Stats
Two years ago
WA BASKETBALL HISTORY
According to the "History" page on the Basketball WA site, on Wednesday 3 April 1946 the original 'Western Australian Basketball Association' was formed by a small group of basketball enthusiasts at the Perth YMCA on Murray Street.
The sport had already been played across the state for 35 years - since 1911 – however there had been no official management or promotion of the sport.
The ‘Women’s Amateur Basketball Association of Western Australia’ was finally formed in July 1957.
District competitions were held from 1972 (Men) and 1975 (Women) until 1988.
The growing popularity of basketball across the state saw the formation of the ‘State Basketball League’ in 1989 for both for both men and women.
The inaugural season saw 12 Men’s teams in action with the Geraldton Buccaneers topping the ladder with a 19-3 record.
Following them were:- Perry Lakes Hawks (19-3), Perth Redbacks (17-5), Willetton Tigers (17-5), Wanneroo Wolves (14-8), East Perth Eagles (12-10), Stirling Senators (10-12), Souwest Slammers (9-13), WAIS Warriors (6-16), Rainbow Coast Raiders (5-17), Cockburn Cougars (4-18) and Swan City Mustangs (0-22).
The Grand Final saw the Redbacks defeat the Buccaneers 114-89.
In the Women’s competition, the Perry Lakes Hawks headed the 8-teams with a 15-6 record, ahead of the Perth Redbacks (14-7), Stirling Senators (14-7), East Perth Eagles (14-7), Cockburn Cougars (12-9), Wanneroo Wolves (9-12), Willetton Tigers (6-15) and the Swan City Mustangs (0- 21).
The Redbacks beat the Hawks 79-66 in the Grand Final.
Since then the SBL (now known as NBL1 WEST) has gone from strength to strength.
Over 30 seasons only 3 teams – WAIS Warriors, Rainbow Coast Raiders (Albany) and Swan City Mustangs – are no longer playing, and the new teams joining the competition have been the Goldfields Giants (1990), Mandurah Magic (1990), Rockingham Flames (1994), Lakeside Lightning (2000) and the Kalamunda Eastern Suns (2008).
There is a lot of history for the SBL/NBL1 WEST over those three decades.
Sadly if you check out the ‘SBL1 WEST SEASONS’ on Wikipedia, you will find information is only available from 2007-2022.
Nothing from 1989 to 2006.
In contrast every season of the NBL and the WNBL has been completed on Wikipedia.
I certainly hope that there are plans to fill in the gaps, otherwise many years of WA basketball History will be lost for ever.
