It's untapped potential that BA have to go into if they are ever going to be taken seriously in Australian sport again.

As for the NBA Finals, it was over after game 4.

Isaac, having Gillard tweet about her and Abbott being at the Boomers game is hardly having any "influence." Seriously, the only thing that is going to influence government funding is the $$$ the sport can generate in the NBL. Until they increase that number drastically, the NBL will always be behind other sports in the pecking order.

Pleased to see the story all over the news services
all day . Impressive CV . A return to politics is possible mentioned.
Sengstock - The NBL remains at 9 teams - certainly seems odd.

Lot of small minded ignorant comments here about her. Fact is she did make Premier - anyone who commented lay claim to that ?

As chairperson, she had a clear strategic intent and touched many of the weak or non-existent abilities of BA. Government funding is one, connection between the National / NBL teams and grass roots Bball, recognition by advertisers/sponsors that basketball is one of the largest participation sports in Aus (comments previously that NBL is small time compared to say NRL are misleading - but thats due to a failed marketing and communication strategy with corporate australia. The media are also to blame but thats another thread).

Its a great appointment as she isn't part of the old boys club, has fresh ideas and energy and above all, can rise above the negative dribble that keeps popping up around the place - especially this forum.

So BA decide to bring in arguably the worst NSW Premier in a long long time as their CEO. SMH, just another one in the long list of stupid decisions made by Basketball Australia.

Does it really matter where she was born? If she can do the job well, i don't care if she's a one eyed monkey who talks in pig Latin!

Kristina Keneally was born in Los Vegas

To say the Keneally has zero basketball experience is wrong. According to reports in the Australian she was a high school star and played for Notre Dame at college. On the matter of her being American so what? As long she does the right thing for the sport it shouldn't matter where you are originally from.

I feel it will be a good move.

hopefully we can now get our fair share of govt funding.

Ex-NBA and college star Eddie Griffin has died in a car-train accident.

According to Houston police, Griffin was driving a Nissan SUV in the 5300 block of Lawndale when he crashed through a railroad-crossing arm and was stuck by a train.

Griffin was pronounced dead on the scene, but his body was burned beyond recognition and there were no signs of identification in the car.