Two interesting pieces of news from the NBL this week. Firstly, the Perth Wildcats announced a $1 million dollar profit for their franchise. The Australian Financial Review covered the story and revealed that the Wildcat players are required to undertake 350 hours of community engagement.
Their business model sees revenue from across a range of sources, including 27 per cent of income from membership and 23 per cent from other ticket sales, 15 per cent to 20 per cent revenue is from corporate hospitality, 15 per cent from sponsorship and the remainder from other sources, such as merchandise.
A bright spot in an otherwise struggling league.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, there continues to be talk in my town about re-establishing the Canberra Cannons.
Cal Bruton, the Black Pearl, still harbours dreams of the blue and white treading the boards at the Palace once again. However, given you need $5 million to start and $3 million per annum to stay and play in the NBL, a revitalised Cannons is but a pipe dream.
A more important question was asked on Tim Gavel’s ABC Grandstand radio show on Saturday morning, when this issue was canvassed. The question was simply put – why would you bother? The NBL is never likely to reach great heights and re-create its glory days in the foreseeable future.
While some of the games are exciting the majority of the games are for the purists only as the athleticism of the NBA is simply not replicated in Australia and New Zealand. NBL players do not get up above the rim with enough flash and dash to draw a crowd. Say what you like but until you get consistent above-the-rim players, the crowds will always go watch the AFL big men fly in preference.
The talent is diffused over the eight teams, the import rules too restrictive and the mediocre approaches to community engagement (save for the Wildcats) have rendered the league dull, dismal and detached from Australians.
So what are the options? If you are going to raise $5 million to join a league and then work your butt off to stay, do you look at the NBL or elsewhere? I would argue that you go to Asia.
Take a look at the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL). This is a six-team competition representing six of the countries in ASEAN (Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand). The market is 600 million people, with a gross domestic product of $2.3 trillion – numbers significantly greater than what is on offer here in Australia.
My recommendation is that the three most financially viable Australian teams, plus the Kiwis, join the ABL and push it out to a ten team competition. Australia could then offer three well-managed, high-quality teams to take on the best of ASEAN.
The league is televised throughout Asia by Fox Sports Asia and watched by millions. Government funding for our participation in an Asia-based competition could be secured under the Asian century initiatives.
It would also be a stepping stone for Australia to break out of the FIBA Oceania cohort, which does nothing for our international reputation. We are already a member of the Asian Football (soccer) Federation, so basketball would a logical progression.
Locally, we could then stop pretending that a country of 23 million spread out over 7 million square kms can sustain a fully professional league that rates lower than netball in national consciousness. The NBL can become a semi-professional D League and act as the feeder competition for the ABL.
My suggestions are radical but I am really struggling to see how the NBL (with the exception of Perth) is going to be a viable league in the years ahead.
Does anyone have a better idea? Does anyone disagree that the NBL is moribund?
mahonjt
Guest
"I’ll tell you this, if Australians get behind the A-League, which is a third tier soccer competition, then why not get behind the NBL which is about college level USA standard? " Because, the A-League is one of literally hundreds of pro and semi-pro leagues around the world and many Australian support those for historical reasons. The A-League is a 'step up' in technical quality for many of them. In commercial terms the A-League is already considered one of the best in Asia despite player wages and technical gaps to the big 3. Other support it because they are amoung the millions who actually play the game. Others support it because its our domestic league and a pathway to continental and global participation. Others because it is all they have known. Others because, after years of seeing their NSL teams go boom/bust the stability is appealing. Others because they simply enjoy football. Underlying all the supporters and their various motivations is one key thing - hope. What I mean by that is that wherever you go in the world. every fan, no matter how small their team, believes on their day they can be giant killers. This is true of football like no other code.
