National Basketball League (Australia)

main basketball league of Australia and New Zealand

The National Basketball League is a basketball competition in Australasia. It's current sponsor is Hungry Jack's, so it is also known as the Hungry Jack's NBL Championship. It is the top-level basketball competition in Australasia. The Singapore Slingers once played in this league, meaning it is the first Australasian sporting league ever to have a team from Asia. The league started in 1979, and its most successful time is during the 1980s and 1990s. However, it started to struggle in the 20th century. At the start of the 2004/05 season the league had a deal with Fox Sports of Australia. On September 18, 2007, the National Basketball League had Hummer as their sponsor. one HD started broadcasting in 2010, the first time a game has been on TV for eight years.

National Basketball League
Founded1979; 45 years ago (1979)
First season1979
CountryAustralia
(9 teams)
Other club(s) fromNew Zealand
(1 team)
ConfederationFIBA Oceania (Oceania)
Number of teams10
Level on pyramid1
Domestic cup(s)NBL Cup
Current championsMelbourne United
(2020–21, 6th title)
Most championshipsPerth Wildcats
(10 titles)
CommissionerJeremy Loeliger
PresidentLarry Kestelman
TV partnersAustralia: New Zealand: Online:
WebsiteNBL.com.au

Current clubs

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Overview of NBL teams
Club Location Arena Capacity Head Coach Titles Founded
  Adelaide 36ers   Adelaide Adelaide Entertainment Centre 11,300   Scott Ninnis 4 1982
  Brisbane Bullets   Brisbane Nissan Arena 5,000   Justin Schueller 3 1979
  Cairns Taipans   Cairns Cairns Convention Centre 5,300   Adam Forde 0 1999
  Illawarra Hawks   Wollongong Wollongong Entertainment Centre 6,000   Justin Tatum 1 1979
  Melbourne United   Melbourne John Cain Arena 10,175   Dean Vickerman 6 1984
  New Zealand Breakers   Auckland Spark Arena 9,740   Mody Maor 4 2003
  Perth Wildcats   Perth Perth Arena 15,500   John Rillie 10 1982
  S.E. Melbourne Phoenix   Melbourne John Cain Arena 10,175   Mike Kelly 0 2018
  Sydney Kings   Sydney Sydney SuperDome 18,200   Mahmoud Abdelfattah 5 1988
  Tasmania JackJumpers   Hobart MyState Bank Arena 4,340   Scott Roth 0 2020

Former clubs

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Overview of defunct NBL teams
Club Location Years
  Canberra Cannons   Canberra 1979–2003
  Devonport Warriors   Devonport 1983–1984
  Eastside Spectres   Nunawading 1979–1991
  Forestville Eagles[1]   Wayville 1980–1981
  Frankston Bears   Frankston 1983–1984
  Geelong Supercats   Geelong 1982–1996
  Glenelg Tigers   Glenelg 1979
  Gold Coast Blaze   Gold Coast 2007–2012
  Gold Coast Rollers   Gold Coast 1990–1996
  Hobart Devils   Hobart 1983–1996
  Hunter Pirates   Newcastle 2003–2006
  Launceston Casino City   Launceston 1980–1982
  Newcastle Falcons   Newcastle 1979–1999
  North Melbourne Giants   North Melbourne 1980–1998
  Singapore Slingers   Singapore 20062008
  South Dragons   Melbourne 2006–2009
  S.E. Melbourne Magic   Melbourne 1992–1998
  Southern Melbourne Saints   Melbourne 1979–1991
  Sydney Supersonics   Sydney 1979–1987
  Townsville Crocodiles[2]   Townsville 1993–2016
  Victoria Titans   Melbourne 1998–2004
  West Adelaide Bearcats   Adelaide 1979–1984
  West Sydney Razorbacks   Western Sydney 1998–2009
  West Sydney Westars   Bankstown 1979–1987

Sponsors

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Naming rights

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  • 1979 to 1987: none
  • 1988 to 1991: Hungry Jack's
  • 1992 to 2001–02: Mitsubishi[3]
  • 2002–03 to 2003–04: none
  • 2004–05 to 2006–07: Philips[4]
  • 2007–08: Hummer[5]
  • 2008–09 to 2009–10: none
  • 2010–11 to 2012–13: iiNet
  • 2013–14 to 2016–17: none
  • 2017–18 to present: Hungry Jack's[6]

Broadcasting

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Since 1995, the league has had a broadcasting deal for paid programming with Fox Sports of Australia. For free TV, they were first sponsored by ABC from 1979 to 1987. Then they were sponsored by Seven Network for three years, and then from Network Ten from 1992 to 1997. From 1998 to 2001, they were again sponsored by ABC. The league did not have free TV for almost a decade, until in 2010 when Network Ten HD started broadcasting. This contract ended in 2015. The current broadcasting rights are owned by SBS.

NBLxNBA

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The NBLxNBA is an annual series involving clubs from the NBL and the National Basketball Association (NBA) of the United States. The series started in 2017 for each league's 2017–18 season, and each season includes between three and seven games. The games have previously always been held in the US and Canada, and are normally held during September and early October.

References

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  1. "After 40 years, Eagles return to the nest and celebrate a milestone in SA basketball history".
  2. "Townsville Crocodiles withdraw from the NBL". Archived from the original on 2 October 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  3. "NBL lines up a new naming-rights sponsor". The Age. 16 July 2003. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  4. "NBL signs naming rights sponsor". www.abc.net.au. 2004-09-08. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  5. Howell, Stephen (2007-09-19). "New sponsor gives NBL a rev-up". The Age. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  6. Ward, Roy (2017-10-04). "NBL sign new naming-rights sponsor as season tips off". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2020-06-16.