National Basketball League (Australia)

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National Basketball League (Australia)

The National Basketball League is Australia

Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
's top-level professional basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a basketball through a 10 feet high hoop under organized rules....
competition.

The league commenced in 1979

1979 NBL Season

Here are results and statistics from the National Basketball League season of 1979....
, playing a winter season (April–September) and did so until the completion of the 20th season in 1998. The 1998/99 season, which commenced only months later, was the first season after the shift to the current summer season format (October–April). This shift was an attempt to avoid competing directly against Australia's various football

Football

File:Football4.pngFootball is the word given to a number of similar team sports, all of which involve kicking a ball with the foot in an attempt to score a Goal ....
codes.

There are currently 10 teams in the league, with teams in four capital cities Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, as well as regional centers Cairns

Cairns, Queensland

Cairns is a regional city in Far North Queensland, Australia. The area upon which the city has been built is known in the local Yidiny language as Gimuy....
, Townsville

Townsville, Queensland

Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef, it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland....
, Gold Coast

Gold Coast, Queensland

The Gold Coast is a city and Local Government Areas of Australia in the South East Queensland corner of Queensland, Australia. It is the second most populous city in the state and the List of cities in Australia by population in the country....
and Wollongong

Wollongong, New South Wales

Wollongong is a seaside city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 82 kilometres south of Sydney....
, plus New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
.

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Encyclopedia

The National Basketball League is Australia

Australia

Basketball

1979 NBL Season

Football

Cairns, Queensland

Cairns is a regional city in Far North Queensland, Australia. The area upon which the city has been built is known in the local Yidiny language as Gimuy....
, Townsville

Townsville, Queensland

Gold Coast, Queensland

Wollongong, New South Wales

New Zealand

South Dragons

The South Dragons is a team in Australia's National Basketball League . They made their d?but in the 2006-07 season. The club is based in Melbourne, and is the city's second NBL team; the other is the Melbourne Tigers, which entered the league in 1984....
, entered the league in season 2006/07

2006-07 NBL Season

The 2006-07 National Basketball League is the 29th season of professional basketball in Australia. For the first time, a team was established from outside the Australasian area, with the Singapore Slingers taking over the licence of the Hunter Pirates....
. The National Basketball League has also become the first Australian sporting league to field a team from Asia

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
with the Singapore Slingers

Singapore Slingers

Gold Coast Blaze

The Gold Coast Blaze is an Australian basketball team which competes in the National Basketball League . The Blaze competed in their inaugural season in 2007/08....
joined the competition this 2007/08 season.

The league's best years were arguably in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but it has struggled recently and many teams have downsized to smaller venues to cut costs. A number of clubs have folded or ceased to compete in the competition. The previous major sponsor of the NBL was Mitsubishi Motors

Mitsubishi Motors

is the fifth largest automaker in Japan and the fifteenth largest in the world by global unit sales. It is part of the Mitsubishi keiretsu, formerly the biggest industrial group in Japan, and was formed in 1970 from the automotive division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries....
. Mitsubishi, which left its sponsorship when the ABC ceased televising NBL basketball games left the National Basketball League close to folding.

Despite these issues, at the start of the 2004/05

2004-05 NBL Season

Here are the results and statistics from the National Basketball League season of 2004-2005....
season the league struck a new television deal with Fox Sports

Fox Sports (Australia)

Philips

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , usually known as Philips, is a Netherlands electronics company. It is one of the largest electronics companies in the world, founded and headquartered in the Netherlands....
. In 2007, Philips announced they would not continuing their naming rights sponsorship after the current contract ends in June in response to the National Basketball League wishing to increase the sponsorship deal. On September 18, 2007, the National Basketball League announced Hummer

Hummer

Hummer is a brand of off-road vehicles sold by General Motors . The original H1 was based on the military High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle ....
as their naming rights sponsor for the 2007/08 season.

Most teams have historically featured at least one and usually two America

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
n imports; teams are limited to having two non-Australians on the roster at any one time. Some of these players have moved to Australia permanently and become Australian citizens; a few have even played for the Australian national team (under a rule that allowed one naturalized player to compete for a national team). One former American NBL player, Arne Duncan

Arne Duncan

Arne Duncan is an United States education administrator and currently United States Secretary of Education since January 20, 2009. Duncan had previously served as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools....
(of the Eastside Spectres

South East Melbourne Magic

The South East Melbourne Magic were an Australian basketball team, that played in Melbourne, Victoria, in the National Basketball League . The team was the result of a merger of two Melbourne clubs for the 1991 season....
, 1987-'91), went on to be be named United States Secretary of Education

United States Secretary of Education

The United States Secretary of Education is the head of the United States Department of Education. The Secretary is a member of the President of the United States United States Cabinet, and 16th in line of United States presidential line of succession....
by Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II is the List of Presidents of the United States and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office....
. Duncan met his future wife in Tasmania

Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and States and territories of Australia of the same name. It is located south of the eastern side of the continent, being separated from it by Bass Strait....
whilst playing for the Spectres.

