National Basketball League (Australia) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
National Basketball League

Sport	Basketball
Founded	1979; 46 years ago (1979)
Founder	John Raschke
Inaugural season	1979
CEO	David Stevenson
President	Larry Kestelman
Commissioner	Jeremy Loeliger
Motto	Every Moment Matters
No. of teams	10
Countries	Australia (9 teams) New Zealand (1 team)
Headquarters	10 Queens Road Melbourne, VIC, 3004
Confederation	FIBA Oceania (Oceania)
Most recent champion(s)	Tasmania JackJumpers (1st title)
Most titles	Perth Wildcats (10 titles)
TV partner(s)	Australia: ESPN Network 10 New Zealand: Sky Sport Prime Online: Kayo Sports NBL TV 10Play
Sponsor(s)	Hungry Jack's
Level on pyramid	1
Domestic cup(s)	NBL Cup (defunct)

The National Basketball League (NBL) is a top professional basketball league for men in Australasia. It has 10 teams: 9 from Australia and 1 from New Zealand. It's the highest level of men's professional basketball in both countries.

History of the NBL

The Melbourne Tigers and Gold Coast Blaze playing at Parkville Stadium.

Before the NBL started, Australia had two national basketball competitions. The NBL began in August 1979. For its first 20 seasons, it was played during the winter (April to September).

In 1998, the league changed to a summer season (October to April). This change helped the NBL avoid competing with Australia's popular winter football sports. The NBL is Australia's third oldest national sports competition. Only domestic cricket (started 1892) and the Australian Football League (started 1897) are older.

The S.E. Melbourne Phoenix and Adelaide 36ers playing at John Cain Arena.

The NBL was very popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This time is often called its "golden age." However, its popularity went down for a while as other sports grew.

In the 2006–07 season, a new team from Melbourne, the South Dragons, joined. They won the NBL championship in 2008–09 but then stopped playing. The Singapore Slingers also joined, making the NBL the first league in Australasia to have an Asian team. The Gold Coast Blaze joined in 2007–08.

Between 2008 and 2009, the league faced some tough times and lost teams from major cities like Sydney and Melbourne. But the league worked hard to rebuild. In 2010, the Sydney Kings returned to the NBL.

In 2013, the NBL became separate from Basketball Australia. After some teams struggled financially, a property developer named Larry Kestelman bought a big part of the league. Since then, more people have been attending games, watching on TV, and using the NBL's apps.

In 2016, the Townsville Crocodiles team had to stop playing because of money problems. Larry Kestelman has promised that no NBL club will ever fold again while he is in charge.

The NBL made it easier for Australian players who aren't in the NBA to play in Australia. They created a "marquee rule" to help bring back star players like Andrew Bogut. They also added a "Special Restricted Player" rule. This allows teams to sign players from countries like China, the Philippines, and Japan without them counting as "imports." This helps the league grow and become more exciting.

Basketball has become very popular in Asia. This, along with the strong level of play in Australian basketball, helps the NBL stay strong. The NBL is now one of the most-watched basketball leagues in the world, after the NBA and EuroLeague.

From 2016 to 2018, interest in the NBL grew a lot. Game attendance reached new records. In 2018, the S.E. Melbourne Phoenix joined the league. The 2019–20 NBL season was a huge success. Famous young players like LaMelo Ball and R. J. Hampton joined, attracting many fans. Over one million American fans watched Ball's first NBL game online!

After a couple of seasons affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022–23 NBL season and its finals set new attendance records.

How the NBL Works

Melbourne United and Sydney Kings playing at Melbourne Arena.

Regular Season

Since the 2009–10 season, each team plays 28 games in the regular season. This includes 14 home games and 14 away games. The regular season usually starts in early October and finishes in mid-February.

In the 2020–21 season, teams played 36 games because of a new tournament called the NBL Cup. But the next season, the NBL went back to its normal 28-game schedule.

Finals

The top four teams at the end of the regular season move on to the Finals. The teams that finish first and second get to play their first-round games at home. These first-round matches are a "best-of-three" series. The winners of these matches then play in the Grand Final.

The Grand Final is a "best-of-five" series. The team that finished higher in the regular season gets home-court advantage. The winner of the Grand Final is crowned the NBL champion!

In the 2022–23 season, the NBL added "play-in" games. The top two teams go straight to the semi-finals. Teams ranked third to sixth play in a special tournament to decide who gets the remaining semi-final spots.

NBL Cup

The NBL Cup was a special mid-season tournament introduced in the 2020–21 season. It involved 36 games, and the results counted towards each team's regular season record. The NBL later returned to its usual 28-game format, but the league might bring back a similar tournament in the future.

NBL Teams

The NBL started in 1979 with ten teams. Over the years, some teams have joined, left, or moved. There are currently ten teams in the NBL: nine in Australia and one in New Zealand. These teams are located in cities like Adelaide, Auckland, Brisbane, Cairns, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong. The Illawarra Hawks are the oldest club, having played in every NBL season since 1979.

