One of the most beloved teams in Australian basketball are changing their stripes and the response has been savage.
The Melbourne Tigers – four-time champions and synonymous with Australian basketball’s first family the Gazes – will become Melbourne United for the upcoming NBL season.
Club owners Larry Kestelman and Michael Slepoy announced the move on Tuesday, which comes despite massive fan opposition.
In the doldrums two years ago, the club has taken a northwards trajectory under Kestelman and Slepoy, who is also leaving as chief executive in favour of Vince Crivelli.
“When we took over we had a grand total of 400 members, not a lot of interest from media or the basketball community,” Kestelman said.
“We found it very difficult to unite the basketball community behind the Melbourne Tigers brand.
“The only way we could see it going forward is to believe united, to live united and to be united as a basketball community.”
The immediate response from many Tigers fans was vitriolic.
On the team’s Facebook site, which was also “rebranded” as Kestelman spoke, the most supported comment read “DISGUSTING. You have alienated EVERY basketball fan in Victoria… You have united us AGAINST you.”
Club legend Lanard Copeland said he was gutted.
“It’s for financial gain,” he said.
“It makes you sick to your stomach.”
Kestelman claimed the support of the league and of Andrew Gaze for the move, although Gaze told SEN Radio on Tuesday that he was “extremely disappointed” to lose the Tigers from the league.
“It’s not without logic but it’s flawed, and I don’t agree with it and it’s gut-wrenching,” Gaze said.
It seems the club is intent on total Victorian domination – though it risks the wrath of Tigers faithful picked up on their 30-year NBL journey.
The rebrand borrows heavily from soccer language – United is a traditional soccer moniker – and stylistically seems to be based on A-League side Melbourne Victory.
As the sole Victorian club, United has also taken on the state colours of navy and white as Victory did a decade ago with the birth of the A-League.
Saying he felt basketball was stronger than every other sport at a junior level, Kestelman used an Australian rules metaphor to make the case for the United name.
“To us it was like every AFL club that was here disappeared and we were left with one club, be it North Melbourne, it would be very hard for every other supporter to be a strong barracker.”
Expecting the negative sentiment, Kestelman said after the new colours, name and logo comes the sell-job.
“When it’s a surprise to people, unless they understand the full vision… we don’t expect them to just believe us at the first glance.
“We’re prepared to work hard to earn their respect.
“We’re not here to forget the legacy of the Melbourne Tigers.”
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