Throughout the last two years, Brisbane has outranked all other Australian metropolitan areas for television ratings for the NBL despite currently not having a team in the competition.
With this enthusiastic market, the league is stepping up efforts to establish a team in Brisbane.
Basketball Australia has announced that the Olympic qualification double-header between Australia and New Zealand in Brisbane on Friday, September 9 will assist the ongoing efforts to reintroduce an NBL team to Brisbane.
The Boomers-Opals double-header will not only be an opportunity for the Australian teams to secure their place in the London Olympic games, but will also give local basketball fans a chance to voice their support for any future Brisbane NBL team.
The upcoming NBL season will be the third without a Brisbane team since the club collapsed after former team owner Eddie Groves struck a financial trouble with his ABC Learning Centres, bowing out of the competition at the end of the 2007-08 season.
The NBL will have volunteers on hand at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre to collect the names of fans that would support a Brisbane NBL team once it is reintroduced to the competition. That information will be used to assist the group currently trying to secure the return of a Brisbane team to the NBL.
Basketball Australia CEO Larry Sengstock has said the double-header is a chance for Brisbane fans not only to enjoy world-class quality basketball, but also to register their support for a Brisbane NBL team.
“I know from my personal experience as a former Bullets player that Brisbane fans are incredibly passionate about their basketball and now have a chance to show that passion,” said Sengstock.
“That support will be vital as we look to assist those bidding to return a team to Brisbane, so it really is important for people to make an effort to register their details at the game if they want to see an NBL team back in the city,” he added.
The former Bullets forward returned to Brisbane earlier this week to meet a mystery group that has expressed an interest in reintroducing a Brisbane team for the 2012-13 NBL season.
“If Brisbane fans come out in numbers and show the group there’s genuine support for basketball in this city, it can only help get another team,” Sengstock said.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
As a side point, the fall of the Brisbane Bullets is why the only structure to use is a club structure, with members. Now, many of the members might agree to vote for Diamond Jim Gutnick as President and his nominee as Secretary as long as he keeps donating millions to the club, thats fine ... but if essentially the club is a private owner and people find out his wealth was based on dreams and myths, well, then I guess the club doesnt exist. And, yes, I count the Bunnies relationship with Russell Crowe as unhealthy because of this.