Current Teams

Club	Founded	City	Home Venue	Venues Capacity
Adelaide 36ers Adelaide 36ers The Adelaide 36ers are Adelaide's men's professional basketball team, established as the Adelaide City Eagles when they joined the National Basketball League in 1982....	1983	Adelaide Adelaide Adelaide is the List of Australian capital cities and most populous city of the Australian States and territories of Australia of South Australia, and is the fifth-largest city in Australia, with a population of more than 1.1 million.... , South Australia South Australia South Australia is a States and territories of Australia of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories....	Distinctive Homes Dome Distinctive Homes Dome Distinctive Homes Dome is a privately owned, state of the art multipurpose indoor facility. Home of the Adelaide 36ers of the NBL and the Adelaide Lightning of the WNBL as well as the sports local grassroots body Basketball SA, the venue is widely considered the home of basketball in South Australia....	7,800
Cairns Taipans Cairns Taipans The Cairns Taipans are a professional basketball team competing in Australia's National Basketball League . The club is based in the northern Queensland city of Cairns, Queensland....	1999/2000	Cairns, Queensland Queensland Queensland is a States and territories of Australia of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south....	Cairns Convention Centre Cairns Convention Centre Cairns Convention Centre is multi-purpose meeting venue, concert hall and indoor arena located in Cairns, Australia. It is the home arena of the Cairns Taipans basketball team....	5,300
Gold Coast Blaze Gold Coast Blaze The Gold Coast Blaze is an Australian basketball team which competes in the National Basketball League . The Blaze competed in their inaugural season in 2007/08....	2007/2008	Gold Coast, Queensland Gold Coast, Queensland The Gold Coast is a city and Local Government Areas of Australia in the South East Queensland corner of Queensland, Australia. It is the second most populous city in the state and the List of cities in Australia by population in the country....	Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre on the Gold Coast Highway in Broadbeach, Queensland, Gold Coast, Queensland was opened on 29 June 2004 at a cost of $167 million and is linked by a covered walkway to Conrad Jupiters....	5,269
Melbourne Tigers Melbourne Tigers The Melbourne Tigers are a team in the Australian National Basketball League , and along with the South Dragons is one of two teams based in Melbourne....	1984	Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the more common name for the geographic region and Census in Australia of the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area. It is the second List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million and serves as the List of Australian capital cities of Victoria .... , Victoria Victoria (Australia) File:Map Victoria Aboriginal tribes .jpgVictoria is a States and territories of Australia located in the southeastern corner of Australia. It is the smallest mainland state in area but the most Population density and urbanised....	State Netball and Hockey Centre State Netball and Hockey Centre State Netball Hockey Centre is a multipurpose sporting facility located in Melbourne, Australia. It is the home arena of the Melbourne Vixens netball team in the ANZ Championship, and the Melbourne Tigers National Basketball League team....	3,500
New Zealand Breakers New Zealand Breakers The New Zealand Breakers are a professional basketball team competing in Australia's National Basketball League . The Breakers joined the NBL for the 2003/04 season, along with the Hunter Pirates, as one of the two expansion clubs....	2003/2004	Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban areas of New Zealand with over 1.3 million residents, percent of the country's population.... , New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....	North Shore Events Centre North Shore Events Centre North Shore Events Centre is an indoor arena located in Auckland, New Zealand. The arena primarily hosts basketball games and is the part-time home arena of the New Zealand Breakers....	4,500
Perth Wildcats Perth Wildcats The Perth Wildcats are an Australia basketball team competing in the National Basketball League . The Wildcats are the only team in the league representing the state of Western Australia and are based in the state capital, Perth, Western Australia....	1982	Perth Perth, Western Australia Perth is the List of Australian capital cities and largest city of the Australian States and territories of Australia of Western Australia. With a population of 1,554,769 , Perth ranks fourth amongst the nation's cities, with a growth rate consistently above the national average.... , Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a States and territories of Australia occupying the entire western third of the Australia . The nation's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.1 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state....	Challenge Stadium Challenge Stadium Challenge Stadium is a sports complex in the suburb of Mount Claremont, west of Perth, Western Australia, Western Australia. It was opened in 1986 and is home to the Western Australian Institute of Sport....	4,500
South Dragons South Dragons The South Dragons is a team in Australia's National Basketball League . They made their d?but in the 2006-07 season. The club is based in Melbourne, and is the city's second NBL team; the other is the Melbourne Tigers, which entered the league in 1984....	2006/2007	Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the more common name for the geographic region and Census in Australia of the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area. It is the second List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million and serves as the List of Australian capital cities of Victoria .... , Victoria Victoria (Australia) File:Map Victoria Aboriginal tribes .jpgVictoria is a States and territories of Australia located in the southeastern corner of Australia. It is the smallest mainland state in area but the most Population density and urbanised....	Hisense Arena	10,500
Sydney Spirit	1998/1999	Sydney Sydney Sydney is the List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million . It is the List of Australian capital cities of New South Wales, and was the site of the first British Empire colony in Australia.... , New South Wales New South Wales New South Wales is Australia's oldest and most populous States and territories of Australia, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria and south of Queensland....	Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre Sydney Olympic Park File:Australia stadium aka ANZ stadium.jpgSydney Olympic Park is a 640-hectare site located in the suburb of Homebush Bay, New South Wales in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....	5,000
Townsville Crocodiles Townsville Crocodiles The Townsville Crocodiles are a basketball team competing in the Australian National Basketball League . Since being established for the 1993 NBL season, the Crocodiles have enjoyed financial stability and sustained community support, but on-court success has eluded them....	1993	Townsville, Queensland Queensland Queensland is a States and territories of Australia of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south....	Townsville Entertainment Centre Townsville Entertainment Centre Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre is an indoor arena located in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It is the home arena of the Townsville Crocodiles basketball team....	5,257
Wollongong Hawks Wollongong Hawks The Wollongong Hawks are a team competing in Australia's National Basketball League , based in the New South Wales city of Wollongong. They won the NBL championship in 2001 and finished as runners-up in 2005....	1979	Wollongong, New South Wales New South Wales New South Wales is Australia's oldest and most populous States and territories of Australia, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria and south of Queensland....	WIN Entertainment Centre WIN Entertainment Centre WIN Entertainment Centre, formerly the Wollongong Entertainment Centre and often referred to simply as the WEC, is a multipurpose indoor arena located in downtown Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia....	5,800

Former and Defunct teams

Selection. See List of defunct National Basketball League (Australia) teams

List of defunct National Basketball League (Australia) teams

Defunct teams by relationsFootnotes ...
for a more in depth list

Brisbane Bullets
Brisbane Bullets

The Brisbane Bullets were, until 2008, a professional basketball team competing in Australia's National Basketball League . The Bullets were one of only two teams that survived since the NBL's inception in 1979; the only surviving team is now the Wollongong Hawks....
Sydney Kings
Sydney Kings

The Sydney Kings were a basketball team competing in the National Basketball League in Australia. They were the first team to win three consecutive championships in the NBL....
Canberra Cannons
Canberra Cannons

The Canberra Cannons were a basketball team competing in the Australian National Basketball League . They went into financial administration in 2003 and were relocated to Newcastle, Australia, where they became the Hunter Pirates....
Hunter Pirates
Hunter Pirates

The Hunter Pirates were an Australian basketball team, based in the city of Newcastle, New South Wales, that competed in the National Basketball League ....
North Melbourne Giants
North Melbourne Giants

The North Melbourne Giants were an Australian basketball team, that played in Melbourne, Victoria , in the National Basketball League ....
Singapore Slingers
Singapore Slingers

The Singapore Slingers are an Asian basketball team that formerly competed in the Australian National Basketball League . They were the first, and so far only, Asia-based club to compete in the NBL when they joined at the start of the 2006/2007 season....
South East Melbourne Magic
South East Melbourne Magic

The South East Melbourne Magic were an Australian basketball team, that played in Melbourne, Victoria, in the National Basketball League . The team was the result of a merger of two Melbourne clubs for the 1991 season....
Geelong Supercats
Geelong Supercats

The Geelong Supercats are an Australian basketball team, based in the Victoria, Australia town of Geelong, that currently plays in the Australian Basketball Association and previously played in the National Basketball League ....
St. Kilda Saints aka Southern Melbourne Saints
Nunawading Spectres aka Eastside Spectres
Hobart Devils
Hobart Devils

The Hobart Devils were an Australian basketball team that played in Hobart, Tasmania, in the National Basketball League . The team was the only representative from the state of Tasmania for the majority of its tenure, but was one of three teams that had their NBL licenses revoked by the league directors in 1996 due to financial difficulties....

Broadcasting Details

Currently the primary broadcaster of the NBL in Australia is pay television channel Fox Sports

Fox Sports (Australia)

Fox Sports is an Australian group of sports channels. They are owned by the Premier Media Group, which is in turn owned by News Corporation, and Publishing and Broadcasting Limited....
, airing matches on Wednesdays. The primary broadcaster of the NBL in New Zealand is free-to-air network Maori Television, after signing a deal before the 2007/08 season, who will broadcast all the home games of the New Zealand Breakers. Pay television channel Sky TV, who previously broadcast the home games of the Breakers, are expected to show replayed games and other Fox Sports coverage.

