Tasmania is set to rejoin the National Basketball League after a 25-year absence in a deal to be announced in Hobart today.
According to the Mercury, NBL owner Larry Kestelman is due to award the league’s tenth licence to the state this afternoon.
The new team is expected to join the competition for the 2021-22 season.
The announcement hinges on the Glenorchy City Council agreeing to sell the Derwent Entertainment Centre to the state government, which will contribute $40 million to its redevelopment to prepare it as the team’s home court.
Tasmania has been represented by three teams in the history of the NBL: the Devonport Warriors the Launceston Casino City Tigers and, most recently, the Hobart Devils, which dissolved in 1996.
Establishing a new team in the Apple Isle has been under serious consideration for at least six months, with the establishment of the NBL Tasmania Advisory Board in August 2019 preceding the state hosting the 2019-20 preseason competition.
Kestelman has previously said he was hoping to have a deal ready to announce before the end of 2019, but negotiations with the state government continued into the new year.
A new team would be the first to compete in the NBL since South East Melbourne Phoenix joined the competition in 2019-20.
Micko
Roar Rookie
The kiwis were forcing the Huskies to pay for their teams too, so not surprising!
Coastyboi
Guest
For a name, how about the Tassie Rainbows? Or the Tassie Timbers... You know, something natural. Environmental & all that jazz.
hayboy
Roar Rookie
"A new team would be the first to compete in the NBL since..." this season. Bizarre statement lol
Micko
Roar Rookie
Strangely I miss the Canberra Cannons, not sure if you know them or not. But they were an integral part of the NBL for a long time.
Adam
Roar Guru
I did up until 2018. So i have a foot in both camps
Micko
Roar Rookie
I thought you said you live in Canberra?
Timmuh
Roar Guru
Quite a turnaround from the Huskies folding. I thought I saw somwehere that $60m would need to be spent on the DEC. That's a crazy amount, close to what has been spent upgrading Launceston's York Park from about a 1k seated stadium to 20k over 20 years. (Although with inflation York Park would have cost more.) If that's what is required, then games will only be in Hobart and the side will have the same problem the Devils did; nobody north of Oatlands recognised their existence. The Silverdome is in much poorer condition than the DEC, so games in the north of the state seem out of the question if that much is required. Hopefully they don't hit the other problem the Devils had - local management willing to sponsor but without the power to authorise the spend, and their bosses in Melbourne and Sydney refusing it.
Rellum
Roar Guru
It would be the Devils
Nick Symonds
Guest
Tasmania BC vs Melbourne United sounds like a soccer match. Rangers also sounds like a soccer team. Tasmaniacs sounds like an active support section for a soccer club. Team Tasmania - Who thought of that one?
Nick Symonds
Guest
LIST OF NAMES FROM THE MERCURY: DEVILS PRIDE TEAM TASMANIA TASMANIA BC (basketball club) TASMANIACS QUOLLS RANGERS THYLACINES - To those I'd add Tasmania Tempest to go with the Hurricanes and I think Lakers would also work as would Clippers to go with the Sydney to Hobart. Or if you don't want Tasmania in the title, then Island State Warriors.
Adam
Roar Guru
I'm not even really that big a basketball fan. But I'll be getting a membership once the time comes and getting to some games. This is big for Tassie and we need sports fans to make sure they get behind this.
Damo
Guest
https://www.foxsports.com.au/basketball/nbl/f-all-of-them-hopefully-hang-themselves-former-36ers-head-coach-joey-weight-accused-of-assault-abuse-and-threats/news-story/8191c22469f31909916bd0aa7c47c214
Micko
Roar Rookie
Like what?
Wise Old Elf
Guest
Make sure the team is called Tassie Devils to gazump the AFL. Now, let's get the Geelong Supercats back where they belong. The Geelong Council should stop pissing money away on the city centre, where only scum go and build a proper basketball stadium. Bulldoze Market Square and build it there.
Damo
Guest
Great news for the league. The NBL has been slowly ticking all the right boxes over the last couple of years. Unfortunately there's some stuff coming out of Adelaide that might overshadow this :(