Each team has a salary cap of $AU1.1 million. This is a 'soft cap,' meaning teams can pay more for special "marquee players" without breaking the cap.

Overview of NBL teams

Club	Location	Arena	Capacity	Head Coach	Titles	Founded
Adelaide 36ers	Adelaide	Adelaide Entertainment Centre	11,300	Scott Ninnis	4	1982
Brisbane Bullets	Brisbane	Nissan Arena	5,000	Justin Schueller	3	1979
Cairns Taipans	Cairns	Cairns Convention Centre	5,300	Adam Forde	0	1999
Illawarra Hawks	Wollongong	Wollongong Entertainment Centre	6,000	Justin Tatum	1	1979
Melbourne United	Melbourne	John Cain Arena	10,175	Dean Vickerman	6	1984
New Zealand Breakers	Auckland	Spark Arena	9,740	Mody Maor	4	2003
Perth Wildcats	Perth	Perth Arena	15,500	John Rillie	10	1982
S.E. Melbourne Phoenix	Melbourne	John Cain Arena	10,175	Mike Kelly	0	2018
Sydney Kings	Sydney	Sydney SuperDome	18,200	Brian Goorjian	5	1988
Tasmania JackJumpers	Hobart	MyState Bank Arena	4,340	Scott Roth	1	2020

Adelaide 36ers

Brisbane Bullets

Cairns Taipans

Illawarra Hawks

Melbourne United

New Zealand Breakers

Perth Wildcats

S.E. Melbourne Phoenix

Sydney Kings

Tasmania JackJumpers

New Teams Joining

In 2019, Larry Kestelman suggested that Tasmania could get a new team. On February 28, 2020, the NBL and the Tasmanian Government announced the Tasmania JackJumpers. This team joined the league for the 2021–22 season.

In 2022, Larry Kestelman also mentioned that Canberra could be the next city to get a team. The last Canberra team, the Canberra Cannons, played in the NBL from 1979 to 2003.

In 2024, the NBL announced a partnership with Japan's B.League. This could lead to more games between teams from both leagues and maybe even a Japanese team joining the NBL in the future.

Team Rivalries

The "Throwdown" rivalry between S.E. Melbourne Phoenix and Melbourne United at John Cain Arena.

Basketball rivalries make games exciting! Here are some of the NBL's biggest ones:

Adelaide 36ers vs Brisbane Bullets

This is one of the NBL's oldest rivalries, starting in 1985. These two teams were very strong in the mid-1980s. They even played against each other in the 1985 and 1986 Grand Finals. Games between them were often close and intense, with star players like Al Green and Mark Davis for Adelaide, and Leroy Loggins for Brisbane.

When the Bullets returned to the NBL in 2016, their rivalry with Adelaide quickly picked up again.

Adelaide 36ers vs Melbourne United

This rivalry became strong in the 1990s. It involved players like Mark Bradtke and Andrew Gaze. Later, in 2009, former 36ers star Julius Hodge joined Melbourne. This made games between the two teams even more heated.

Adelaide 36ers vs Perth Wildcats

These two teams were top contenders in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They had many exciting matchups with talented players. They played against each other in several semi-final series. However, they didn't meet in a Grand Final until the 2013–14 season. Perth won that series.

This rivalry is still strong today. The teams even play for the "Cattalini Cup," named after player Martin Cattalini who played for both clubs. The MVP of each game between them receives the "Paul Rogers Medal."

Illawarra Hawks vs Sydney Kings

Fans of the Illawarra Hawks see the Sydney Kings as their biggest rivals. Many Hawks players have moved to the Kings over the years. The Hawks made history in 2001 by becoming the first team from New South Wales to win the NBL finals. The Kings then won three championships in a row, including beating the Hawks in the finals.

New Zealand Breakers vs Perth Wildcats

The Breakers and Wildcats have been two of the NBL's strongest teams. They have won many championships between them. They often meet in the finals, making for exciting games. Both teams have to travel long distances for games, which adds to their unique "derby of distance" rivalry.

Melbourne United vs South East Melbourne Phoenix

This rivalry is called the "Throwdown" because both teams are from Melbourne and share the same home arena. Their first game against each other was the Phoenix's very first NBL game in 2019, which the Phoenix won. They even met in the semi-finals in 2021.

How the NBL is Run

Sponsors

The NBL has had different sponsors over the years. From 2004 to 2007, Philips was the main sponsor. Then Hummer took over for a season. From 2010 to 2013, iiNet was the main sponsor.

Since October 2017, Hungry Jack's has been the main sponsor of the NBL. Their logo is on player jerseys and around the venues.

Naming Rights History

• 1979 to 1987: No main sponsor
• 1988 to 1991: Hungry Jack's
• 1992 to 2001–02: Mitsubishi
• 2002–03 to 2003–04: No main sponsor
• 2004–05 to 2006–07: Philips
• 2007–08: Hummer
• 2008–09 to 2009–10: No main sponsor
• 2010–11 to 2012–13: iiNet
• 2013–14 to 2016–17: No main sponsor
• 2017–18 to present: Hungry Jack's

TV and Media

In the early days, the ABC broadcast NBL games. As the sport grew, other local TV stations also showed games.