In 2007, the league signed a deal with free-to-air Network Channel 9

Nine Network

The Nine Network, or Channel Nine, is an Australian Television broadcasting in Australia based in Willoughby, New South Wales, a suburb on the North Shore of Sydney....
airing a weekly highlights package of games that have aired previously on Fox Sports. The last time the NBL had been on free-to-air television was in the early 2000s, when a weekly highlights show and a game of the week were aired on the ABC. Prior to that, it had agreements with the Seven (1988–1991) and Ten (1992–1997) networks, the latter during the league's most successful period. Games were also aired on many regional stations as well, mainly Capital Television and Ten Northern NSW (now Southern Cross Ten

Southern Cross Ten

Southern Cross Ten is an Australian television channel broadcast by the Macquarie Media Group in Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia....
), Seven Queensland

Seven Queensland

STQ is an Australian television station, licensed to, and serving the regional areas of Queensland. The station is Owned-and-operated station by the Seven Network from studios located in Maroochydore, Queensland on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, using the callsign STQ, which stands for Sunshine Television, Queenslan...
, WIN Television

WIN Television

WIN Television is an Australian Australian television broadcasting owned by the WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia....
and NBN Television

NBN Television

For Philippine TV Network. see National Broadcasting NetworkNBN Television is a television station based in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia....
at varying stages.

Radio coverage is limited only to local station 4TO Townsville, who cover Crocodiles matches, SEN who covers the Melbourne Tigers and South Dragons and ABC 891 who covers the Adelaide 36ers matches (usually over the internet.)

From Saturday October 27th 2007, Radio 1611 AM 3XX began broadcasting Melbourne hosted games of the Melbourne Tigers and South Dragons. Sport FM 91.3 currently broadcasts all Perth Wildcats home game and most away games. In the commentry box are Jason Dattilo, CJ Jackson and Eric Watterson.

Hall of Fame

The National Basketball League celebrated 20 seasons of competition in 1998. As part of the celebrations, the NBL initiated the Hall of Fame to recognise the outstanding players, coaches, referees and contributors to the league.

In order to be eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame, candidates must have fulfilled the following criteria:

Players must have made an outstanding contribution to the NBL, have been retired for a minimum of four seasons, and have played 100 NBL games or more.
Coaches must have made an outstanding contribution to the NBL, have been retired for at least four seasons, and have been an NBL head coach for 10 seasons or more.
Referees must have made an outstanding contribution to the league and have been retired for at least four seasons.
Contributors must have made an outstanding contribution to the NBL, and may be elected at any time.

Inductees are listed in alphabetical order.

Name	Award	Inducted
Barry Barnes	Coach	1998
Ray Borner Ray Borner Ray Borner is a former Australian basketball player who competed in the National Basketball League . Borner played 518 NBL games over 22 seasons for four separate teams: ...	Player	2006
Cal Bruton Cal Bruton Calvin Bruton is a former player and a current coach in the Australian National Basketball League . Originally an American import, but later becoming a naturalised Australian, Bruton has been an integral part of the league since its inception....	Player	1998
Steve Carfino Steve Carfino Steve Carfino is an American-Australian former basketball player, who competed in the Australian National Basketball League and is currently a Sportscaster for NBL matches played on the Fox Sports channel on Foxtel....	Player	2004
Wayne Carroll	Player	1999
Eddie Crouch	Referee	2007
Ian Davies	Player	2001
Mark Davis Mark Davis Mark Davis may refer to:...	Player	2006
Scott Fisher Scott Fisher (basketball) Scott Fisher is a retired United States-Australian basketball player and former head coach of the National Basketball League 's Perth Wildcats....	Player	2007
Al Green	Player	1999
Michael Johnson	Player	2004
Damian Keogh	Player	2000
Brian Kerle	Coach	2006
Leroy Loggins Leroy Loggins Leroy Loggins is a former professional basketball player in the Australian National Basketball League from 1981 to the 2000/2001 season....	Player	2006
Herb McEachin	Player	1998
Danny Morseu Danny Morseu Danny Morseu is an Australian basketball player who played on the Australian national basketball team – known as the "Boomers" – in the 1980 Summer Olympics and 1984 Summer Olympics....	Player	2002
Bill Palmer	Contributor	1998
Darryl Pearce	Player	2002
John Raschke	Contributor	1998
Larry Sengstock Larry Sengstock Larry Sengstock is a retired Australian basketball player. Larry played for Lang Park Basketball club as a junior. He was one of the star players in the early years of Australia's fledgling National Basketball League ....	Player	2001
Phil Smyth Phil Smyth Philip John Smyth Order of Australia is an Australian former basketball player and previous head coach of the National Basketball League 's Adelaide 36ers....	Player	2000
Malcom speed	Contributor	2000
Bob Turner	Coach	2000
Andrew Vlahov Andrew Vlahov Andrew Mitchell Vlahov is a former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball League of Australia from 1991 through till the 2002 season....	Player	2007

List of Champions

Team	W	Season	Notes
Perth Wildcats	4	1990, 1991, 1995, 2000
Adelaide 36ers	4	1986, 1998, 1999, 2002
Melbourne Tigers	4	1993, 1997, 2006, 2008
Canberra Cannons	3	1983, 1984, 1988	Became Hunter Pirates Hunter Pirates The Hunter Pirates were an Australian basketball team, based in the city of Newcastle, New South Wales, that competed in the National Basketball League .... in 2003
Sydney Kings	3	2003, 2004, 2005	Licence was revoked June 2008
Brisbane Bullets	3	1985, 1987, 2007	Team withdrew June 2008
St Kilda Saints	2	1979, 1980	Became Westside Saints in 1987
North Melbourne Giants	2	1989, 1994	Merged to form Victoria Titans Victoria Titans The Victoria Titans were an Australia basketball team, that played in Melbourne, Victoria, in the National Basketball League . The team was the result of a merger of two Melbourne clubs for the inaugural NBL summer season of 1999.... in 1998
South East Melbourne Magic	2	1992, 1996	Merged to form Victoria Titans Victoria Titans The Victoria Titans were an Australia basketball team, that played in Melbourne, Victoria, in the National Basketball League . The team was the result of a merger of two Melbourne clubs for the inaugural NBL summer season of 1999.... in 1998
Launceston Casino City	1	1981	Team folded in 1983
West Adelaide Bearcats	1	1982	Left NBL in 1984, now in ABA
Wollongong Hawks	1	2001	Left NBL after 2008/09 season.

Teams in bold are current members of the NBL.

