Basketball’s booming social media profile could provide platform to showcase Tasmania globally

THA chief and Tasmania NBL advisory board member Steve Old says the worldwide exposure the state will get from rejoining the league will be worth every dollar spent by the State Government.

Tasmanian Hospitality Association CEO Steve Old believes it is a no-brainer for the State Government to sign off on the NBL deal. Picture: ZAK SIMMONDS

BASKETBALL’S booming social media profile will provide the platform to showcase Tasmania globally should it re-enter the NBL, according to advisory board member Steve Old.

With the deadline looming for the Government to sign off on the deal with league CEO Larry Kestelman on the purchase of the Derwent Entertainment Centre and Wilkinsons Point — Kestelman wants a decision by the end of the month — Old said it was an opportunity too good to pass up.

NBL executive director Larry Kestelman, pictured with wife Anita Pahor at a recent match in Sydney, is awaiting an answer from the Tasmanian Government. Picture: MARK KOLBE/GETTY IMAGES

The complex deal, involving the Glenorchy City Council, would see Kestelman obtain Wilkinsons Point, where he has proposed a $200 million redevelopment.

Taxpayers will fund a $40 million upgrade of the DEC, which will then be leased to Kestelman, with Tasmania to be handed the 10th NBL licence and rejoin the competition in 2021-22.

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Old, who is the Tasmanian Hospitality Association chief executive, said having a Tasmanian team back in the league for the first time in 25 years would be a boon for the state.

“You are going to get people who travel with the sides or watch their team play but you have to think nowadays how big social media is,” Old told the Mercury.

“The social media side of basketball in the NBL is huge, because of the ex-NBA owners and the likes of potential No. 1 NBA draft pick LaMelo Ball playing in the competition.

“The engagement they have got in America and other parts of the world now, imagine the benefits Tasmania can get through these markets if we play it right to expose our state to the rest of the world, basically through basketball.

“Our cricketers have always done us proud, we have got the Australian Test captain [Tim Paine], we had a previous Test captain [Ricky Ponting].

“We have done amazing things in cricket and the cricketers continue to lead the way — we could do the same thing in basketball.

“We can get these role models into schools and get participation up, making basketball the number one participation sport in the world.”

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Old has seen first hand the growth of the sport, having been president of the Hobart Chargers from 2007 until 2011.

With participation numbers surging he urged the Government to close to not miss out on a golden opportunity.

Premier Peter Gutwein is continuing negotiations with Larry Kestelman. Picture: PATRICK GEE

“NBL and basketball in this country and New Zealand has never been stronger and we now have a red hot opportunity for Tasmania to be part of the second best league in the world.

“We have been striving for an AFL side for a long time, we have spent millions of dollars trying to get reports done to get a team, we have spent millions of dollars every year to fund other teams to come into Tasmania.

“Now we have an opportunity with the owner of the NBL, a man who makes the decisions, to have a team of our own and we should be grasping it as best we can.”