Sounding like an ignorant moron. I am sure the guy wants to make money from his investment, so I am sure he has no plans of the NBL going under just to prop up his own team. We've had a Perth centred league for the past few years, who cares if Melbourne U get a bit of a foot up?

Its an ego project. We've had rich owners in the league before. Simply having money doesn't make someone good for the league.

It will blow up when he loses interest or gets sick of how much money he's plowing in and not getting the insta results he is looking for.

I've read plenty about him, seen his type before and, unfortunately see his vanity cars at work every day.

Rich owners whom people thought that were fine because "who else is putting their money in?" Eddy Groves, Tim Johnston. Egomaniacs like Seamus who controlled the league simply because they could.

It wont end well. You dont have to believe me. That wont make it end better though.

I'd rather start from scratch than to fall to the knees in front of a rich egomaniac

What might be different here is that if he doesn't right the ship, his control reverts. He had an interest in winning championships before. No he also has an interest in the league surviving that and succeeding.

The Bill Woods article is pretty fluffy though. More NBA players this and participation numbers that. Getting the league moving after an awful off-season is something. Need real steps next.

I thought Bill Woods would have talked more about the mans vision. So sick of hearing 'grass roots' & 'tv deals'. Give this guy a go IMO.

He's not just a negative F&^% Wit on a blog site like half of u lot!!

"I've read plenty about him, seen his type before and, unfortunately see his vanity cars at work every day."

Cram must be Larry's valet and he's just pissed that he didn't get a decent tip!

"And yes, Melbourne are about to sign a top-level import with significant NBA experience... and I am damn excited about it for the NBL, along with all of the other top-level talent coming (back) to the league this year (Childress, Lisch, Goulding, Khazzouh, Ogilvy, Conklin, Beal, Kickert, CJackson, and the as-yet announced imports for the likes of Sydney, Melbourne, Perth *etc*). "

So, that can't mean Diamon Simpson then? I am not a United supporter, but rather than rip this like other people, I am actually excited for what this may mean for THE LEAGUE (You know, the thing we are trying to save?)

""We've had a Perth centred league for the past few years, who cares if Melbourne U get a bit of a foot up?"

Sorry, who is the ignorant moron?
"

Still you!

We couldn't change the league to the botique TV product that Fraser Neil wanted because that would mean less crowds for the Wildcats - basically the only team in the league making money.

What team was shown every friday last season? I forget? Was it, ummm, the Wildcats?

When the NBL did rarely bother to put on a professional production for the NBL, what team was it for? Was it, ummmmmm the Wildcats?

The best import in the league has routinely played for (except for last season) - who?

Oh, this trivia is much fun.

So don't try to tell me the NBL hasn't been Perth-centric. It has been nothing but since the Kevin Lisch days. I, for one, don't care if the balance sways to United. Perth will still get theirs for crying out loud!

"I'd rather start from scratch than to fall to the knees in front of a rich egomaniac"

Cram and anonymous are the same person. I can tell because IQ's this low are not that common.

Present for us, if you will, evidence of Larry Kestleman being an egomaniac?

He is a man that believes he can run the league, and he is putting literally HIS money where HIS mouth is. He has already shown more faith and belief in a direction than every CEO or shareholder in the league over the past 20 years; if that makes him an egomaniac, then so be it.

Wait and see people...

Cram - I'm happy for you to say I told you all so.....But for now I'm going to give him a chance to prove himself as a major stakeholder in the NBL. Bring on 2015-16 seasons already.

While there have been various bad examples of rich club owners, there are also good examples. Look at what Bendat did with the cats. There's no reason why LK can't apply the same success to the league. Give the guy a chance before you shoot him down.

"Cram and anonymous are the same person. I can tell because IQ's this low are not that common. "

Wrong. I post under my own name. Always.

"Cram - I'm happy for you to say I told you all so.....But for now I'm going to give him a chance to prove himself as a major stakeholder in the NBL. Bring on 2015-16 seasons already."

Thats fine. I'm glad I don't have to be here to see it.

"Yes and no doubt an upset Melbourne Tigers supporter.

Expect no less from these trolls"

Yes, a Tigers fan.

How does being a displaced fan who doesn't want to see the man who destroyed his team also work his "magic" on the rest of the league he's been following for 25 years make someone a troll?

Seems the only trolling is coming from those who will have no bad words said against their dear leader, Kestleman. He has money you know!

"Cram must be Larry's valet and he's just pissed that he didn't get a decent tip! "

Haha, I'm guessing even he's not stupid enough to let me near his fleet on phallic objects

I'll preface this with saying that I'm a Kings fan, so definitely no love for the Unitards, but how is LK responsible for United signing Blanchfield? They put a gun to his head and forced him?

Also, there's no real evidence that they talked to Conklin before the FA period was open, and even if they did, that crap extended on for so long, I don't blame players or teams for getting a head start, I seriously doubt they would have been the only ones... How long was Wortho to Cairns being talked about as a locked in deal?

