Tauranga, Invercargill tipped for final four
Surprise package Tauranga and Invercargill loom as frontrunners to host the National Basketball League’s final four in June.
Christchurch is also in contention, but appear unlikely with the Canterbury Rams’ preferred finals venue, Horncastle Arena, booked out for the June 16-17 dates.
Canterbury would need to stage the final four at Cowles Stadium, which is only 1400-capacity and would face challenges around whether the facilities could accommodate four teams.
Invercargill’s Stadium Southland impressed as finals host last season and is again a strong prospect. Tauranga, who are attempting to join the NBL for the first time in 2018 after missing out for this season, are also in the running.
Southland’s crowds are among the best in the league and allied with the support of the community funders, will rate their chances.
The NBL season tips off on Thursday with a change at the top of the board table. Basketball New Zealand chief executive Iain Potter is interim chair of the NBL board after Sam Rossiter-stead stepped down after eight years.
‘‘We’re trying to achieve better alignment and synergies with Basketball New Zealand [and the NBL],’’ Potter said.
‘‘We haven’t been able to offer as much assistance to the league as we would have liked in previous years because of our own financial and sustainability issues.’’
Potter said the NBL board planned to make a decision on the final four host in mid-april, much earlier than previous years.
Invercargill, Tauranga and Christchurch all had positive aspects in their favour.
‘‘Tauranga has put up their hand because they’re intending to submit an application to be in the 2018 NBL. Invercargill did a superb job last year.’’
Seven teams will again contest this year’s NBL, but it’s possible the league could expand to eight or nine sides for 2018.
Tauranga’s ‘‘sound’’ bid for inclusion this season was rejected last year, but Potter said they were putting together a compelling case.
‘‘Tauranga is a growing area with a strong basketball community that has run some very effective basketball events over the last few years. They’re certainly in a strong position.’’
The Manawatu Jets, who folded after the 2015 season due to financial problems, were also knocking on the door.
‘‘Sustainability and contribution to the wider basketball community are two key planks both of them have to navigate,’’ Potter said.
‘‘Both Tauranga and Manawatu have been given that message. The NBL wants reasonable certainty that teams that enter are still going to be there in three, four and five years from a financial and organisational perspective.’’
Former NBL sides, North Harbour and Otago, have both made noises about rejoining the league in the future.
The Otago Nuggets last competed in 2014, but pulled out because of financial difficulty with their parent body, Basketball Otago (BBO). BBO avoided liquidation and have slowly rebuilt the organisation, posting a $85,263 surplus for 2015.
Potter said Otago were taking small steps towards getting back in the NBL.
NBL franchises haven’t always lived within their means with teams regularly pulling out of the league and running into financial strife.
Potter believed that was changing and teams were trying to be prudent.
‘‘Everyone seems well placed. The thing for the teams is to try and get a competitive unit on the court without getting over the top with their budgets.’’