Since 2015, Fox Sports has shown all NBL games in Australia. Free-to-air channels like Nine Network, SBS, and 10 Peach have also shown weekly games. In 2021, the NBL signed a deal with ESPN and Kayo Sports, so every game is available there.

In the United States, FanDuel TV and ESPN3 now broadcast NBL games.

Team Rules and Player Pay

Cairns Taipans players in 2019.

NBL teams usually have players from other countries, called "imports." Currently, teams can have up to three imports. However, the NBL has also made rules to allow more international players. For example, players from certain Asian or Oceanic countries don't count towards the import limit. This helps bring in more talent from around the world.

The NBL has a "salary cap," which is the maximum amount of money a team can spend on player salaries. For the 2016–17 season, the salary cap was $AU1,100,000. Teams can go over this amount, but they have to pay a fee. There's also a "marquee player rule" that allows teams to pay one star player a higher salary that doesn't fully count towards the cap.

Next Stars Program

In 2018, the NBL started the "Next Stars" program. This program helps young, talented players from overseas (especially those who can't join the NBA draft yet) play professionally in the NBL. It also helps young Australian and New Zealand players. These "Next Stars" get a good salary, a car, an apartment, and flights home. This program helps them develop their skills and get noticed by bigger leagues like the NBA.

Famous NBA players like Kenny Smith and Carmelo Anthony are now involved with the NBL's Next Stars program. Carmelo Anthony will even join the ownership group of a future NBL team!

Team Uniforms

Since the 2020–21 season, Champion has made the uniforms for all NBL teams.

City Round

Each year, the NBL has a "City" round. During this round, all teams wear special limited-edition jerseys that represent their city.

Indigenous Round

In 2018, the Illawarra Hawks and Sydney Kings wore special Indigenous-themed jerseys. This was to celebrate the rich Indigenous culture in basketball. It was so popular that since the 2019–20 season, all NBL teams now wear Indigenous jerseys during a special "Indigenous Round."

NBL Champions and Awards

List of Champions

The 2016–17 NBL Championship trophy.

The Perth Wildcats have won the most NBL championships, with 10 titles. Melbourne United has won 6 titles, and the Sydney Kings have won 5.

Current teams that have not appeared in the NBL Finals:

• S.E. Melbourne Phoenix

Regular Season Champions

Note: In 1983 and 1984, the NBL was split into Eastern and Western divisions during the regular season.

Hall of Fame

The NBL Hall of Fame started in 1998 to celebrate the league's 20th season. It honors amazing players, coaches, referees, and others who have helped the NBL. In 2010, it joined with the Basketball Australia Hall of Fame to become the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame.

To be chosen for the Hall of Fame, people must meet certain requirements:

• Players must have played at least 100 NBL games and been retired for at least four seasons. They must have made a big impact on the NBL.
• Coaches must have been an NBL head coach for 10 or more seasons and been retired for at least four seasons. They also need to have made a big impact.
• Referees must have made a big impact on the NBL and been retired for at least four seasons.
• Contributors are people who have helped the NBL in other important ways. They can be chosen at any time.

Awards

The NBL gives out many awards each season to recognize top players and coaches:

• Most Valuable Player (MVP)
• Grand Final MVP
• Coach of the Year
• Next Generation Award
• Most Improved Player
• Best Defensive Player
• Best Sixth Man
• All-NBL Team (best players at each position)
• Scoring champions

Road Trips

Doomsday Double

The "Doomsday Double" is a very tough road trip for NBL teams. It means playing against the Adelaide 36ers and Perth Wildcats in the same round. These two teams have been very successful for a long time. Only a few teams have managed to win both games on this challenging trip.

Sunshine Swing

The "Sunshine Swing" is another difficult road trip. Teams play against opponents from Queensland, like the Brisbane Bullets and Cairns Taipans, in the same round. Sometimes, it even involves three games in one round!

NBLxNBA Games

NBLxNBA is a special series of games between NBL clubs and teams from the National Basketball Association (NBA) in North America. These games started in 2017 and happen every year. They are usually played in the U.S. and Canada in September or October. It's a great chance for NBL teams to test their skills against NBA talent!

NBL All-Star Game

The NBL All-Star Game is a fun event where top players from the league compete. It first happened in 1982. Later, it changed to a game between "Aussie All-Stars" (local players) and "World All-Stars" (import players). The game was brought back in 2012, with teams from the North and South divisions of the league playing each other.

See also

In Spanish: National Basketball League (Australia) para niños

• Basketball Australia
• Basketball in Australia
• List of attendance figures at domestic professional sports leagues – how the NBL compares to other leagues around the world
• List of National Basketball League (Australia) venues
• NBL All-time Records
• NBL1
• New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL)
• Women's National Basketball League (WNBL)