NBL Finals

Season	Champion	Result	Runners-Up	Notes
1979 1979 NBL Season Here are results and statistics from the National Basketball League season of 1979....	St Kilda Saints	94 – 93	Canberra Cannons	Single game final used
1980 1980 NBL Season Here are the results and statistics from the National Basketball League season of 1980....	St Kilda Saints	113 – 88	West Adelaide Bearcats
1981 1981 NBL Season Here are the results and statistics from the National Basketball League season of 1981....	Launceston Casino City	75 – 54	Nunawading Spectres
1982	West Adelaide Bearcats	80 – 74	Geelong Cats
1983	Canberra Cannons	75 – 73	West Adelaide Bearcats
1984	Canberra Cannons	84 – 82	Brisbane Bullets
1985	Brisbane Bullets	121 – 95	Adelaide 36ers
1986	Adelaide 36ers	2 - 1	Brisbane Bullets	Best of three games finals series first used.
1987	Brisbane Bullets	2 - 0	Perth Wildcats
1988	Canberra Cannons	2 - 1	North Melbourne Giants
1989	North Melbourne Giants	2 - 1	Canberra Cannons
1990	Perth Wildcats	2 - 1	Brisbane Bullets
1991	Perth Wildcats	2 - 1	Eastside Melbourne Spectres
1992	South East Melbourne Magic	2 - 1	Melbourne Tigers
1993	Melbourne Tigers	2 - 1	Perth Wildcats
1994	North Melbourne Giants	2 - 0	Adelaide 36ers
1995	Perth Wildcats	2 - 1	North Melbourne Giants
1996	South East Melbourne Magic	2 - 1	Melbourne Tigers
1997	Melbourne Tigers	2 - 1	South East Melbourne Magic
1998	Adelaide 36ers	2 - 0	South East Melbourne Magic
1998-99	Adelaide 36ers	2 - 1	Victoria Titans
1999-00	Perth Wildcats	2 - 0	Victoria Titans
2000-01	Wollongong Hawks	2 - 1	Townsville Crocodiles
2001-02 2001-02 NBL Season Here are the results and statistics from the National Basketball League season of 2000-2001....	Adelaide 36ers	2 - 1	West Sydney Razorbacks
2002-03	Sydney Kings	2 - 0	Perth Wildcats
2003-04 2003-04 NBL Season Here are the results and statistics from the National Basketball League season of 2003-2004....	Sydney Kings	3 - 2	West Sydney Razorbacks	Best of five games finals series first used.
2004-05 2004-05 NBL Season Here are the results and statistics from the National Basketball League season of 2004-2005....	Sydney Kings	3 - 0	Wollongong Hawks
2005-06 2005-06 NBL Season Here are the results and statistics from the National Basketball League season of 2005-2006....	Melbourne Tigers	3 - 0	Sydney Kings
2006-07 2006-07 NBL Season The 2006-07 National Basketball League is the 29th season of professional basketball in Australia. For the first time, a team was established from outside the Australasian area, with the Singapore Slingers taking over the licence of the Hunter Pirates....	Brisbane Bullets	3 - 1	Melbourne Tigers
2007-08 2007-08 NBL Season 2007-08 is the 30th NBL season.On November 21, 2006, the NBL announced that Gold Coast Blaze will join the league, expanding it to 13 teams....	Melbourne Tigers	3 - 2	Sydney Kings	Marked last game of the Sydney Kings before licence was revoked.

Rivalries

Adelaide 36ers
Adelaide 36ers

The Adelaide 36ers are Adelaide's men's professional basketball team, established as the Adelaide City Eagles when they joined the National Basketball League in 1982....
vs Perth Wildcats
Perth Wildcats

The Perth Wildcats are an Australia basketball team competing in the National Basketball League . The Wildcats are the only team in the league representing the state of Western Australia and are based in the state capital, Perth, Western Australia....

Both teams were perennial championship contenders in the late 80's and early 90's and had several marquee players with excellent matchups, the two most notable involving the imports: Al Green (Adelaide) vs Cal Bruton

Cal Bruton

Mark Davis (NBL)

Mark Davis is a naturalised Australian former basketball player who played from 1985 to 2001 with the National Basketball League 's Adelaide 36ers, gaining the nickname of "Chairman of the Boards" for his record breaking rebounding achievements....
(Adelaide) vs James Crawford

James Crawford (basketball)

James Crawford is a former professional basketball player in the National Basketball League of Australia from 1982 through till the 1999 season....
(Perth). Games during this era were rarely blowouts and helped to fuel the rivalry. Ironically, the two teams have never played each other in the final series. As the mainstay players began to slow with age and retire, the intensity of this rivalry has declined. The two clubs remain the most successful in the NBL with 4 championships each and are 1st & 2nd on the all-time wins list, and have also matched up on more occasions (76, including 20 in the playoffs) than any other two teams in the NBL (as at November 9, 2005).

Adelaide 36ers
Adelaide 36ers

The Adelaide 36ers are Adelaide's men's professional basketball team, established as the Adelaide City Eagles when they joined the National Basketball League in 1982....
vs Brisbane Bullets
Brisbane Bullets

The Brisbane Bullets were, until 2008, a professional basketball team competing in Australia's National Basketball League . The Bullets were one of only two teams that survived since the NBL's inception in 1979; the only surviving team is now the Wollongong Hawks....

Both teams were perennial championship contenders in the mid 80's and faced each other in the final for 3 consecutive years between 1985 and 1987. NBL legends Al Green, Mark Davis

Mark Davis (NBL)

Leroy Loggins

Leroy Loggins is a former professional basketball player in the Australian National Basketball League from 1981 to the 2000/2001 season....
, Larry Sengstock

Larry Sengstock

Larry Sengstock is a retired Australian basketball player. Larry played for Lang Park Basketball club as a junior. He was one of the star players in the early years of Australia's fledgling National Basketball League ....
& Cal Bruton

Cal Bruton

Calvin Bruton is a former player and a current coach in the Australian National Basketball League . Originally an American import, but later becoming a naturalised Australian, Bruton has been an integral part of the league since its inception....
(who moved to Perth in 1987 as the Adelaide / Perth rivalry developed) from Brisbane were all in the prime of their careers during this period.

Adelaide 36ers
Adelaide 36ers

The Adelaide 36ers are Adelaide's men's professional basketball team, established as the Adelaide City Eagles when they joined the National Basketball League in 1982....
vs Melbourne Tigers
Melbourne Tigers

The Melbourne Tigers are a team in the Australian National Basketball League , and along with the South Dragons is one of two teams based in Melbourne....

This rivalry largely stems from the switch by Mark Bradtke

Mark Bradtke

Mark Robert "Hoges" Bradtke is a retired Australian professional basketball player in Australia's National Basketball League . He started his career with the Adelaide 36ers before moving to the Melbourne Tigers and then to the Brisbane Bullets....
to the Tigers (from the 36ers) at the end of the 1992 season, inciting the wrath of 36ers fans. As such, it could just as easily be referred to as the Adelaide 36ers fans vs Mark Bradtke rivalry.

Melbourne Tigers
Melbourne Tigers

The Melbourne Tigers are a team in the Australian National Basketball League , and along with the South Dragons is one of two teams based in Melbourne....
vs South East Melbourne Magic
South East Melbourne Magic

The South East Melbourne Magic were an Australian basketball team, that played in Melbourne, Victoria, in the National Basketball League . The team was the result of a merger of two Melbourne clubs for the 1991 season....

This early 90's battle to rule Melbourne raged at a time when interest in the NBL was at an all-time high, and attracted very large crowds to the 15,000 seat National Tennis Centre (now Rod Laver Arena). Key figures in these matchups were, for the Tigers: Andrew Gaze

Andrew Gaze

Andrew Barry Casson Gaze is Australia's best known basketball player, and one of its most successful.Son of Australian basketball stalwart Lindsay Gaze, Andrew began a stellar career in the National Basketball League at age 18, being named Rookie of the year in 1984....
, Lanard Copeland

Lanard Copeland

Lanard Copeland is a retired American-born Australian professional basketball player in the National Basketball League , he had played with the Melbourne Tigers, the Brisbane Bullets and the Adelaide 36ers....
, Mark Bradtke

Mark Bradtke

Ray Gordon

Ray Gordon is a former NBL Melbourne Tigers player.References...
; for the Magic: Robert Rose

Robert Rose

Robert Rose is a retired United States / Australian professional basketball player in the Australian National Basketball League .Rose played 2 games in the NBA for the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1988-89 NBA season after signing a 10-day contract....
, Tony Ronaldson

Tony Ronaldson

Anthony Dean "Bear" Ronaldson is an Australian basketballer currently playing in the National Basketball League ....
, Bruce Bolden, Darren Lucas, John Dorge, Andrew Parkinson

Andrew Parkinson

Andrew Parkinson is a former Australian basketballer in the National Basketball League .Known as "Parky", he played for the Geelong Supercats , Southern Melbourne Saints , and the South East Melbourne Magic ....
.

