Hoops

Nbl expansion 19/20

Tasmania is in. Confirmation next Saturday. Choudry will be a different team though.

The consortium is buying and upgrading the DEC and it is expected to be ready and suitable before 19/20 season. Kestleman has agreed to the license. It's done. I'm telling you, you will find out Saturday that the deal is DONE. The ink has already dried on the paper.

The wheels have been turning for a while, Saturday has been set in stone for a while. These guys are media savvy, they know how to drum up interest. It drums up no interest just to announce the deal. There are still sponsors to lure. But yes, the license is signed over. Tasmania has offered the NBL a very interesting and unique business model and it has been given the go ahead.

As I said, this will be confirmed next weekend.

Basketball is huge in TAS especially the Northwest. NWBU!

Evan the big euro teams not many have over 5000 seats, great size for basketball stadium.

As Justin Hickey is a former Devils squad member it has to be Devils, right?

Game, not album.

How w much money does the Tas govt hand over to the AFL for visiting “home” teams to play there? What revenue does this generate per album?

How much revenue would the proposed franchise bring to Tassie?

NBL running costs would be way less per game than AFL.

The above discussed would seem to provide real benefits to Tasmanian economy outside of the games themselves, in redevelopment of the precinct and bringing other events and tourists in.

The bid team has every right to crunch the numbers relative to the part time AFL presence and present this to the Tas govt.

Oh! And good luck Tassie.

"Anonymous
A few hours ago

Paul is spot on an clearly knows what's on the way. There will be prxess every day this week in The Mercury on the bid for the NBL licence.
Todays article "pay wall" sorry.
Tasmania is simply wrong.
Todays article. Sorry for full posting acknowledgement Smithie ;)"

Having read your novella, I would like to add, in support of your comments, the following:

You point out that AFL etc have all failed, mainly for economical/market-size type reasons, on a national level. Choices. 1) Get out and stay out.2) Look for/ find something that is viable. With the difference in funding a basketball franchise compared to any football codes (barring footsal), basketball and or netball are ideal for fulfilling "reasonable" ambitions

Guess which choice a self-made businessman (no, I don't know Hickey) would make. Have a go or opt out? No brainer, for me.

Finally, having never achieved much in my life (in these contexts, anyhow), I would be embarresed to publicly criticise business choices of those who have. Hope the critics also have track records in "having a go!"

That's all.

Yep onwards and upwards for the Tasmanian bid, should great for Tasmania and the Nbl. A ten team competition who would have thought just a few years ago when there was nearly no competition.

Best of luck to them.

The NRL Cronulla Sharks developed their assets through real estate development a while back (1990s?) so it can be done. I seem to remember it involved expensive apartments. Sharks have been much more successful lately.

If it gets up, the franchise won’t have any national league competition aside from cricket, and only BBL teams get any crowds.

Would the DEC redevelopment have much competition in the real estate, retail and concert markets? Is the DEC near other outdoor larger venues to take advantage of other sports’ crowds in future (AFL games at Hobart, Sydney to Hobart). Is DEC well located for its other planned purposes?

From above article, Hickey seems genuine and seems to be committed. The plans in article would mean diversified income streams to give it a decent shot if the plans are based on demand and realistic projected growth.

Has to be Devils.

"Kestelman is in the country, was sitting next to hutchy this morning."

He was interviewed on SEN this morning from Paris. Ever thought they could of been old photos?? LOL

LK is in Paris, the interview with Hutchy was pre recorded.

Kestelman is in the country, was sitting next to hutchy this morning.

Just waiting on offer being accepted for venue re Tassie bid (Derwent Entertainment Centre - with upgrade )

wonder what this will do to membership prices.. Will every club pass on a 15% price increase on members to cover the extra costs? freeze it for existing members a la Perth? scale it up over a couple of seasons?

LK has been magnificent, he’s doing what Kerry Packer did for cricket and basketball is real world sport.

Gotta admit LK is the best thing that has happened to the NBL in a long time.

Im very keen on the Tassie bid, if it doesn't happen can't say the boxes haven't been ticked - have had a real crack. $'S there, community on board,sustainable, own facility etc etc

I want to stick with 2 home games vs each opponent, that is the appeal of basketball over the footy codes for example that you can see your team vs a certain team at the start of the season and then see that same opponent load up after they replace an underperforming import with one with a higher profile.

The season could be a little longer but by more than 2 weeks and you're starting to take away it's appeal to imports and our greater locals that want the cash grab of going to Europe.

Unsure how the membership structure will be affected by the additional teams and games but I hope that teams don't get too greedy and want to stay more loyal to their members

I want to stick with 2 home games vs each opponent, that is the appeal of basketball over the footy codes for example that you can see your team vs a certain team at the start of the season and then see that same opponent load up after they replace an underperforming import with one with a higher profile.

The season could be a little longer but by more than 2 weeks and you're starting to take away it's appeal to imports and our greater locals that want the cash grab of going to Europe.

