I just posted this in the Kings' salary thread but it belongs better here, as it summarises my lingering pessimism about the long term viability of the league.

You'd think that Kestleman is banking on getting a decent television/streaming rights deal in the next 2-3 years. Otherwise the NBL would surely go broke?

Averaged per player, AFL has a salary cap about twice NBL's. But AFL crowds average about 5 times NBL crowds during the home and away season and AFL team memberships average about 10 times NBL team memberships.

With these crowds and membership numbers, AFL only made an operating profit in 2018 because of the massive tv rights income - $418 million per year - and 4 AFL clubs ran at a loss. While cost structures would be somewhat different for teams in the two leagues, I find it hard to look at these numbers and see the NBL as a going concern without a healthy tv/streaming revenue deal in the near future. That becomes even harder to see if some NBL team salaries are substantially above the cap.

Numbers from AFL 2018 Annual Report.

The league is fine, you're just a weirdo.

Yeah spending so much over the cap and 4 imports is something that all NBL teams aim for.
Let's face it if Cairns beats Perth twice, Perth aren't that good. But for Jack's generostiy Perth wouldn't exist today.
Perth win the title in what ever yean and sack the head coach!

The Hawks are a joke and you forgot about the Cairns owner years ago that was dodgy as all hell.
You had the Adelaide guy, now in jail? and the Dragons owner who simply refused to do what the NBL wanted him to do and walked.
Now LK runs it all with his son supplying the uniforms and he wants the Tassie Government to give him land for free and wants a $1.5 mill subsidy every year so Tassie can get a licence and try and keep up with the 'Jones' '.
There is no effective salary cap and no one can seriously explain how the Luxury tax works or is it even distributed.
The Kiwis were once a great franchise and the owners decided to take their profits and run. They knew what was coming.
Brisbane have lost money since inception and would be sure that they aren't making anything now.
The KIngs have new owners and at a rumoured $80k to open Ogden who knows why they are even in it. Little chance there to make any money.
Bogut is dreaming if he thinks his futeure share in the Kings will reap any money.

I am pretty sure that once LK get tired of subsidising hiis league he will walk.
That is actually what is wrong with the League IMO.

Why are you making another thread when we have been discussing the problems in the other threads you already pointed out?

Yes and in another 5 years the League may very well be gone.

The only thing wrong with the league is you being interested in it Dazz and posting repetitive long rants that are tl;dr.

What's wrong with everyone, so negative and ready to slice the head off the tall poppy all the bloody time!!

The highest rate of NBA talent ever.
Best TV and media coverage ever.
Internationally recognised as one of the best leagues in the world.
Great crowd numbers and exciting games.
New team in the league with proposals for more.
Great new young Aussie talent everywhere you look.

Seriously, we can go one debating this non-issue all day, how about letting the league grow and evolve and see where we are in 5-10 years, then say what you want but at the moment I can see many more positives than the constantly annoying pesamistic negatives...

LMAO at Perthwanker attacking Dazz. That's like the shit telling the fly he's the one that stinks.

100% this the best state the league has been in for a long time. Long time Cats fan since the days of the old Perth Entertainment Centre when my parents made minimum wage, but tried to get me to as many Cats games as they could afford. Fast forward to 2014 when I had my own disposable income and James Ennis signed, a group of us became members and have been ever since, great atmosphere, entertainment and ideal purpose to regularly catch up with friends. In that time I've only seen the league grow and become more popular. Even in 2014 you may not know all the players in the other teams unless they had standout games at your home court. Now with NBL Fantasy, and free televised games, the majority of true basketball fans could rattle off every teams player list. Prior to 2014 it was extremely difficult to follow NBL as it was basically non existent unless you attended games.

As much as I dislike some of the things going on in the NBL, I can't deny the growth LK has achieved, he's made Australian Basketball relevant again. I remember when I think it was Vlahov and Longley tried to expand the NBL to Australasia which I think was a good idea in theory, but for some reason didn't really work out, whether that was because they didn't have enough business experience or not I'm not sure.

We're winning as NBL fans currently, and I hope to God it is sustainable somehow, if the spending gets out of hand though I can see it all backfiring, fingers crossed that does not happen. If it does and if I was a 36ers, Taipans, or Hawks member, I'b be cutting up my membership at the first signs.

"Hay really good story until the negative bit at the end.
Settle down chicken little don't cut up your membership cards these teams need more members not less. But I enjoyed your story."

I'm as optimistic as can be, but there's always a chance it can fail like those before have, albeit it looks much healthier than every so doubt it would drop to those levels ever again.

Bear is on the money. Let it all evolve.

Long time Cats fan since the days of the old Perth Entertainment Centre when my parents made minimum wage, but tried to get me to as many Cats games as they could afford.

I don't understand how people can sit here and say this is the best season ever when two or three years ago the wooden spoon team finished only a couple of games outside the playoffs.