Hoops

NBL: The rebirth of Cool

@CR Jeeesh ya gotta know all your Community Initiatives dude, even on a basketball forum ...

You just ruined the thread - thanks

Good article that makes some solid points about where the NBL is at.

Me, like many others who visit this forum, grew up on a steady diet of 80's into early-mid 90's NBL. I looked forward to the attending games and to tuning into tv/radio wraps.

Most NBL news in the national media is negative or controversy based.

It must step back and expand its grass roots base. Go beyond holding clinics. Go to schools, Malls, the local boat ramp...find new fans.

Adults and kids have to many (easy) options in front of your face to bother chasing something to do now days.

Let people know Tuesday what you're doing Saturday and their more likely to come along. Last minute promotion is worth zip.

Good to hear that in some locations e.g. Perth the community activity is alive and well ... I am certainly going on what I observe locally (not Perth).

@alexkrad Even better if players have obligations under their contract ...

But there is a gap somewhere ... everyone seems to agree some teams aren't doing that well ...

But every AFL Club seems to recognise the need to connect to the grass roots.

Don't have a magic solution, this is just observation.

@The Captain, I think your point about no one knowing NBL players is pivotal.

Plenty of "sporting heroes" will seem cool to kids if they have met them in the flesh only once.

The South Dragons in Melbourne seem to have been the only NBL club recently that had a strategy to get out into the grass roots and connect with local associations. They didn't last for other reasons.

Just watched a video referenced in another thread of Ben Madgen running clinics up in the NT as a community initiative ... yep, that's great but what about the whole of Sydney ?

Not picking on Ben, the same applies to every other NBL team in their home town.

Nice article, hope a few on high are listening.

Hoopie, agree! If we went back to presenting the sport with integrity [& refereed it consistently & sensibly so 'lay' spectators could understand what was going on] we'd be taking a big step in the right direction.

Depends on whether we want the NBL to showcase a sport or just be entertainment.

The glory days of the 90s were when it tried to be entertainment.

Personally, as a long-time fan and player and coach I HATE the way the sport has been screwed around with in the interests of providing entertainment.
I like a good dunk, but I don't want to see only dunks on highlight reels just cos they're flashy.