Mahonjt
Guest
An important fact about football's ACL is that it is basically self funding add on to the 'bread and butter' - IF - the clubs are in a viable domestic league. While the ACL s a new league and doesn't make money for A-League clubs (although it's growth is staggering) having the costs essentially covered by the AFC allows participating A-League clubs additional games, and huge offshore TV exposure at a high level which are critical to player development and corporate interest in a global professional sport. Furthermore, the ACL link into the domestic league creates incentives for teams in that league to win silverware/finish high on the ladder, and with sufficient places (going to 2+1+1 next year for Aus apparently) an opportunity to offer a similar incentive to the domestic national 2nd tier, semi-pro NPL teams via the FFA Cup. There are many benefits beyond $ The idea proposed in this article up has a certain attraction, but to compare A-League participation in the ACL (or FFA membership of the AFC more broadly) with basketball is unhelpful. The sheer scale and scope of football domestically (and it's national pyramid structure) are what makes the ACL viable for Australian clubs - and not just in a commercial sense. I suspect the 'gains' from high standard / player concentration and the likely economic viability will be somewhat offset by the a lack of interest from Australians more broadly in the Asian teams. This will ensure the death of pro basketball at the national level and punch a hole in the player development pathway. The resulting jump from regional amateur to continental pro will be far to great. Basketball will likely create its own Super Rugby like conundrum and the Boomers will suffer. The idea has some legs in my opinion - but direct analogues with FFA/AFC fail to acknowledge key differences between the sports.
Scottie
Guest
The NBA have different rules compared to the NBL and the Euroleague basketball. So for Euroleague teams playing NBA teams it's not quiet an even game, because one team is playing the game with rules there not used to playing with in there usual season. If you look at the games played between the two leagues, the Euro's win the FIBA rule games, an the NBA's win the NBA ruled games, most of the times.. Don't forget that What the NBL really needs to do to raise the bar of its status, is to get what the A-league has. And that's the likes of a Frank lowy. If the NBL had the empire-like knowledge and extreme wealth like Frank lowy, these issues which plague nearly every club, would not happen on a every season to season basis in the current NBL.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
When I first read that I thought Alcohol Free meant Free Alcohol. For a second there I thought it was a superb deal :D
Matthew
Guest
Chris: Sadly I think its probably amazingly expensive to hire the Perth Arena for anything. Its got several factors going for it in terms of increased pricing it can charge A) Its a very cemtral location near a major (probably the biggest) transport hub in Perth CBD B) Its a very new structure (which means nothing inside is close to failing yet) Both factors mean that can essentially charge a lot more than other locations do
Matthew
Guest
Thats not to say people dont complain about the prices! Heres a direct cut and paste from the Tickettek website on the price range for the final series at the Perth Arena: Corporate Courtside $290.00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Captains/Platinum $150.00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cap/Plat Alc. Free $100.00 - $150.00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gold $110.00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gold Alcohol Free $75.00 - $110.00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Silver $60.00 - $225.00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Silver Alcohol Free $60.00 - $225.00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bronze $35.00 - $150.00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nickel $20.00 - $90.00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nickel Alcohol Free $20.00 - $90.00 Now Adelaide: Platinum Platinum $100 Gold Gold Adult $50 Gold Concession $45 Gold Child $30 (17 Years and under) Gold Family $110 2 Adult & 2 Children Silver Silver Adult $40 Silver Concession $35 Silver Child $25 (17 Years and under) Silver Family $95 2 Adult & 2 Children
James
Guest
Its good to try and get some mentions for the NBL by 'stirring things up' as you say, but most fans have had enough of negative headlines regarding the league. Write something positive guys. Go to google NBL, and a headline saying why should we bother with the NBL pops up. Same old stuff... We are in a transition phase from the NBL taking back over from Basketball Australia. A few new and exciting rule changes next season and we may get a few more exciting players to watch to go with the few that trickled into the league this season. A few new teams and hey, there could be some new vibrancy breathed back into the league. It may take a while for the league to swing mainstream followers around, and it may be a generational change. Hopefully, the league gets the 1%ers right (which it has failed to do for some time). If those 1%ers such as scheduling, being transparent with info, and making it as easy as possible to follow your team when they are playing amongst other things, can be gotten right, the league can begin to settle in and get a foothold at least to try and move forward.
mushi
Guest
Yep they are horrible at team work, that's why the modern day defence is a two to three rotation system requiring perfect team work to execute
mushi
Guest
I'd wager that they wouldn't... you use of euro league stats around here suggests you think the NBL is on par with Europe?
