Hoops

import locals

"heard reference to a 'three year player' in the context of early 80s NBL, but it seemed to refer to guys that were still imports. Was this a separate rule?"

"it was the old FIBA rule of one "naturalised" player per national team for international comps, and that player had to have had citizenship for 3 years to play as a "naturalised" player under FIBA rules in FIBA competitions, and the NBL just adopted that."


The 3 year rule. Whatever it’s officially called. That's the 1 I remember. I seem to recall the NBL used to allow teams 2 imports plus a 3rd import who had been resident for 3 years or more. It allowed longer-term imports to still keep their employment. Dwayne Nelson wouldn't have played on for the 36ers in 1986 without the rule. I recall that he lost his NBL gig for a year as he had to wait to qualify as a 3 year resident, didn’t he? (Others might know for certain).

I also "know" that Mark Davis, Dwayne Nelson, Wayne McDaniels, Willie Simmons and many others styed in Australia post-NBL career. Some may have moved back since though, but they certainly settled here longer term. I suspect Dave Simmons probably moved back to the US with his son.

"Where it gets interesting is at International level, because we're restricted to a single naturalised player. I don't know if that has any exemption for players naturalised as kids". I agree that this will get interesting. For our existing and emerging Sudanese players, would it be fair for them to miss out on representing the country where they've grown up, and a country which accepted them as having legitimate claims to refugee status as their country of birth was not a safe place for them? I can see a time when global sports federations will need to form rules for these cases. I'd say it's bigger than FIBA, and all sports feds should formulate consistent rules to govern this.

it was the old FIBA rule of one "naturalised" player per national tean for international comps, and that player had to have had citizenship for 3 years to play as a "naturalised" player under FIBA rules in FIBA competitions, and the NBL just adopted that.

Thanks Very Old very informative.

it was the old FIBA rule of one "naturalised" player per national tean for international comps, and that player had to have had citizenship for 3 years to play as a "naturalised" player under FIBA rules in FIBA competitions, and the NBL just adopted that.

Just don't get off on slapping other posters down, its not their fault that FIBA used those terms , and that YOU don't know that. OXOXOX :)

"naturalisation" is the process of acquiring Australian Citizenship through application. AFAIK it's never meant anything else in Australian citizenship terms.

There is permanent residency for foreign citizens, which is visa based. e.g., immigrants who choose not to become Australian citizens and hold a permanent visa.

“Naturalised” had a specific meaning. I think a player had to be resident in Australia for 3 years. Citizenship is different again. In basketball terms it makes a player eligible to represent their country of citizenship (with exceptions like Kyrie Irving who’ve already “chosen” their country to represent.

With NZ Breakers in NBL now, players can move between 2 countries. We’ve already had a single player exception to the “locals” criteria.

“Although players like Majok, Deng, Vukona, are also Naturalised”.

I think Deng and Majok are citizens of Australia. I would also think they’re in a different category, having migrated whilst they were still children. To most people, that’s probably different to moving for employment and deciding to live here.

I’d be interested to know how many of the naturalised players still live in Oz. I can name a few, and I suspect that most stayed because they enjoy a better life over here.

Alright fair enough but both had lengthy careers in the NBL as imports then became naturalised later in their careers.

Redhage and Ballinger weren't?

That's not what "local" means.