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Former crowd favourite Leroy Loggins will head a team of ten that has been formed in the latest push to get Brisbane back into the National Basketball League (NBL).
Around 50 basketball fans attended a two hour meeting at Brisbane’s Carina Leagues club on Wednesday night where the “team of ten” was formed with Hall of Famer Loggins as its figurehead.
The group, which will meet for the first time at the weekend, includes people with legal, financial, media, marketing and other expertise as well as representatives from local basketball leagues.
Their objective will be to formulate a five year plan to sell to the wider community, government and local councils the aim of an NBL team playing out of the Chandler Sports complex by season 2011-12.
The Brisbane Bullets dropped out of NBL in June 2008 after owner Eddy Groves’ handed back his licence when his chain of childcare centres hit hard times.
The Sydney Kings, another casualty of tough times, have since fought their way back into a nine-team competition in 2010-2011.
NBL boss Larry Sengstock is hopeful with the right plan Brisbane can follow the King’s lead and be part of the competition in the following season.
Sengstock attend Wednesday night’s meeting with NBL general manager Chuck Harmison.
He said his former Bullets’ championship winning teammate Loggins was the best man to get Brisbane back on court.
Money remains the biggest hurdle.
But Sengstock believes it is possible for Brisbane to get back in the NBL if the community and other groups come together.
“Imagine this is Melbourne and I’m trying to run the new Rebels rugby union team …. it would be an enormous task,” he said.
“Their budget to kick off their team would be in excess of $20 million, I would think.
“That’s massive. Try doing that in a state that is not a rugby state.
“But we’re standing here trying to kick off a basketball team that’s been here for 30 years and already has a massive base.
“To run a basketball team if you run it properly, will cost you in low $2 million to $3 million.
“We’re not talking massive money which is why we’ve been able to run successful teams in some of our regional centres.”
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