Crosscourt: All the latest news and drama from across the NBL
The farcical scenes in Cairns on Thursday night look set to bring about some change in the NBL, but not the ones fans would expect. Check out the NBL latest in CROSSCOURT.
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NBL referees boss Scott Butler has revealed some of the abuse the league’s whistleblowers have faced has extended to their family members as he hailed the Illawarra Hawks for taking a stance on an issue that affects the sport at all levels.
In a wide-ranging discussion with Crosscourt, Butler, who officiated more than 500 NBL games but rarely speaks with media, opened up on the pressure people in the hot seat face.
“Since I’ve been in the job, and this is my eighth season, I have had referees who have really struggled with abuse, especially away from the floor,” Butler said.
“There have been situations where the off-court abuse, in particular, has leaked into family members of referees.
“Over the years, we’ve had situations where we’ve had to change (referee) appointments and give people rests and then offer them assistance around working with specialists to help them.”
Butler doesn’t shy away from the fact referees make mistakes — they are subjected to a rigorous preparation and a review process which leaves nowhere to hide.
But he says, whether they are a seasoned NBL caller or a youngster umpiring third division at their local courts, there is no excuse for abuse, either at games, in their personal life or online.
“In elite sports, sometimes we live in our own little bubble and we don’t really think about how our positive and negative behaviours, whether that’s players, coaches or referees, trickle down into local associations,” he said.
“That’s the difficult part about the microcosm that is elite sport, it’s a high pressure, high intensity environment and, sometimes people’s emotions are going to get the better of them in the heat of the moment.
“Kids at U12 level are watching their stars, their favourite players and they mimic their behaviour and that’s the challenge for all of us — where should that line be drawn?
“When you roll that down into local basketball associations and you’ve got a young kid or young adult refereeing adults, men or women, and the sideline people are abusing them as well, it doesn’t make for a good experience.”
NBL chief executive David Stevenson, in Crosscourt late last month, put the treatment of referees on the agenda, warning the league would take a “zero tolerance” approach to abuse. The Hawks, on Friday night, hosted a group of Illawarra Basketball Association referees who spent time with whistleblowers Michael Aylen and James Grigoul before their win over Perth — a response to increasing reports of issues around safety, abuse and poor treatment that has led to alarming referee drop out rates.
Butler said that’s not an issue isolated to the Illawarra. The former Basketball Queensland board member said referee recruitment and retention was one of the biggest issues the sport faced, nationwide.
He was blown away by the Hawks’ move and urged every NBL club to follow their lead to help spread the message of referee respect.
“Anything that we can do at the elite level, like the Hawks are doing, to help the local associations, is not only positive, but it shows really good leadership,” Butler said.
“That’s really important and I hope other clubs get the chance to do something similar.”
Illawarra interim coach Justin Tatum said the emotion of elite-level basketball “should never spill over to abuse or disrespect towards the officiating crew.”
“We all love the game of basketball, and the referees are an integral piece of the puzzle,” Tatum said.
“The coaches, players and the organisation advocate for the opportunity and development of referees at a junior level.
“The Hawks will continue to actively support this work in our local Illawarra community.”
WHERE TO NEXT FOR NBL’S BROADCASTING DEAL?
As the NBL enters a crucial period in its discussions around a new broadcast deal, Crosscourt can reveal there is no shortage of potential suitors eager to muscle in on the league’s rapid growth.
With the current broadcast deal complete at season’s end, It’s understood league powerbrokers prefer to maintain the successful relationships with Foxtel, Kayo and ESPN, and Ten that have helped take its reach to new heights.
But Crosscourt has been told every major free-to-air station, as well as several streaming services, have expressed interest in hosting NBL games, an indicator of the league’s rise — the sport once had to beg and plead for airspace.
Paramount+, sister to Ten, which broadcasts one NBL game per week on Sunday afternoons, is one competitor that has shown “strong interest”.
League owner Larry Kestelman has previously said free-to-air television is no longer the pantheon it once was, buoyed by the league’s surge in popularity despite almost all games screened exclusively on paid platforms.
Cricket’s recent decision to broadcast more subscription-only live content under its new arrangement has added another layer to that.
Powerhouse Kayo Sports, a division of News Corp, which owns this news outlet, has almost 1.5 million subscribers, while Foxtel is the premier pay TV provider in the country. Those platforms have become the home of the NBL, hosting broadcaster ESPN.
