NBL co-owner Larry Kestelman will inspect the Darwin Convention Centre as a potential home base for a league team
The co-owner of the NBL will visit the Territory soon to scope out a likely home base for a league team as momentum builds for the proposal.
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It could cost about $10m to run an NBL team in Darwin each year but there is “very strong” community interest in the concept, the NT News understands.
The league considers Darwin to be a “possible next expansion market”, with NBL executive director Larry Kestelman due to inspect its preferred home base, the Darwin Convention Centre, late this year or early in 2023.
The league is keen to understand what is needed to get the centre “NBL ready”, the NT News understands.
It comes as a feasibility report, commissioned by the NT government, into the viability of a local licence is due by the end of the year.
Major Events Minister Paul Kirby is expected to provide a submission to cabinet early next year regarding a potential bid.
The centre would also be an attractive location with fewer events using it during the wet season when tourism traditionally cools.
There would also be little competition for corporate sponsorships with other professional sporting codes in the Territory, the NT News has been told.
The league has outlined its desire for a potential team to have imports, a marquee player and one to two local players, and would prefer international players to be granted long term, multi-year deals to help with attracting and retaining high-end talent.
It is also keen to see the existing NBL1 North franchise, the Darwin Salties, to remain competitive and keep grassroots competitions thriving.
The NBL is also looking to leverage its proximity to South East Asia, with a particular focus on Indonesia and the Philippines.
However, the NT News understands the league has concerns with travel demands, as the Tasmania JackJumpers and the New Zealand Breakers travelled long hours to get to Darwin for the league’s pre-season competition in September, the NBL Blitz.
NBL commissioner Jeremy Loeliger told the NT News it had been an “incredibly expensive exercise” getting some teams in and out of Darwin for the event.
“The lack of direct flights is a challenge,” Loeliger said.
“We had teams who had some very long flights, in and out, because of those indirect routes.”
Corporate hospitality is also a concern with a “distinguishable lack of sales for courtside seats” at the Blitz, the NT News understands.
Loeliger said Darwin was currently in the hunt for a licence with “competing interests all around the country”, including in Canberra and the Gold Coast.
“There is nothing really that is fettering the NBL from being able to give a commitment in respect of a licence from a timing point of view,” Loeliger said.
“We have sufficient discretion to issue one pretty much as soon as we’re convinced that everything stacks up and that it is the best option for the next licence.
“There are pretty serious discussions happening with a number of other cities.”
He reiterated that the Blitz in September “did its job”, opening up “engaging and reciprocal dialogue” between the league and the NT government.
“It’s fair to say the Territory government has done a power of work on what they need to have in order to stand up an NBL team,” he said.
He said it would need to display commercial interest, sufficient infrastructure and public interest, which he thought was “definitely there”.
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