Sydney Kings
Sydney Kings

The Sydney Kings were a basketball team competing in the National Basketball League in Australia. They were the first team to win three consecutive championships in the NBL....
vs West Sydney Razorbacks
West Sydney Razorbacks

The Sydney Spirit are a professional basketball team competing in Australia's National Basketball League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales....

West Sydney Razorbacks fans are generally ex-Kings fans who became disillusioned with the team during the 1990s and ceased following the NBL altogether. The Razorbacks played the Kings in their first ever game in 1998. A controversial double technical foul late in the 4th quarter by Matt Nielsen, firstly for swinging on the ring and then for an obscene hand gesture, swung the game the Razorbacks way and gave the Kings a humiliating defeat. The two teams have hated each other ever since. The two teams met in a memorable Grand Final series in 2004 and the Razorbacks led the Kings 2 game to 1 and had a chance to clinch the title at home in Game 4. Behind their home crowd the Pigs rallied to tie the game but the Kings found a way to win the thrilling Game 4 and the Kings put the series away with a come from behind Game 5 victory in Sydney.

Cairns Taipans
Cairns Taipans

The Cairns Taipans are a professional basketball team competing in Australia's National Basketball League . The club is based in the northern Queensland city of Cairns, Queensland....
vs Townsville Crocodiles
Townsville Crocodiles

The Townsville Crocodiles are a basketball team competing in the Australian National Basketball League . Since being established for the 1993 NBL season, the Crocodiles have enjoyed financial stability and sustained community support, but on-court success has eluded them....

Despite the large geographical separation of these two cities, a local derby style rivalry has developed to determine which is the dominant North Queensland team.

Cairns and Townsville are two teams that are allegedly widely reviled by fans all around the league. Their rivalry mirrors that of South East Melbourne Magic
South East Melbourne Magic

The South East Melbourne Magic were an Australian basketball team, that played in Melbourne, Victoria, in the National Basketball League . The team was the result of a merger of two Melbourne clubs for the 1991 season....
/ Victoria Titans
Victoria Titans

The Victoria Titans were an Australia basketball team, that played in Melbourne, Victoria, in the National Basketball League . The team was the result of a merger of two Melbourne clubs for the inaugural NBL summer season of 1999....
/ Victoria Giants and the Sydney Kings
Sydney Kings

The Sydney Kings were a basketball team competing in the National Basketball League in Australia. They were the first team to win three consecutive championships in the NBL....
.

Sydney Kings
Sydney Kings

The Sydney Kings were a basketball team competing in the National Basketball League in Australia. They were the first team to win three consecutive championships in the NBL....
vs Wollongong Hawks
Wollongong Hawks

The Wollongong Hawks are a team competing in Australia's National Basketball League , based in the New South Wales city of Wollongong. They won the NBL championship in 2001 and finished as runners-up in 2005....

Being only 90 minutes drive away from each other there was always going to be a rivalry. This rivalry has also seen a Grand Final series where the Kings swept the Hawks in 3 games in a very one sided series winning all 3 in blowouts. Whenever the Kings are playing in Wollongong, WIN Entertainment Centre

WIN Entertainment Centre

WIN Entertainment Centre, formerly the Wollongong Entertainment Centre and often referred to simply as the WEC, is a multipurpose indoor arena located in downtown Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia....
is usually sold out. Wollongong fans view the Kings as spoilt cousins, and as such, hate the Kings. The signing by the Sydney Kings of beloved Wollongong hero Glen Saville

Glen Saville

Glen Saville is an Australian professional basketball player, currently playing for the Wollongong Hawks in the Australian National Basketball League....
has taken the rivalry to a new level, but upon the sad demise of the Kings, Saville returned to the Illawarra

Illawarra

File:Subpointlookout.jpgIllawarra is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a coastal region situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the Shoalhaven region, encompassing the cities of Wollongong and Shellharbour and the municipality of Kiama....
, where his iconic number 12 singlet was retired at the end of the 2008/2009 season.

Melbourne Tigers
Melbourne Tigers

The Melbourne Tigers are a team in the Australian National Basketball League , and along with the South Dragons is one of two teams based in Melbourne....
vs South Dragons
South Dragons

The South Dragons is a team in Australia's National Basketball League . They made their d?but in the 2006-07 season. The club is based in Melbourne, and is the city's second NBL team; the other is the Melbourne Tigers, which entered the league in 1984....

In its infancy, but with all the hallmarks of being the battle of Victorian supremacy. Local derby matches typically sell out at the Tigers 3500 seat home stadium (mostly Tiger Fans), "The Cage"

State Netball and Hockey Centre

State Netball Hockey Centre is a multipurpose sporting facility located in Melbourne, Australia. It is the home arena of the Melbourne Vixens netball team in the ANZ Championship, and the Melbourne Tigers National Basketball League team....
, and attracts 7000–9000 fans to the Dragons home stadium, Hisense Arena. In 2008 the rivalry intensified when Ebi Ere signed with the Dragons only to be released to allow him to pursue an NBA career. Shortly after he was released by the Dragons he signed on with the Tigers. Tigers centre Chris Anstey made comments before the first derby of the 2008-2009, claiming that there was in fact no rivalry present between the Tigers and Dragons due to the lack of competition from the Dragons teams of the previous 2 seasons. The rebuilt Dragons team of the 2008/2009 season legitimised the labelling of the Dragons vs Tigers as a true rivalry with a convincing 108-80 victory over the Tigers.

The NBL in the future

The NBL experienced its golden age in the early to mid-1990s, but its popularity, media attention, attendance and corporate support deteriorated and plateaued in the decade afterward. Australian NBA player Andrew Bogut

Andrew Bogut

Andrew Michael Bogut is an Australian professional basketball player. He plays for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association....
suggested the NBL try to adopt a model similar to the Australian Football League (AFL) whereby there are the same 10 or 15 teams over a 10 year period. Disgruntled Australian basketball enthusiasts have suggested expansion to 16 teams, most importantly locating a team in the city of Darwin

Darwin, Northern Territory

Darwin is the List of Australian capital cities of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 120,900, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely peopled Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities....
making the Singapore road-trip less drawn-out, also Darwin currently does not have the support for a national domestic team of any sort. Since the inception of the Singapore Slingers in 2006, both Asia and Oceania are represented in the National Basketball League, however Asian players are not considered local players unless they are from Singapore and play for the Slingers. Unfortunately the Slingers are no longer part of the NBL.

