NBL to return to Sydney

The National Basketball League is set to build on the success of its 2009/10 season and will welcome a new team to the league in 2010/11.

Sydney will once again have a team in the National Basketball League, with Basketball Australia announcing today that a club based in the New South Wales capital would be included amongst the nine teams to make up an expanded NBL competition for the 2010/11 season.

Sydney will join the existing eight clubs who competed in the recently completed NBL season to make up an expanded league in 2010/11. Those other eight teams are the Hood Sweeney Adelaide 36ers, Skytrans Cairns Taipans, Gold Coast Blaze, OAMPS Melbourne Tigers, Burger King New Zealand Breakers, Perth Wildcats, Townsville McDonald’s Crocodiles and Wollongong ahm Hawks.

While the name for the new Sydney team is yet to be revealed, Basketball Australia Chief Executive Larry Sengstock said that the group backing the club were a diverse collection of very well respected business people who had a passion for basketball, stating “I am delighted to announce that the NBL will be back in Sydney next season, with a very strong consortium making a compelling case for BA to issue them with a license.

“Their application was unanimously endorsed by the NBL Commission last night and as a result they will take their place in the NBL in season 2010/11.

“While the people backing the new Sydney club have asked to remain anonymous for a little longer until they have had the chance to launch the team properly, I can say that the ownership group has impeccable business credentials. They are also all fully committed to making the Sydney team a long-term success both on and off-the-court, and have embraced the NBL’s renewed community focus. This team will be a side for all of Sydney and will have very strong links to the community.”

The Sydney consortium are understood to own the intellectual property rights to the 'Sydney Kings' brand name making it likely that the famous team name will return.

NBL Commission Chair Diane Smith-Gander said that the NBL would look to continue to expand its footprint by including a team in Brisbane in the future, but that only teams that have satisfied the new, more stringent financial criteria would be awarded licenses.

Smith-Gander stated “the NBL Commission and the BA Board are taking a controlled and strategic approach to expansion and are not rushing into additional marketplaces before the time is right

“We have Sydney now and that leaves Brisbane as the only major Australian market in which we don’t have direct representation. We are continuing discussions with a group there and are confident that they will come to fruition, we are targeting the 2011/12 season, but we will not hamstring a team by rushing them into the competition before they are completely ready.

“We need to make sure that we only issue licenses to teams that can meet our criteria and that have the capacity to be successful in the long-term. Sydney and the other eight existing teams all satisfied the NBL Commission that they deserved a license. The NBL will now build on the success of this most recent season, which saw increased attendance and strong television coverage.”

“BA and the NBL have been undergoing a necessary commercial reform process over the past two years.

“The announcement of the nine teams for next season is another significant step in basketball’s growth as a sport.”

The NBL season will start in October 2010 and will conclude in March 2011. The 2011 Finals will once again see the top four teams qualify for the post-season, with one playing four and two playing three in best-of-three Semi Finals. The Grand Final will once again be a best-of-three.