NBL owner Larry Kestelman reveals a Gold Coast team could strengthen ties with Asia

The man who will decide what city wins the race to secure a professional basketball team has revealed the major advantage Gold Coast has over its Australian rivals.

THE Gold Coast has become Australia’s biggest basketball battleground amid revelations six groups from the city are fighting to secure a National Basketball League licence.

NBL owner Larry Kestelman flew to the Gold Coast on Thursday to hold talks with both Mayor Tom Tate and a range of investors about the league’s expansion as momentum gathers to have a Glitter Strip team rejoin the competition.

Kestelman revealed six groups were vying for a Gold Coast licence but declared the NBL would retain 100 per cent of the franchise ownership in its formative years.

“We have no less than half-a-dozen different groups who are very keen to be involved and we are very enthused by that,” Kestelman said.

NBL owner Larry Kestelman says six groups are fighting to secure a Gold Coast licence. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“It gives us a lot of comfort knowing the level of interest not just in the short term, but the long term.

“If we decide to go with a Gold Coast team we’ll be standing behind the club in the initial stages. We will have a 100 per cent controlling stake in the club until we get it up and running.”

The model would mirror the Tasmanian Jack Jumpers, a club that the NBL is now moving to find long term owners after just two-and-a-half years.

“I think a similar timeline for the Gold Coast is not unreasonable,” Kestelman said.

Gold Coast still has to compete with around five other destinations for the licence but its emerged the city could have one major advantage over rivals – it’s ability to reach an international market.

NBL CEO David Stevenson (left), Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate and The Hon. Stirling Hinchliffe, Minister for Tourism promoting the NBL Blitz preseason tournament that will be held on the Gold Coast. Picture: Glenn Campbell

The NBL has played pre-season games in the US and also China and Kestelman revealed he was eager for a Gold Coast team to play championship games in Asia given the tourism links between the two.

“I think this team would be a logical flag-bearer of anything into Asia,” Kestelman said.

“It’s got direct flights, it gets a lot of tourists out of Asia and I think we can be a great representative for the region into the Asian market. It becomes much more than a domestic play.

“This team would represent the town globally.”

Kestelman stopped short of saying the Gold Coast was the preferred destination as the next expansion team due to question marks remaining over the long-term venue the team would play in.

Kestelman said talks with council on the issue had been positive and stated the Gold Coast Convention Centre would be the ideal location in his mind for a boutique stadium.

“My feeling is that it needs to be something that is easily accessible by the light rail,” he said.

“The Convention Centre would certainly be ideal for us. Something that can hold 8000 to 10,000 people.

“I don’t think it would be a preferred destination if the venue situation is not sorted.”

Kestelman said for a Gold Coast team to enter the 2025 competition a decision would be required in the next six months, putting added weight on the success of the NBL Blitz pre-season tournament set to be held in September.

Originally published as NBL owner Larry Kestelman reveals a Gold Coast team could strengthen ties with Asia