Unsure how the membership structure will be affected by the additional teams and games but I hope that teams don't get too greedy and want to stay more loyal to their members

As long as they don't try the conference idea until the get to at least 14 teams I'm easy.
If we assume 10 teams for 19/20 do you play each team twice or three times or stick with 4? Part of the appeal of the league is that you can play a full season then pick up a Europe contract so you really wouldn't want to make it much longer

Being a man is not a problem. It's being the kind of man who when presented with an idea he disagrees with on an open forum (where ideas that are often unlikely but fun are presented, including some by him in the past) says its dumb and thinks it's ok to make a misogynist "joke" because the person who presented the idea was apparently female.

I like that they are pushing for better stadium deals. Back in the 1990s, I recall a report stating that renting Rod Laver required an average more the 8000 just to break even. Obviously can't say that figure was accurate then nor remains anywhere near accurate today, but Melbourne Park venues have long reportedly had very high asking prices for rent.

Is that you, Carl? NBL is way better than PBA.

There will always be sourpusses. Always.

Yeah Dazz that's why I made the comment about Darwin, there's literally no chance they get a team but if he is the type to throw a dart at a map and say "let's go there" then they have a chance but it will also take influential people from the Territory to reach out to him

I think we would all like a Mark Cuban to own an NBL team and have a working relationship with his Dallas Mavericks but this guy doesn't sound completely clueless and who's to say that NBA owners won't look at the outlay and find that buried down the back of their couch and then buy in... if NBL is truly making headway then why can't we think it's a possibility that say the Denver Nuggets owner watches his team play the Perth Wildcats and then looks deeper into investing into a team.... he even has Torrey Craig on his books and potentially in his ear...

All sports are propped up by someone. Only difference is they also have TV rights deals whereas NBL do not. LK making headway with this (we hope).

Correct.

Hawks were the only club apparently interested. Kennett is from Hawks.

i.e. they said no in a political manner/put LK down softly.

"AFL aren't interested anymore. That' why LK found this guy."

Yet another ridiculous, unsubstantiated statement.

14 team by 2025

South Melbourne (Melbourne)
Hobart
Gold Coast (Brisbane + Cairns)
Newcastle (Sydney + Illawarra)
Canberra
Wellington (Auckland)
(Perth)
(Adelaide)

AFL aren't interested anymore. That' why LK found this guy.

Its one of either titans, razorbacks, giants, dragons, crocs, falcons spirit, devils, tigers or slingers.

Anyone but dandenong or geelong

In all seriousness if Darwin was to ever get a team into a national sporting league then they'd need to have an rich owner that isn't afraid of going agains the grain (like owning a Welsh team to compete against English teams) so they really should reach out to this guy...

I'm kinda joking but it ticks the boxes of putting a team in a market that won't take fans away from other teams... just like I think Tasmania, Canberra, Newcastle and Geelong would likewise do.

But I do have a funny feeling that this could be a second Perth team with a Dockers vibe to them.

If this is indeed a second Melbourne team then will this silence the AFL clubs trying to buy licences ?

I am baffled how....

Players could be based in Sydney and Melbourne so they dont get bored."

^ This is why women weren't allowed to have the vote for so long.

That's not what economies of scale means but ok

'have always liked the AIS based idea. 3 imports, a 30yo+ local veteran and 7 or 8 young players aged 18-25. Don't see why they couldn't be based in Canberra.'

This is a Pro league mate...

Glass-half-empty hat:
Chaudhari is just super-desperate to have his name associated with Premier League :p

Glass-half-empty hat:
Chaudhari is just super-desperate to have his name associated with Premier League :p

I see the NBL as one of the premier leagues in the world and a global entertainment product watched by fans around the world.

I've got my glass-half-full hat on this morning, so I'll say that maybe this isn't about money at all, but rather LK is just looking long-term towards his ideal thriving league, which consists of a lot more than 8 teams, and he is trying to get those wheels in motion.
The whole "mystery location" thing is a bit strange, because I doubt it's true, in which case I'm thinking he's just using today's news as a way to get some more publicity & momentum behind those other locations, knowing full well that they're not on the cards for this licence but also knowing that he'd still like as many of them as possible to come to fruition down the track.

A 2nd team for Melbourne will surely be the frontrunner.

- Some will say "But it's failed so many times before" There's loads more people in Melbourne than there were in 2009, the last time there were 2 teams.

- Fastest growing city in Australia and due to overtake Sydney's population soon soon.

- Melbourne United is thriving and growing every year.

This isn't to say I think it'll necessarily work, but I do think a second Melbourne team, at this point, probably has at least as good a chance of long term success as any other location in Australia.

This guy will own the second Melbourne team, bank it. The people behind the scenes at the moment for the South East Melbourne team have most things in place, a cashed up owner is the final piece.

Tassie and this team will make the league 10 teams in 19/20 which is probably the ideal amount of teams for now, and if the NBL is 12 teams by maybe 22/23 I think that's the sweet spot for a perfect size league.

Is the ex Waverley coach going to go around telling ppl again he’s going to be the new head coach??

^ You must be a bunch of fun at parties. What a moron

There have been a few rumours floating about the possibility of Bogut getting traded before the deadline. I feel a trade would be great for himself and allow the bucks to rebuild. How does everyone else feel and where is he likely to end up?