It's a giant self interest, even if he signs over his controlling stake in United or whatever he had to do, as really, that doesn't mean much I wouldn't think, as most of us would suspect, but yes, the fact that he's putting a huge chunk of cash into the league with the purpose of building it up DOES seem to give him a free pass with most fans, as it's been god only knows how long since we've had that sort of focus and drive to push the league... The last board did their best to keep it afloat after the BA mess, and I was more than willing to give them a chance at the start, but they did nothing... In-fighting, broken promises, and pretty much a huge mess was not all that reassuring, can anyone blame fans for being excited to get someone in charge with money who is willing to spend it and actually seems like he has some push to get things done?

Until HE starts to not deliver, then I think he has the floor...

How does being a displaced fan who doesn't want to see the man who destroyed his team also work his "magic" on the rest of the league he's been following for 25 years make someone a troll?

"it doesn't make you a troll, but you have to admit that it's pretty clear that you're biased against him, and I personally don't blame you, but that doesn't mean that he will be the downfall of the NBL... Tigers fans aside, is what he did to the Melbourne team an improvement on any actual numbers? Tiggers were barely filling the netball courts at one stage before he took over, weren't they?"

There's a huge amount of fudging any numbers that are coming out of United's camp. They've given away a huge amount of tickets and their "10k members" claim is laughable in its dishonesty.

Aside from that, by discarding the one brand in MElbourne that did survive (no mean feat, with so many other rich benefactors coming and going in that time) they've eliminated (or heavily reduced) the likelyhood of a second Melbourne team. Two teams in Melbourne is a must. The rivalries between the Tigers Vs Dragons/Titans/Magic/Giants have always been so good from day one because whomever supports the "other" team is UNITED by the fact they hate the Tigers. Thats gone.

You can bet Larry wont let another team in on his market as he feels his team represents the whole city. Its a mistake. So many other fans of those other teams will never support United because for them they still have the Tigers "stink", but they would support a NEW teams AGAINST the Tigers. He's taken that away.

I think returning to the days where the few teams with cash are in a battle to sign the biggest name stars, while the rest of the teams struggle to put a decent team together can simply not work too, and thats a direction he is pushing.

"Holy shit, I've never seen a point missed by so much!"
Hows about you explain instead of bitching then? I'm happy to be proven stupid, it happens all the time (not so much by anons here, but you never know) but I can't seen how Blanchfield moving for the money and possibly winning more games is a huge conspiracy...

@Cram - All very decent points and I'm with you on the fudging of numbers re: memberships. I think all teams but Perth would be drastically reduced if they didn't count partial season memberships as well, but didn't United have some sort of student membership or something that was basically free? Probably exaggerating due to not remembering it clearly, but I remember thinking at one point last season that something would have really inflated the numbers drastically...

Dunno about the student thing, but any local club they went into "partnership" with got a whole bunch of "memberships". They seriously had 1 game memberships, given away for free. Soooo no, I wouldn't be counting that as anything like a real member or supporter.

Also despite the giveaways - of which there were many - and hype and general bs, they still failed to actually get bums on seats. Photos from the inside of those home games showed an abysmal turnout throughout the season, which is a great shame since the Tigers final season was very well attended, and was an excellent third year of growth in the leadup to Margaret Court Arena. Just as the club had really turned a corner and had built some momentum, this was all taken away.

Then there was the team implosion itself, which is another matter I guess, but has anyone in recent history seen another team so violently pull itself apart in the start & middle of a season, to the point where the coaching team and playing group has essentially had to be completely rebuilt?

But all this is aside from the LK point - what I don't understand is how people on this forum get so defensive of him. I'm an old Tigers supporter, so no I don't have a lot of love for him, but that also doesn't invalidate my opinion of him either. He dishonestly mismanaged the Tigers and rebuilt United in one of the most haphazard and cash splashing ways possible. And now he's in charge of the entire league.

And aside from LK himself and what I don't like about him, there has to come a point where the NBL needs to be self sustaining and club driven - that's simply never going to happen while the league bounces from one entrepreneur to another - fans simply just have to endure one rich dudes playground after another.

As much as I would love to see LK's plan succeed and the NBL grow to be a commercial success, and I do believe he has the ability to do this, I also like what jodiechrist has written, and do agree with a lot from that post, particularly with the Tigers.

Definitely agree with the whole membership numbers thing. I think its a load of crap when clubs spruik their numbers like United did when so many are free tickets, or one-game memberships. That surely should not count as a 'membership'. Its a casual fan with a free ticket is what it is.

Still, for now I'm on LK's side and look forward to seeing what he can do. The NBL needs to get out of this bush league mentality and into a commercial success that the mainstream can follow. And to do that, you need a few $$$ to prop it up. Which for the next 3 years, it has.

Ah right, it was that one game membership bollocks that I was thinking of... Really, I haven't seen such a blatant attempt at fudging membership numbers ever...

there has to come a point where the NBL needs to be self sustaining and club driven

while the league bounces from one entrepreneur to another - fans simply just have to endure one rich dudes playground after another

GWB - yours is just about the best post I have read on the forum. You remind me a bit of Andrew Bolt - you have done your research and given it to a lot of MORONS on this thread - WELL DONE.

^ overload of sarcasm?