It has been a banner few years for the NBL with Australia’s premier basketball league enjoying something of a renaissance following a lengthy period of uncertainty. But following this renewed interest in the league, all eyes are on expansion.
In the past three years, the NBL has grown by 25%, adding two new franchises to the league in an effort to bring more talent - and more fans - to Australian basketball.
First came the South East Melbourne Phoenix in 2019, adding a cross-city rival for powerhouse Melbourne United, and this season saw the introduction of the Tasmania JackJumpers, returning NBL basketball to the Apple Isle for the first time since the Hobart Devils in 1996.
So with the NBL trending upwards, and expansion clearly on the mind, there is obviously only one question to ask: who’s got next?
NEWCASTLE
One of the most popular destinations for a new NBL franchise is Newcastle, the New South Wales city that is already home to an NRL team, the Knights, and an A-League team, the Jets.
Not only has Newcastle shown the capacity to house professional sports, but they also have a basketball history; the Newcastle Falcons were one of the founding NBL teams in 1979, and after disbanding in 1999 the city also played host to the Hunter Pirates from 2004 to 2006.
There is also online support for the league to return to the Steel City, most prominently under the ‘Newy’s Got Next’ Twitter account.
Newcastle was also recently named as one of the 13 new teams in the inaugural NBL1 East, the newest division of the NBL’s second-tier league.
DARWIN
Another team that has recently joined the NBL1 is the Darwin Salties, joining NBL1 North. The Salties are the first NBL1 team in the Northern Territory, and if this team can build a strong fan base, there is no reason that the NBL would not consider them as part of the league moving forward.
While the Northern Territory does not currently have any major sporting franchises, there is also the opportunity for the NBL to truly corner the market, and convert the Northern Territory into bonafide basketball fans.
CANBERRA
Australia’s capital city is also one of its most important hubs of basketball, currently housing the reigning WNBL champion UC Capitals, as well as the AIS, which each year turns out NBL and at times NBA level prospects.
Despite this clear basketball passion from the region, the city has remained without an NBL team since 2003, when the Canberra Cannons folded.
19 years on, it’s prime time that a Canberra team return to the NBL, and as basketball in Australia continues to rise, Canberra seems more ready than ever to make its return, either under the former Cannons name, or a brand new identity.
GEELONG
Yes, Victoria did receive a second team just two years ago, but it is inarguable that they are the true heartland of current Australian basketball, and that the NBL would undeniably benefit from having multiple teams in the state.
Geelong has its own history with the NBL, having a team from 1982-1996, and they too have shown the capacity to house professional sporting teams.
Geelong has also shown a strong passion for basketball, with the Geelong Supercats a part of the NBL1 South. By elevating them to an NBL franchise, Victoria will be able to create a basketball environment similar to that of the NBA in California, who have four separate teams in one state.