mushi
Guest
which "talented" NBA player (ie one who elected to leave a starting gig in the NBA to play in the NBL) came and failed in the NBL
mushi
Guest
So because a guy that had a PER of 11.5 for his NBA career was allowed to hog the ball in the NBL the NBA don’t play as a team but the NBL do? Wouldn’t a rational human being look at the fact set you’ve produced and say in league A he was a below average player forced to operate within the team construct for decent off the bench minutes, failed and was out of the league. But in league B he was given the green light to override the team construct due to the perceived gap in talent despite it being to the detriment of the team? To me that says it’s the NBL that has a team ball problem.
mushi
Guest
Participation really only matters for those that identify it as their primary sport. Having an AFL draft pick play junior basketball has a marginal affect on the quality of NBL player. Also you are delusional if you think those euro clubs are of a similar standard to the NBL.
Jorji Costava
Guest
The NBA has been whipped more than the odd occasion by European clubs. If we had the chance to take them on, I'd wager we would turn them over also occasionally. Funny game hoops when you get on a roll. And those Yank players just play for themselves, teamwork is a word they no understand! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_versus_Euroleague_games
Jorji Costava
Guest
If Perth played Milwaukee in a series of five games, I'd wager the Wildcats would win at least once. Thing is, the NBA teams won't because they don't want to be shown up. The old 'king has no clothes'.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
I guess the big questions is IF they can bring them back (while also assuming that some may not be NBL-worthy players). The money is still better in Europe for those talented enough to earn a spot on rosters there. It also seems there are more Aussies playing in Europe (and in US colleges) than I originally thought. http://www.australiabasket.com/Australia/basketball-Players-Abroad.asp
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I suppose the question is, what happens to those 200+ players playing college ball in the US when they graduate? If we currently have 4 players in the NBA, you've got to think that in 4 years time that's not going to be 200+, in fact, probably no more than a couple of those 200+ players is likely to make NBA level. So once they've finished there, what's happening to them? If the majority of the best Australian players aged 18-22 are playing college ball in the US, then that shouldn't be a bad thing for the NBL at all if they are able to bring back those players who don't reach the NBA when they finish, as hopefully playing College ball has helped really improve their games. It just means you get less of the players here during those years.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
It's so hard to compare to the NBA, which is really just a highlights reel sort of sport. It's all about the pure athleticism and players pulling out moves that make your jaw drop. Someone dropping in half a dozen threes in a game will never have the same effect of someone scything through the defense, and finishing it with a power dunk. Basically, the NBA is a power game. People like watching power and speed and athleticism. It trumps watching basic skills executed well just about any time. In that manner, something like the NBL simply can't compete.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
That's kind of ridiculous considering how much the league is struggling. A-League tickets or NRL tickets are generally less than $30, and even for the best seats you can buy that aren't taken by members they'd still be under $60 I'm pretty sure. Paying $78 for an NBL game to get the best seats in the house would seem vastly overpriced to me.
KBaller
Guest
wow that is pricey - and yet they still sell out. Sydney tickets are nowhere near that. This season was just under $300 for a "silver" season membership. The kings have offered some seats from $15 and yet still cant get a crowd. Just goes to show that Perth have connected with their audience
KBaller
Guest
The NBL, NBA and Euro are all very different leagues with their own styles. Someone with talent in one league wont necessarily be a star in another. Some fail to understand or accept that. There have been plenty of "NBA" players that have come to the NBL and struggled, whilst there have been others that have done well. Just because an NBL team has an ex NBA player on their team doesnt mean they will win every game. The Lakers dont win every game with Kobe and the Bulls didnt win every game with Jordan. 249 NBA games is significant, but the NBA also play how many games in a season? How many minutes did Sam Young actually play over those? He was touted as a defensive player and yet his defensive skill set was not really shown - then again "NBA defence" is a little different to "NBL defence". Maybe it was an attitude issue, but Sam Young looked a much better player when he let his teammates do the ball carrying and passing and let him finish off the move - playing to his strengths. Yes, at some stage all players can/will be a ball hog. Some have the skills to pull it off, but at the end of the day, no one individual makes a team and brings a win - they need help from their teammates, especially in the NBL.