mystro
Years ago
Second NZ NBL Franchise possible for 2016/17
All the talk surrounding a second New Zealand NBL franchise has always involved the NZNBL's most successful franchise's owner, the Wellington Saints Nick Mills.
He met with NBL boss Fraser Neill back in May to feel out securing a licence but it was during those discussions he discovered the NBL's vision of a co-op owned model didn't match his own sole ownership capital based aspirations.
Since then Wellington businessman Bill Wallace (former colleague of Fraser Neil at the NZRU), Spearhead Manawatu's Craig Nash, Wellington Regional Council chair Fran Wilde & Basketball New Zealand's Iain Potter have established a group pushing for a second New Zealand franchise based primarily out of Wellington & the Manawatu areas but will be trying to draw support from Taranaki all the way across to the Hawkes Bay and down to the Capital.
Their bid has support from the Wellington, Palmerston North & Porirua councils.
Wallace said last week the ''door was open'' regarding Mills' potential involvement in a co-op bid.
But, Mills said while he harboured no bitterness towards Wallace and his group, that would not be happening.