So the much awaited announcement from the National Basketball League has finally arrived — there will indeed be a Sydney team in the 2010/11 NBL season. We still have to wait a week however, to discover who the group behind the franchise will be and whether that team will be called the “Sydney Kings.”
Larry Sengstock has been reticent to reveal details of the team’s management without giving time for them to make their own annoucements — thus, we wait. There seems to be little doubt from numerous angles that the team will indeed be called the Kings — a smart move in my opinion. Additionally, the team is rumoured to likely be playing out of the Sydney Entertainment Centre, as it did at the height of its success. The eight teams that competed in the NBL last season, will continue in the competition, which must be a relief to the Cairns Taipans, who were reportedly tethering on the brink of extinction.
Now speculation will begin as to who the team will sign to coach and play on the squad. The likelihood of former championship coach Brian Goorjian returning is low, given his successful path with the Chinese national team currently. There has been word on the streets that former Kings and Boomers great, Ian “Moose” Robilliard will take the coaching reigns — that will be an interesting turn of events, given his connections with the club in the past.
There is no doubt that a team in Sydney needs to attract big names in order to draw fans in. The Sydney market can be a fickle one, with so many entertainment options on offer. The Sydney Swans, Sydney Kings, West Sydney Razorbacks and Sydney FC have all experienced this to varying levels of detriment over the years. Where they will turn for those big name import and Australian signings is now the subject of conjecture and much interest.
Ayinde Ubaka of the Gold Coast Blaze has apparently been in NBA D-League star Rod Benson’s ear about the NBL, telling him how great the lifestyle in Australia is. Benson was asking for opinions on Facebook as to what playing downunder is like: “Anybody know anything about the Australian league? My boy Ayinde was HYPING it up the other day.” Of course, getting a man of Benson’s exposure would be great for the league, but also would prove difficult.
The current state of the NBL financially means, as it always has to a large extent, that luring the likes of former Kings great Matt Nielsen away from Europe, is almost impossible. Nevertheless, the return of a team to Sydney makes this a great day — the Cardiac Kids, the Violet Crumbles, call them whatever you want; they’re back!
Report from Fox Sports News on the Sydney NBL return
Unfortunately for fans of the former Brisbane Bullets and South Dragons, the fight goes on for at least another year. Both teams will not be re-admitted to the competition next year, although Sengstock did admit that there is a strong case for the Bullets’ return in 12 months’ time. The group pushing for a return of the Dragons still holds hope — see the press release at their site, SaveOurDragons.com.
