Basketball Victoria partners with NBL to launch NBL1 league

There is absolutely no information on the official website at this moment. It is purely a skin and a sign-up marketing tool.

Given the NBL announced it and it uses their name, I imagine they have quite a lot of say?

Pretty confusing ....

"NBL1 is a partnership between the NBL and" ..... Basketball Victoria.

"NBL1 will be the premier league in Australia after the NBL and WNBL."

Howdto all the other states feel about not being a part of that ?

^^^ If it will expand over time, didn't we have that called SEABL ?

How are the other state leagues supposed to position as feeders into the NBL and WNBL - this all seems to position NBL1 as the only pathway.

If I was CEO of another state body I think I would be seriously pissed right now.

It's called NBL1 not NBLOne.

Southern Huskies confirmed details about the league in an e-mail today.

We are delighted to announce that we are an inaugural member of NBL1.

Basketball Victoria has partnered with the National Basketball League (NBL) to create a new league to strengthen the pathway for Australia's best basketball talent.

Tipping off on March 29, NBL1 will consist of 18 clubs across Southern Australia and feature both men’s and women’s teams. It will be played across 15 rounds and a four week finals series with every NBL1 game to be live streamed to bring fans closer to the action.

Inaugural franchises as well as the Huskies will be Albury-Wodonga, Ballarat, Bendigo, Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence (ACT), Dandenong, Diamond Valley, Eltham, Frankston, Geelong, Kilsyth, Knox, Melbourne, North West Thunder / Launceston (co-licensees), Nunawading, Ringwood, Sandringham and Waverley.

NBL Chief Executive Jeremy Loeliger said: "NBL1 will be the premier league in Australia after the NBL and WNBL, showcasing Australia’s best emerging talent and many other professional players."

“NBL1 will strengthen the pathway from the junior levels all the way through to the NBL, WNBL and ultimately the Boomers and Opals helping develop the next generation of stars."

“Importantly it will feature both women’s and men’s teams, and be a league all females and males coming through junior ranks can aspire to play in.”

Basketball CEO Nick Honey said: “Australian basketball is booming at both the grassroots and elite level and NBL1 will be the premier winter basketball league that will continue to grow the game.

“NBL1 is a fantastic partnership that will bring promotional and commercial opportunities covering both women’s and men’s basketball. The NBL has flourished in recent years under the guidance of Larry Kestelman and a partnership with such a high-calibre organisation presents an outstanding opportunity to deliver a premier winter basketball competition.”

We'll be releasing more information on ticketing availability in the very near future.

For more information on the new league, including fixtures, head to www.nbl1.com.au.

Another Victorian biased decision by NBL
What about the other state leagues ?
Don't see them promoting those ! !

This must have the pioneers fuming

Huskies on the other hand would be loving it.

All games streamed online plus TV coverage is a big change though.

Brilliant marketing move by LK -- now the NBL get exposure throughout winter via this league name.

Huskies are winners in both leagues. 6'ers about to lose too.
Welcome Harry!

Don't get me wrong it's great for the NBL and First Ever to flaunt their gear to more teams and fans. For these state league clubs I doubt it though.

Anyone here interested in a 2nd tier basketball comp? Of course, we all are. Now here's a model. It's called NBL1. It's the only one we have. It is starting in Vic. Why?

Strongest, biggest, basketball state / community in Aus. Lots of money in and around Melb. Bordered by SA (always been the 2nd basketball state in Aus). LK is based there (not really important but helps) as are most of his connections. And, has had the SEABL (various names), for the past 30 to 40 years and has suddenly folded. There's a gap that needs to be filled and it may be getting done. A ready made fan base, venues, sponsors, everything is already in place. Just a new name and FINALLY, a bit of a road map for the future which sounds like it will ultimately be much more inclusive (all or at least, more states) than the previous models ever managed.

Expansion already has obvious (geographical) directions, west to SA and north to NSW.

With fore-knowledge, which we all have now, strong SA & NSW assocs should be gearing up for their inclusion by, say, next year or 2. SE or even all of Qld would be next. That leaves WA. Special issues there 'cos of distance. We could have a national, 2nd tier comp within 5 years?

Consider this. The Pioneers were one of the most successful teams in SEABL. They should be part of this new initiative but are not. Had NBL1 been on the drawing board from the start, surely Mt G would have been part of it from the start. They were not. My deduction is that this is all very new to everyone.

Sorry. Meant to delete and posted instead. Yeah, I know I was rambling. I do that a lot and then condense (believe it or not) before I post. Anyway, Get my drift? I think this NBL1 could be great and just what you need.

And just for the LK knockers! Yeah, we all know that he owns basketball in Oz. And we all know that one day soon, he's going to pull the pin.

BULLSHIT, I say. A successful, self-made businessperson does not spend all his waking hours thinking of cute ways to lose his fortune by delving deeper and deeper.

For goodness sake. Let's stop bashing this guy.

NBL1 for a Victorian league is a ridiculous name. However, as a poster wrote above, another conference could be added. This would still not be enough to encompass the NBL part. I guess all the state leagues could become NBL1, NBL2, NBL3 etc.

Or, if conferences were to be added, make them southern, northern, western and possibly central so that NBL1 included Vic/Tas, QBL, WA SBL/SA and NSW leagues.

After all, players who aspire to become NBL players do not all play in Victoria/Tasmania!

There will be at least one maybe two more conferences added next year with the aim of eventually having each state covered in a few years time.

Will be like NCAA with top of conferences playing off at the end of the season.

Also seabl was folded by BA so must of had the plan in the works, just glad its not Vic elite league.

The hate comes from that people not involved in the project, all went thru private with no public consultation.

I hope for aus basketball sake it works or i will break our the black suit cause basketball vic has buried basketball in this country again

Not a bad way to start a second teir (off season) comp.
I think the NBL was originally made up of mainly Victorian teams.
The Aussie Olympic team was 90% Vicotian at some stage.
The AFL came from 12 Victorian teams.
The NRL fron ? NSW teams.

Gotta start somewhere.

Problem is always going to be finances for interstate teams to travel. Initially it will be some better players form SA, NSW, Qld, WA being recruited into these Victorian teams.

I know not everyone likes it or agrees with the concept of a national league during winter at the second tier, however I have always been for this concept and I can see where they want to go with it.

Looking forward to seeing basketball in Australia grow and get the recognition it deserves under this concept, a great move and of course Victoria + is where it had to start, please remind me again who won under 20's men and women nationals again..........?!!

This is great - expect to see down the line a fully fledged second basketball league incorporated throughout Australia