NBL: THE ONLY WAY IS UP

QAre you confident of the longevity of the Taipans as an NBL club or are there still challenges down the line?

AAbsolutely. Our performance this year and finishing the top two again for the second time in three seasons shows we are up there with the best of them. There will always be challenges but it’s our job as a board to meet those challenges in the best interests of the club. I have a simple philosophy in my own business and the Taipans which is, don’t tell me what we can’t do, tell me what we can do, we’ll find a way to do it.

QHow do you personally see the growth of the NBL under the vision of owner Larry Kestelman?

AWhat Larry has done in a couple of years is phenomenal. The corporate partners he’s been able to bring in, the team he has put together, the vision they have, the exposure he has given the game are beyond question. We were at the NBL MVP dinner on Monday night and NBL general manager Jeremy Loeliger pointed out that the attendance numbers this season are higher than those of the NBL “glory days” of the late ’80s and early ’90s.

QHow do you see the potential NBL expansion to Asia?

I see this as a great opportunity. Asia is a massive market with a big basketball passion. Cairns is a gateway into Asia and I see this as a great exposure opportunity for our whole region. The viewership in Asia this year has been amazing.