good on them - i hope the fans have a good night.

love big crowds - really gets the atmosphere going.

did anyone watch euroleague during the week?

crowd were sensational chanting and flag waving.

As the league stands right now with the 9 clubs, the NBL's best case scenario in terms of an aggregate crowd would be a Kings vs 36ers grand final series with two games in Sydney, if only because Adelaide and Sydney have the two largest capacity venues in the league. Potentially that is an aggregate crowd of 28,800 (2x10500, 1x7800).

Considering the top 4 as they'll finish (Breakers, Crocs, Taipans, Wildcats) and how the finals are played (1v4 - 2v3), the best case aggregate crowd scenario for the 2010-11 NBL GF series would be for Cairns to win their series against Townsville as The Snakepit seats a whopping 88 more people than the The Swamp. Seeing as both Perth and NZ have arenas that are 4,500 in capacity it doesn't matter who wins there, unless of course the Breakers risk losing the home court advantage of the more intimate Events Centre and move their games a few short km south (should they beat Perth) to the 12,000 seat Vector Arena in Auckland. They might get crowds of around 8-12,000 if they did that for the GF series.

How ironic that the 36ers and Kings finished 8th and 9th this season in a 9 team competition.

Breakers have considered Vector in the past so could well do it.

The Kings arena is awesome - not an order of magnitude bigger than the Dome, but feels massive when you're there. If the Kings can make it to the post-season next year, I think they could start to garner a bit more attention in the media.

I've been doing things with a girl that works on the door at the kings games and she says they always give thousands of tickets away each week.

And if thats the case Curtley, the Kings "papering the house", then all they are really doing is devaluing the product in the short to medium term. its just a terrible strategy because it develops a quick interest, rather than avidity.... shades of Brisbane at boondall in the early 90's where the word was they were giving away anything up to 4000 tickets per game.

The other things the Kings have always had is season ticket holders in droves who miss multiple games, but they declare them in their crowd numbers. I have not been to a kings game in years but remember going occasionally in the mid to late 90's and there were hundreds of empty seats in the members section.

Holdenv8, to my knowledge the breakers have never genuinelty sold out the NSEC, risky if that is the case to take the GF to a 12,000 seat cavern...

HO, I do agree its risky but if the Breakers do make it to the grand final series then there might just be a case for moving games from the 4,500 seat NSEC to the 12,000 seat Vector Arena. If crowd support is enough to justify moving GF games to the bigger venue then why not? The Breakers and the NBL would be crazy if they didn't at least consider it and/or explore the possibility. Remember that a GF appearance will bring more fans out of the woodwork and in the end demand may outdo the Events Centre's capacity.

Remember last seasons ANZ Netball Grand Final? Considering it was to be played here in Adelaide as the Thunderbirds had won the right to host the game, it was moved from the 3,000 seat ETSA Park to the 11,000 seat Entertainment Centre (as far as I'm aware, The Dome was considered but ticket sales and the final crowd figure of 9,300 showed they made the right choice of venue).

All I am saying is that its a possibility for the Breakers to move GF games to Vector Arena. Sure, they may not get crowd(s) of 12,000 but even if they get around 8-10,000 people through the doors that is a huge win for them and the NBL. In the end the Breakers may or may not explore that option. They may just want keep their home court advantage and not move games at all.

Whichever way the Breakers go, if they go at all, I just hope for the NBL's sake that all games in the finals are sell-outs with posted crowd figures on or very close to venue capacity figures.

NSEC has been packed a few times.

I'll repeat what i said paul, without the spelling mistake! Afaik the breakers have never genuinely sold out the NSEC - i worded it quite carefully.

Of course it appears the NBL have stymied venues declaring their crowds as opposed to clubs - shades of the Rymarz era.

V8, they should consider it, but following basketball is not a culture in NZ like following netball is in both countries. Plus, both Rugby League and Super whateveritisnow are competitive forces in Auckland in season. better to get 4500 genuines sellout at NSEC than 5500 - 6000 at vector.

Yep, and I think you are wrong. Pretty sure their finals in 09 sold out well before tip off. I dont know for sure but I think there is at least one other occassion when it had sold out well before game time.

I assume by not genuine you mean giving away tickets or having some spare seats, but I dont think either of them is relevant to those finals games.

BTW - I agree they are better off playing at NSEC. I have heard there are preliminary plans by the Blackwells to build a new stadium on the North Shore that would be similar in size but more modern and cater for corporates better (not that the sitting on the floor sipping wine and dinner set up at NSEC is all that bad!!).

Paul, one of those finals claimed 4500 spectators in a venue that officially declares its "full house" sign at 4200.

Same issue happens in Perth. The AFL grand final has a different figure each year but is effectively a sellout. I dont think that discredits the fact that those finals were genuine sellouts.

Same issue happens in Perth. The AFL grand final has a different figure each year but is effectively a sellout. I dont think that discredits the fact that those finals were genuine sellouts.

Paul, there is a difference between venue figures and club figures for games. Club figures are inflated often (including no shows / season ticket hoders). I have every reason to doubt the figures provided by the breakers for their "sell-outs".

I'll give you an example. The SEABL media guide from a couple of years back quoted 2600 at a Supercats game as a record seabl game. A mate of mine worked for the club when they were in the NBL, says the venue absolutely maxed out (in its old layout) at 1850, perhaps 2100 with standing room completely sold. (people still talk about it holding 2500). The point is that the club continued to hype its own crowds to such a degree that it had to continue to inflate its "sell outs".

A crowd figure should be the people who walked in the door, the MCG scans tickets (including corporates etc) and would reflect this for the grand final.

When Perth make the Grand Final, the one home game will be played at Burswood Dome, because Challenge is booked out for cirque du solie or something.
Can't wait for Perth Arena to be finished.. hopefully only one more season at Challenge!

And the last time Burswood Dome hosted a Wildcats game the crowd was 8,500 for a regular season fixture.

Sorry HO, but the place was packed for those finals. As for the MCG, the place can still be a sellout without every seat being filled.

If you think a sellout is having every seat filled, rather than every seat sold, you would struggle to find many sellouts anywhere.