In another positive, It’s understood there was some trepidation in league circles coming out of the FIBA break after 10 days without an NBL game. But, a massive response on the league’s return produced a 41 per cent increase in audience on last season’s corresponding resumption from the FIBA break — the NBL was anticipated and missed.
SWEATY LATHER HAS NBL EYEING NEW POLICY AFTER POWER SURGE
The NBL’s review of a bizarre night in Cairns looks likely to bring about change in its rules and policies.
But maybe not quite in the nature most would expect.
Many observers in the basketball world are of the opinion the game probably should have been cancelled after a power surge at Cairns Convention Centre on Thursday night fried the shot clock and shut down the stadium’s airconditioning, causing a 51-minute delay in the clash between Cairns and Sydney.
But Crosscourt has been told initial results from the league’s review have shown protocols were largely adhered to — under league rules, games can be played without a shot clock.
The NBL’s heat policy prohibits play once the temperature inside a stadium reaches 36C.
It might surprise some, especially those at the venue, but, with the climate control on the blink, the temperature inside the convention centre only hit 23C.
The issue in tropical Cairns was the energy-sapping humidity that left fans and players alike in a sweaty lather.
The league does not have a policy governing humidity, something that is set to change, once the review is complete.
League boss David Stevenson was in Cairns for the clash, eventually won by Sydney by three points, and stepped in to broker the game’s continuation. It’s understood, despite initial resistance from the Kings, both coaches Mahmoud Abdelfattah and Adam Forde agreed to continue.
The coaches and players agreed to play “in the spirit of the game” but there has been some criticism with several ‘keepings off’ possessions that ran longer than if the shot clock was operational.
Two NBA scouts were in the crowd in Cairns — the broadcast capturing one looking far from impressed with the delay and sweltering conditions.
Not everyone hated it, though, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie tweeting ‘lmao, the NBL rules. It’s literally the wild west of basketball out here and I love it so much’.
The power surge also knocked out CCTV and affected catering and food services at the venue, which will host the Taipans’ next game against New Zealand on Friday night.
RILLIE MAKES POINT CLEAR
Perth Wildcats coach John Rillie isn’t afraid to express his opinion — and he continued the trend in Wollongong on Friday night.
The Wildcats were blown off the court in an upset loss to the last-placed Illawarra Hawks.
A frustrated Rillie fronted the media post-game — and to his credit — he largely took the disappointing defeat on the chin.
He was, however, surprised the media didn’t ask him about guard Tai Webster missing the Hawks’ clash with a hamstring injury, so he went out of his way to bring it up.
“I’ll ask a question,” Rillie said at the end of the press conference when the media were asked if they had anything else to add.
“Missing Tai Webster. Was that important to you guys? Yes. I think having Tai Webster missing was very key for us. Thank you.”
Point made, John.
HAWK SOAR AS TATUM UNLOCKS JOHNSON
Illawarra’s Next Star prodigy AJ Johnson has been given the chance to showcase his potential and the father of Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum deserves praise for opening the door.
Johnson produced his best game for the Hawks in Friday’s upset win over Perth, dropping an NBL career-high eight points, including a ferocious dunk-of-the-year contender on fellow Next Star Alex Sarr and Kristian Doolittle.
Under previous Hawks’ coach Jacob Jackomas, the gifted American guard, who came in at No. 17 in a recent Yahoo Sports NBA mock draft, averaged less than 10 minutes per game and twice sat on the bench for the entire game.
Illawarra’s interim coach Justin Tatum, in his three games in charge, has put more trust in Johnson, who recorded a career-high 14 minutes in Friday’s win over Perth.
Johnson, 18, elected to sign with the Hawks under the Next Stars program after decommitting from the University of Texas, an NCAA Division I program that has produced NBA All-Star players like Kevin Durant and sent over 35 of their alumni to the NBA.
Tatum praised the talented teen’s performance.
“AJ did a great job,” Tatum said.
“He is another guy who has been working diligently in practice trying to figure out how he can embrace himself with us in games.
“Tonight was a great night for him back in front of the home crowd. We keep things simple for him and allow him to be who he is.
“Once he sees a shot go in he is all downhill from there.”
Tatum deserves credit for reigniting passion in the Illawarra players. The Hawks have won two of the three games under his reign as interim coach and, according to guard Justin Robinson, the new coach’s secret to success is simple.
“He (Tatum) has given everyone confidence back from being who he is and knowing how to be a relationship person,” Robinson said.
“Everyone is trying to run through a wall for him, so we commend him for that and we’re all fighting for him.
Originally published as Crosscourt: All the latest news and drama from across the NBL
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