NBL cools on Wellington expansion
‘It’s important in the early days we don’t try to grow too quickly for our own good.’ NBL general manager Jeremy Loeliger
DON’T hold your breath waiting for a second New Zealand team to be ushered into Australia’s regenerated National Basketball League.
That was the clear translation from comments made by NBL general manager Jeremy Loeliger after a visit to the New Zealand Breakers to meet their most successful oncourt product and winners of four of the past five championships.
Loeliger took on the top job in June after millionaire entrepreneur – and Melbourne United majority owner – Larry Kestelman stepped in and effectively saved the league by buying it for A$7 million.
Since then the product has gone from strength to strength, led by a stampede of top-level talent and a new groundbreaking TV deal with Fox Sports.
Before the Kestelman regime there had been concerted talk of expansion, with Wellington identified as one of a handful of potential new markets as the league explored upsizing to as many as 16 teams.
But as Loeliger delivered a strong endorsement of the Breakers’ status as the league’s ‘‘benchmark’’ club, he appeared to pour cold water on the prospect of Wellington being added to the party in the foreseeable future.
‘‘Is there momentum? You would never say never,’’ he said of a second Kiwi team. ‘‘You would never rule out a sustainable viable expansion, but there would have to be a compelling business case for it. It’s important in the early days we don’t try to grow too quickly for our own good.
‘‘The sustainability and viability of the league and every team that enters is of the utmost importance at the moment.
‘‘Is a second team potentially out of Wellington good for the league? I don’t think it would be a bad thing ... but it’s not necessarily a good thing. Do we want to divide the fanbase that is currently united behind the Breakers?
‘‘New Zealand is a really good example of uniting a whole country behind a single team and single brand and demonstrating how powerful that is. There are pros and cons either way, but you would never rule anything out.’’
Loeliger had heard about interest out of New Zealand’s capital but said ‘‘there is nothing out of Wellington at the top of our agenda at the moment’’.
In fact bombastic targets of expansion appear to have been well and truly retracted by the current organisation.
‘‘Controlled expansion is really important, and in any industry you want to be careful you don’t grow too quickly,’’ he said.
‘‘Expansion opportunities shouldn’t detract from the competition. That’s a significant analysis you would have to do if you’re talking about a second team in New Zealand, and whether you’re detracting from potential or continued success of the Breakers, or whether you’re adding to it by producing a ‘crosstown’ rival.’’
But the new league boss sees no downside in their most successful club coming from Tasman.
‘‘Any club who have won four of the last five is good for the competition because it sets a benchmark and something for everyone to strive towards. I have no issues it’s our cousins in New Zealand who happen to be winning ... it’s fantastic for the competition.’’
Loeliger expected Brisbane to be the only new addition to the league in 2016-17, though admitted 10 teams would be more desirable. After name-checking Melbourne, Canberra, Tasmania and Darwin as other potential sites for further expansion, he made it clear where the league’s focus now lay.
‘‘My immediate tension and that of headquarters will be to look to Asia and capitalise on the strength of the game there and how we as a league can start to share in the commercial returns from that enormous market.’’
He confirmed that a new rule would be in place from the start of next season that would create ‘‘domestic’’ roster spots for Asian players, and ‘‘in the future we hope to see teams out of potentially China or the Philippines competing week in, week out in the NBL’’.
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