There has been significant support for the NBL to expand into Asia by many NBL players as well as Australian national coach Brian Goorjian , be it differently to how it was done with the now defunct Singapore Slingers

Singapore Slingers

The Singapore Slingers are an Asian basketball team that formerly competed in the Australian National Basketball League . They were the first, and so far only, Asia-based club to compete in the NBL when they joined at the start of the 2006/2007 season....
which had a 14 hour round-trip flight to the Australian East Coast . The 2009/10 season is earmarked as the season in which the NBL will begin its revamping, much like the old National Soccer League which has now become the eight team A-League, with an eye to expanding to 10 teams within two seasons. . The preffered method is to have three more teams in The Asia/Pacific region with locations such as Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located in Southern China in East Asia, bordering the province of Guangdong to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east, west and south....
, Manila

Manila

The 'City of Manila' , or simply 'Manila', is the Capital of the Philippines and one of the 17 cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila....
, Taipei

Taipei

Taipei has been the de facto capital of the Republic of China, commonly known as Taiwan, since the Chinese Civil War in 1949, and the capital of Taiwan since Japanese rule that began in 1895....
, Jakarta

Jakarta

Jakarta is the Capital and largest city of Indonesia. It also has a List of urban areas by population than any other city in Southeast Asia. It was formerly known as Sunda Kelapa , Jayakarta , Batavia, Dutch East Indies , and Djakarta ....
, Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur , is the largest city of Malaysia. The city proper, making up an area of , has an estimated population of 1.6 million in 2006. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million....
and even United States territory Guam

Guam

Guam , officially the Territory of Guam, is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized, unincorporated insular area of the United States....
being earmarked as possible locations for clubs as well as re-instating the Slingers licence; although this expansion is not likely to happen for up to five more years. However it is possible the Perth Wildcats

Perth Wildcats

The Perth Wildcats are an Australia basketball team competing in the National Basketball League . The Wildcats are the only team in the league representing the state of Western Australia and are based in the state capital, Perth, Western Australia....
and/or a new Darwin

Darwin, Northern Territory

Brisbane Bullets

The Brisbane Bullets were, until 2008, a professional basketball team competing in Australia's National Basketball League . The Bullets were one of only two teams that survived since the NBL's inception in 1979; the only surviving team is now the Wollongong Hawks....
, thereby placing this team in a division of its own with the other three Queensland clubs, the Townsville Crocodiles

Townsville Crocodiles

The Townsville Crocodiles are a basketball team competing in the Australian National Basketball League . Since being established for the 1993 NBL season, the Crocodiles have enjoyed financial stability and sustained community support, but on-court success has eluded them....
, Gold Coast Blaze

Gold Coast Blaze

The Gold Coast Blaze is an Australian basketball team which competes in the National Basketball League . The Blaze competed in their inaugural season in 2007/08....
and Cairns Taipans

Cairns Taipans

The Cairns Taipans are a professional basketball team competing in Australia's National Basketball League . The club is based in the northern Queensland city of Cairns, Queensland....
. The Sydney Kings

Sydney Kings

The Sydney Kings were a basketball team competing in the National Basketball League in Australia. They were the first team to win three consecutive championships in the NBL....
name was purchased for the sum of AU$20,000 on July 31st, 2008 adding hope to the club also making a return to the league . Other possible locations for clubs include Hobart

Hobart

Hobart is the List of Australian capital cities and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1803 as a penal colony, Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney....
, Southern New Zealand

New Zealand

Australian Institute of Sport

The Australian Institute of Sport leads the development of elite sport and is widely acknowledged in Australia and internationally as a world best practice model for elite athlete development....
team based in Canberra

Canberra

Canberra is the List of Australian capital cities of Australia. With a population of over 340,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth largest Australian city overall....
comprising the best Australian players under the age of 22. Canberra has not had an NBL side since the Canberra Cannons which folded in 2003, the success of the AIS team in the Australian Women's National Basketball League

Women's National Basketball League

The Women's National Basketball League is the premier women's basketball league in Australia.The league was established in 1986, following 5 years of the sport's development through the Women?s Basketball League and the Women?s Basketball Conference....
underlies the likelihood of such a venture working .

With the eventual expansion into Asia is it expected that Australia's significant Asian population would follow the game as well as creating revenue from pay-TV rights throughout Asia. With Basketball booming in Asia with the success in the NBA of Yao Ming

Yao Ming

Yao Ming is a professional basketball player who plays for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association . He is currently the tallest player in the NBA, at ....
as well as Yi Jianlian

Yi Jianlian

Yi Jianlian is a Chinese professional basketball player for the New Jersey Nets.Yi played Power forward for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association in 2002 and subsequently won the Rookie of the Year Award....
, Hamed Haddadi and Sun Yue

Sun Yue

Sun Yue is a Chinese professional basketball professional basketball player. He plays for the Los Angeles Lakers affiliate Los Angeles D-Fenders in the NBA Development League....
Australia's role as hosting the best league in the region and one of the best in the world is obviously appealing. The new NBL would ideally open the import restrictions to include Asian pasport holders as well as Oceania and possibly Southern Hemisphere born players to play as locals creating a wider player base and a better standard of basketball. Strong basketball nations such as Argentina

Argentina

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is a country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city....
, China

China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
, Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the List of countries by population country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world....
, New Zealand

New Zealand

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known internationally as Persian Empire until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf and the southern shore of the Caspian Sea....
, Korea

Korea

Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries, a civilization, and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia....
, Angola

Angola

Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordering Namibia to the south, Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, and Zambia to the east, and with a west coast along the Atlantic Ocean....
and The Philippines would ideally all have representatives in the new league, which was recently merged with Basketball Australia

Basketball Australia

Basketball Australia is the governing and controlling body of basketball in Australia, responsible for the development and promotion of the sport at all levels....
.

Notable NBL Figures

Ray Borner
Ray Borner

Ray Borner is a former Australian basketball player who competed in the National Basketball League . Borner played 518 NBL games over 22 seasons for four separate teams: ...
Cal Bruton
Cal Bruton

Calvin Bruton is a former player and a current coach in the Australian National Basketball League . Originally an American import, but later becoming a naturalised Australian, Bruton has been an integral part of the league since its inception....
Shane Heal
Shane Heal

Shane Douglas Heal is an Australian professional basketball player currently with the Gold Coast Blaze of the National Basketball League . His career highlights include representing the Australian national basketball team at a number of Olympics and World Championships, brief stints in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio...
Steve Carfino
Steve Carfino

Steve Carfino is an American-Australian former basketball player, who competed in the Australian National Basketball League and is currently a Sportscaster for NBL matches played on the Fox Sports channel on Foxtel....
James Crawford
James Crawford (basketball)

James Crawford is a former professional basketball player in the National Basketball League of Australia from 1982 through till the 1999 season....
Mark Davis
Mark Davis (NBL)

Mark Davis is a naturalised Australian former basketball player who played from 1985 to 2001 with the National Basketball League 's Adelaide 36ers, gaining the nickname of "Chairman of the Boards" for his record breaking rebounding achievements....
Andrew Gaze
Andrew Gaze

Andrew Barry Casson Gaze is Australia's best known basketball player, and one of its most successful.Son of Australian basketball stalwart Lindsay Gaze, Andrew began a stellar career in the National Basketball League at age 18, being named Rookie of the year in 1984....
Lindsay Gaze
Lindsay Gaze

Lindsay John Casson Gaze is an Australian basketball player and coach. He played for Australia in three Olympics between 1960 and 1968 and coached the Australian basketball team at four Olympics between 1972 and 1984....
Brian Goorjian
Brian Goorjian

