Contentious times for Australian basketball. Reform has been going on behind the scenes for the National Basketball League and the Australian program in general over the past year (and more). Now is crunch time as the member associations and clubs of Basketball Australia (BA) and the NBL must vote on whether to approve the proposed reform process which would merge the NBL and BA to form one governing, unified body in the sport.
The carrot at the end of the rainbow — and hence the thing gaining the media headlines — is the fact that the reform process going through will likely result in a $35m boost to the sport through a five-year Fox Sports television deal. Due to the lack of coverage in recent times, I had to pick my jaw off the floor when I read that the deal would also include live coverage of every game in 2009-10, should it go ahead.
These are serious renaissance times for basketball fans, with news already coming through recently that Channel 10’s new 24 hour sports station would host free-to-air coverage of the NBA in Australia. Potentially this sort of renewed coverage could lead to a massive re-growth of the popularity of basketball in Australia to mid-90s levels.
The only concern for me is the size of the league that is being proposed for the NBL. This could potentially be disastrous for some fans if they lose their team (I know what that feels like and there are one or two people in Seattle who can proabably sympathise as well).
Here’s what everyone else has to say about the news:
John Rillie: At first glance this seems like a no brainer, especially when the TV network is talking about televising all national competition games. I’m hearing it would be an eight team competition, with one game per week for each team. A much better situation then what we currently have.
Boti Nagy: Some clubs and even some state associations appear reticent to relinquish their powers, despite the parlous state of the game in Australia.
“We’re supporting the changes, no problem at all,” 36ers owner Mal Hemmerling said.
“I’m going over with the intent to change.”
Basketball SA chief executive Mark Hubbard reiterated the same sentiments.
“To paraphrase Barack Obama, it’s time for change,” Hubbard said.
The West: Derwin said with 75 per cent support required, the vote was “touch and go”.
He said there was no doubt basketball at the top end with the NBL, Boomers and Opals had not be doing well for some years.
“There’s been a very fractured relationship between the basketball community, the grass roots and the elite end and this is all about reconnecting those two ends and getting the people who love the sport to go and watch it.
“Basketball is very healthy at the grass roots, lots of kids play it.
Tim Morrissey: “The rumour is some clubs and some state associations are trying to block the reform process,” a source said. “Basically people don’t want to hand over their control or power.
“If they are successful in blocking the reform and the Fox deal is sunk, there are real fears elite basketball in Australia may never recover.”
The Daily Telegraph has obtained a letter from the chairman of Queensland Basketball, Neil Fitzpatrick, to all stakeholders pleading for common sense to prevail over self-interest and short-sightedness at tomorrow’s life-and-death vote.
“Queensland implores those not supporting the changes to reconsider their position, given change, by its very nature, includes risks and compromises that we all have to accommodate for the greater good,” Fitzpatrick wrote.
The NBL is on life support. It has no naming-rights sponsor, only token coverage on Fox Sports and several clubs are in financial strife. The Boomers and the Olympic silver medal-winning Opals receive little recognition in Australia.
But all that would change under the new $35 million deal proposed by Fox Sports, which includes unprecedented coverage of every NBL game nationally and a minimum of three Boomers and three Opals games a year.