Brian Goorjian is the most successful coach in Basketball in Australia history. In an NBL coaching career spanning over 20 years since his debut with the List of defunct National Basketball League teams in 1988 Goorjian has won 5 Championships ....
Ricky Grace
Ricky Grace

Ricky Ray Grace is an United States/Australian professional basketball player who played in the Australian National Basketball League from 1990 until the 2004/2005 season....
Leroy Loggins
Leroy Loggins

Leroy Loggins is a former professional basketball player in the Australian National Basketball League from 1981 to the 2000/2001 season....
Larry Sengstock
Larry Sengstock

Larry Sengstock is a retired Australian basketball player. Larry played for Lang Park Basketball club as a junior. He was one of the star players in the early years of Australia's fledgling National Basketball League ....
Phil Smyth
Phil Smyth

Philip John Smyth Order of Australia is an Australian former basketball player and previous head coach of the National Basketball League 's Adelaide 36ers....
Andrew Vlahov
Andrew Vlahov

Andrew Mitchell Vlahov is a former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball League of Australia from 1991 through till the 2002 season....
Brett Maher
Brett Maher

Brett Steven Maher is an Australian basketball player who has played for the Adelaide 36ers in the National Basketball League since 1992. He firstly played for Sturt in the Australian Basketball Association, where Adelaide 36ers scouts spotted him....
Chris Anstey
Chris Anstey

Christopher John Anstey is one of Australia's premier basketball players. At 7'0" and over 260 lbs., Anstey is usually a starter at center on the Australian national team....
C. J. Bruton
Sam Mackinnon
Sam Mackinnon

Samuel Mackinnon is an Australian professional basketball player currently playing for National Basketball League team Melbourne Tigers....

Award Winners

25th Anniversary Team
NBL (Australia) 25th Anniversary Team

To mark its 25th anniversary during the 2003-2004 season, the National Basketball League announced its 25th Anniversary All-Time team on 9 December, 2003....
(2003)
20th Anniversary Team
NBL (Australia) 20th Anniversary Team

In celebration of its twentieth anniversary, a special 20th anniversary team was named by Australia's National Basketball League in 1998.* = active at the time the team was named...
(1998)
Most Valuable Player
NBL (Australia) Most Valuable Player

At the conclusion of each NBL game, both coaches award votes to the best players from that game. Each coach has 10 votes to allocate, with no more than 5 to be awarded to one player by each coach....
Most Valuable Player — Grand Final
NBL (Australia) Most Valuable Player - Grand Final

The Larry Sengstock Medal is awarded to the Most Valuable Player of the Grand Final series.* 1979 Larry Sengstock * 1980 Rocky Smith * 1981 not awarded...
Coach of the Year
NBL (Australia) Coach of the Year

The NBL Coach of the Year award takes into account regular season performances only, and is voted on by head coaches, assistant coaches and team captains on a 3-2-1 basis....
Rookie of the Year
NBL (Australia) Rookie of the Year

* 1983 Jamie Kennedy * 1984 Andrew Gaze * 1985 Mike McKay * 1986 Steve Lunardon * 1987 Greg Hubbard * 1988 Shane Heal * 1989 Justin Withers * 1990 Justin Cass ...
Most Improved Player
NBL (Australia) Most Improved Player

* 1988 Darren Lucas * 1989 Mark Bradtke * 1990 Shane Heal * 1991 Andrew Parkinson * 1992 Andrew Svaldenis * 1993 Scott Ninnis * 1994 Chris Blakemore ...
Best Defensive Player
NBL (Australia) Best Defensive Player

* 1980 Ray Wood * 1981 Ray Wood * 1982 Phil Smyth * 1983 Phil Smyth * 1984 not awarded* 1985 not awarded* 1986 not awarded* 1987 Leroy Loggins ...
Best Sixth Man
NBL (Australia) Best Sixth Man

* 1996 Mike McKay * 1997 Ben Pepper* 1998 Jason Smith * 1999 Bruce Bolden * 2000 Ben Knight * 2001 Chris Anstey* 2002 Jamahl Mosley ...
Good Hands Award
NBL (Australia) Good Hands Award

* 1990 Shane Heal * 1991 Andre LaFleur * 1992 Andre LaFleur * 1993 Andre LaFleur * 1994 Darryl McDonald * 1995 Darryl McDonald * 1996 Darryl McDonald ...
(defunct)
Most Efficient Player
NBL (Australia) Most Efficient Player

* 1990 Andrew Gaze * 1991 Andrew Gaze * 1992 Andrew Gaze * 1993 Andrew Gaze * 1994 Andrew Gaze * 1995 Andrew Gaze * 1996 Andrew Gaze * 1997 Andrew Gaze ...
(defunct)
All NBL teams
NBL (Australia) All NBL teams

NBL First Teams* 1980 Cal Stamp, Danny Morseu, Brian Banks, Herb McEachin, Ian Davies and Ken Richardson* 1981 Rocky Smith, Danny Morseu, Al Green, David Nelson and Owen Wells...

Statistical Leaders

Points per game
Rebounds per game
Assists per game
Steals per game
Blocks per game
Field goal %
Free throw %

All-Star Game

The All-Star game is an annual event in the NBL. It was once contested between the East and West but was now contested by the locals (Aussie All-Stars) and imports (World All-Star).

All-Star Games by Season


Year	Result	(Arena), City	MVP
1988	North 127, South 122	(The Glass House Lexus Centre The Lexus Centre is the indoor training and administration centre for the Collingwood Football Club of the Australian Football League and the Victorian Institute of Sport located in Melbourne, Australia.... ), Melbourne, VIC	Leroy Loggins Leroy Loggins Leroy Loggins is a former professional basketball player in the Australian National Basketball League from 1981 to the 2000/2001 season.... , Brisbane Bullets Brisbane Bullets The Brisbane Bullets were, until 2008, a professional basketball team competing in Australia's National Basketball League . The Bullets were one of only two teams that survived since the NBL's inception in 1979; the only surviving team is now the Wollongong Hawks....
1989	North 141, South 143	(The Glass House Lexus Centre The Lexus Centre is the indoor training and administration centre for the Collingwood Football Club of the Australian Football League and the Victorian Institute of Sport located in Melbourne, Australia.... ), Melbourne, VIC	Andrew Gaze Andrew Gaze Andrew Barry Casson Gaze is Australia's best known basketball player, and one of its most successful.Son of Australian basketball stalwart Lindsay Gaze, Andrew began a stellar career in the National Basketball League at age 18, being named Rookie of the year in 1984.... , Melbourne Tigers Melbourne Tigers The Melbourne Tigers are a team in the Australian National Basketball League , and along with the South Dragons is one of two teams based in Melbourne....
1990	North 139, World 119	(Perth Entertainment Centre Perth Entertainment Centre The Perth Entertainment Centre is a disused indoor arena and cinema complex located in Wellington Street in the city centre of Perth, Western Australia, Western Australia.... ), Perth, WA	Derek Rucker, Brisbane Bullets Brisbane Bullets The Brisbane Bullets were, until 2008, a professional basketball team competing in Australia's National Basketball League . The Bullets were one of only two teams that survived since the NBL's inception in 1979; the only surviving team is now the Wollongong Hawks....
1991	North 168, South 154	(The Glass House Lexus Centre The Lexus Centre is the indoor training and administration centre for the Collingwood Football Club of the Australian Football League and the Victorian Institute of Sport located in Melbourne, Australia.... ), Melbourne, VIC	Mark Davis Mark Davis (NBL) Mark Davis is a naturalised Australian former basketball player who played from 1985 to 2001 with the National Basketball League 's Adelaide 36ers, gaining the nickname of "Chairman of the Boards" for his record breaking rebounding achievements.... , Adelaide 36ers Adelaide 36ers The Adelaide 36ers are Adelaide's men's professional basketball team, established as the Adelaide City Eagles when they joined the National Basketball League in 1982....
1992	Australia 149, USA Stars 132	(AIS Arena AIS Arena AIS Arena is an indoor arena located in Canberra, Australia. The AIS Arena was opened by the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon Malcolm Fraser, on 26 January 1981.... ), Canberra, ACT	Andrew Gaze, Melbourne Tigers
1993	NBL Stars 124, Australia 119	(Rod Laver Arena Rod Laver Arena Rod Laver Arena is a part of the Melbourne Park complex located in Melbourne, Victoria , Australia, and is a current venue for the Australian Open in tennis.... ), Melbourne, VIC	Terry Dozier, Newcastle Falcons Newcastle Falcons The Newcastle Falcons is a rugby union team currently playing in the Guinness Premiership. The club was established in 1877 and they play at Kingston Park stadium in Kingston Park, Newcastle upon Tyne....
1994	NBL Stars 101, Australia 133	(Sydney Entertainment Centre Sydney Entertainment Centre The Sydney Entertainment Centre is an entertainment venue located in Haymarket, New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Opened in May 1983, the centre is currently owned by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, which administers the neighbouring Darling Harbour area, and managed under a lease.... ), Sydney, NSW	Tony Ronaldson Tony Ronaldson Anthony Dean "Bear" Ronaldson is an Australian basketballer currently playing in the National Basketball League .... , South East Melbourne Magic South East Melbourne Magic The South East Melbourne Magic were an Australian basketball team, that played in Melbourne, Victoria, in the National Basketball League . The team was the result of a merger of two Melbourne clubs for the 1991 season....
1995	South Stars 138, North Stars 140	(Clipsal Powerhouse Distinctive Homes Dome Distinctive Homes Dome is a privately owned, state of the art multipurpose indoor facility. Home of the Adelaide 36ers of the NBL and the Adelaide Lightning of the WNBL as well as the sports local grassroots body Basketball SA, the venue is widely considered the home of basketball in South Australia.... ), Adelaide, SA	Robert Rose (basketball), Adelaide 36ers
1996	South Stars 132, North Stars 146	(Melbourne Park Melbourne Park Melbourne Park is a sporting venue in Melbourne, Victoria , Australia. It is located by the Yarra River near the southeast corner of the Melbourne central business district.... ), Melbourne, VIC	Darryl McDonald Darryl McDonald Darryl McDonald is a retired United States-Australian professional basketball player who last played for the Melbourne Tigers in Australia's National Basketball League .... , North Melbourne Giants North Melbourne Giants The North Melbourne Giants were an Australian basketball team, that played in Melbourne, Victoria , in the National Basketball League ....
1997	North Stars 151, South Stars 142	(Sydney Entertainment Centre Sydney Entertainment Centre The Sydney Entertainment Centre is an entertainment venue located in Haymarket, New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Opened in May 1983, the centre is currently owned by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, which administers the neighbouring Darling Harbour area, and managed under a lease.... ), Sydney, NSW	Derek Rucker, Brisbane Bullets
2003/04	West 126, East 129	(State Netball and Hockey Centre State Netball and Hockey Centre State Netball Hockey Centre is a multipurpose sporting facility located in Melbourne, Australia. It is the home arena of the Melbourne Vixens netball team in the ANZ Championship, and the Melbourne Tigers National Basketball League team.... ), Melbourne, VIC	Ebi Ere Ebi Ere Ebi Ere is a shooting guard for the Melbourne Tigers. He previously played for the Sydney Kings, also of the NBL. Ere won the grand final 2007 with the Brisbane Bullets.... , Sydney Kings Sydney Kings The Sydney Kings were a basketball team competing in the National Basketball League in Australia. They were the first team to win three consecutive championships in the NBL....
2004/05 2004/05 NBL (Australia) All-Star Game The 2004/05 NBL All-Star Game was held at the Townsville Entertainment Centre in Townsville, Queensland on January 19, 2005. The attendance for this All-Star game was 5078 spectators....	Aussies 156, World 140	(Townsville Entertainment Centre Townsville Entertainment Centre Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre is an indoor arena located in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It is the home arena of the Townsville Crocodiles basketball team.... ), Townsville, QLD	Brad Newley Brad Newley Bradley Newley is an Australian professional basketball player. He currently plays for Panellinios Gymnastikos Syllogos of the A1 Ethniki. Notably, a member of the Australia national basketball team, that won the FIBA Under-19 World Championship in Greece, where he scored 16 points against Lithuania national basketball team in the final.... , Townsville Crocodiles Townsville Crocodiles The Townsville Crocodiles are a basketball team competing in the Australian National Basketball League . Since being established for the 1993 NBL season, the Crocodiles have enjoyed financial stability and sustained community support, but on-court success has eluded them....
2005/06 2005/06 NBL (Australia) All-Star Game The 2005/06 NBL All-Star Game was held at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Sydney, New South Wales on December 27, 2005. The attendance for this All-Star game was 4783 spectators....	Aussies 151, World 116	(Sydney Entertainment Centre Sydney Entertainment Centre The Sydney Entertainment Centre is an entertainment venue located in Haymarket, New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Opened in May 1983, the centre is currently owned by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, which administers the neighbouring Darling Harbour area, and managed under a lease.... ), Sydney, NSW	Darryl McDonald, Melbourne Tigers
2006/07 2006/07 NBL (Australia) All-Star Game The 2006/07 NBL All-Star Game was held at the Distinctive Homes Dome in Adelaide, SA on November 25, 2006.The World All-Stars held off a determined Aussie All-Stars to win 136-133 with Rashad Tucker of the Melbourne Tigers contributing a near triple-double with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists....	Aussies 133, World 136	(Distinctive Homes Dome Distinctive Homes Dome Distinctive Homes Dome is a privately owned, state of the art multipurpose indoor facility. Home of the Adelaide 36ers of the NBL and the Adelaide Lightning of the WNBL as well as the sports local grassroots body Basketball SA, the venue is widely considered the home of basketball in South Australia.... ), Adelaide, SA	Rashad Tucker, Melbourne Tigers
2007/08	Aussies 146, World 141	(State Netball and Hockey Centre State Netball and Hockey Centre State Netball Hockey Centre is a multipurpose sporting facility located in Melbourne, Australia. It is the home arena of the Melbourne Vixens netball team in the ANZ Championship, and the Melbourne Tigers National Basketball League team.... ), Melbourne, VIC	Nathan Jawai Nathan Jawai Nathan Jawai is an Indigenous Australians Australian professional basketball player who currently plays for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League, to whom he was placed on assignment by the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association.... , Cairns Taipans

National Basketball League (Australia)

Current Teams

Former and Defunct teams

Broadcasting Details

Hall of Fame

List of Champions

NBL Finals

Rivalries

The NBL in the future

Notable NBL Figures

Award Winners

Statistical Leaders

All-Star Game

All-Star Games by Season

See also

External links