Before the import rule, teams in Australia were made up of a lot of Americans and young Aussies weren't given a go.

Times have changed and maybe the import rule may need to be looked at.

3 is perfect IMO

I could see 3 working but never any more than that. Its a fine line getting that balance of Aussie talents and the next generation of Aussie talent through but not lose the excitement entertainment value of star players performing.

The NBL cannot ever be in the top tier though. Leagues outside the top tier have restrictions. NZ NBL, Europe, etc.

If it's three, have one of them needing to have played a full ABL season to qualify. Helps a lower league out.

Import restrictions are in place to develop Australian players. I remember reading Fearne saying that is one of his selling points when recruiting imports as with a 2 import limit imports play a larger role in this league. I would support 3 imports if the league expanded to 12 teams - with one import having played SEABL/State League and/or NBL previously.

Presumably NBL is still expected to play a role as a development league for Boomers and providing a career path for Australian players who can't or don't want to play overseas (yet). That's the only substantial argument for an import restriction, isn't it?

If NBL is just about promoting the sport and making money for clubs and owners then import restrictions wouldn't help.

If you move to 3+ imports while retaining a salary cap (at least at its current level), would it drive down salaries for mid-tier and lower players? Demand (spots to be filled) would be the same and supply (players to fill them) would be a lot larger.

Australia only has 70-75 professional male basketballers in total. That's why we need import restrictions and that's a reason why we need more teams.

People talk about how many hundreds of players we have in college, but the reality is only about 4-5 graduate to be pros each year. Given our juniors are world class, it says there is a lot of talent going by the wayside.

Spot on re both choice and lack of jobs. Creating more teams will create a stronger pathway via more jobs and more higher-paying jobs. We have the talent to do it, we just need the people with the cash!

Unlimited imports is a farcical proposal for a country like Australia. We can't even afford two per team for an eight league team league and be profitable.

Will teams turn a profit in 2015/16?

If so, how much and where should it be spent? On foreign players who play and leave. Take the money and put it into their own pockets.

Surely we want some of that revenue (which I doubt will be much) to stay in Australia to be reinvested into the game here. To stabilise the league clubs and to grow the number of teams.

To do that there needs to be some sort of equalisation of talent across all league teams. The AFL learnt this lesson during the 90s and the NRL with salary cap breaches. The leagues responsibility is to commercially govern in a way that protects every owner's investment.

Yes the game is about entertainment, but we need to crawl before we can walk.

Imports don't necessarily cost a lot of money. That's a perception that's carried over from the early days of the NBL when there wasn't the depth of local talent to warrant good coin.

The reality is there are far more talented Americans looking to play OS than there are spots. While there are some top-end imports who demand good coin, and we're lucky to have quite a few at the moment, there are also many a bargain to be had.

If we could expand to 14-16 teams over a number of years, I think a move to three imports would then be a smart one.

It would still leave 100-110 local spots (same numbers as the late 80s, early 90s) but also only require 70-80 quality Aussies/Kiwis (ie 5 per team) for each to have a quality eight-man rotation, with a couple of spots for younger players to get full-time gigs.

Does the league need to worry about developing Aussie talent?

Those good enough go to college to get developed.

Import restrictions were put in place when the NBL was a feeding ground for the boomers. Now it is not.

The league needs to make money, the easiest sell is athletic talent.

Import restriction should be changed the three.

Aussie talent not good enough is forced to get better. In the short term some aussie's will miss out but in the long term they'll get better because in order to survive they'll need to compete with global talent.

"Aussie talent not good enough is forced to get better."

Short-term view RMQ. Where do they get better? We don't have a second-tier pro league.

If you don't provide a pathway eventually your talent pool will dry up, leaving someone else to try and fix the mess down the track.

It is a short term problem yes.

They have the same avenues to get better, the only difference is they know they have to work harder because the bar is set higher.

Affordability is a big factor, I would think. Of course, the local talent needs to have a pathway, so a limit has to remain IMO.

Two imports with 8 teams works, if we grow to ten teams I can see the import tally going to three with no problems.

Depends on how the competition and league grows, it has to suit...

I think you missed my point RMQ. If Aussies don't have NBL opportunities the vast majority of them don't have professional environments to get better in.

Bringing in more imports won't add to revenue to the league but it will likely drain the talent pool down the track with fewer athletes viewing basketball as a viable option.

what is being proposed is that if we have ten teams we go to three imports. This would mean 2 new teams and 14 new jobs for Aussies under those rules. But we lose one Aussie from each team as a result of the new import rule so 8 current guys lose or reduce their salary. Net result = 6 jobs overall for new aussies and 10 new imports in the league. Average cost of an Australian NBL = 50K-70Kpa. Average cost of Import = 100K-120K+ pa.

Im not convinced this commercial decision would translate to more revenue into the league just because the perception is it would be more 'athletic' or 'attractive'. What about we invest in developing and retaining Australian talent - isn't that what the coaches of the best teams do?

Not sure an extra import makes perfect financial sense in a league that can't keep 8 teams affordable right now.

If I want to watch Americans play basketball, I'll watch the NBA.

I live in Perth, but never truly warmed to the Wildcats in their hey day because I simply couldn't relate to their lineup of naturalised Americans with more American imports on top. Very good basketballers and I watched the odd game, but even as a basketball-mad teenager and twenty-something I preferentially watched my local A-Grade, or went along to an SBL game.

Part of the appeal of sports is having something to aspire to. "If I work hard, and/or I'm really good, I could get to where they are". When your local team is full of imports you're basically telling local kids that none of the locals were good enough, we had to get players from somewhere else to compete.

Having a sprinkling of imports adds some variety and raises the level of the competition, but too many is counter-productive IMO.

There's enough Australian talent for 10 teams.

Australians and New Zealanders who could potentially comeback from overseas if the league expanded.

Dillon
Madgen
Corletto
McCarron
Marcel Jones
Edwards
Bailey
Trist
Anthony
Duinker
Loe

Plus guys coming in from College, the FIBA Oceania rule and Guys who play at SEABL/State League level, there is enough talent to expand with 10 teams I feel without diluting the standard too much.

I would allow 3 imports if the league expanded to 12 teams however but 1 has to have played in the NZNBL, State League or NBL before.

Imports in some cases can be cheaper than locals however as there is more demand for Australians in this league and there is a demand for American's across the world.

Bringing in more imports won't add to revenue to the league but it will likely drain the talent pool down the track with fewer athletes viewing basketball as a viable option.


I agree with Paul - particularly with sports like AFL already keeping a close eye on and pinching a lot of quality junior basketballers.

I would support 3 imports per team however only ever have 2 on the court maximum.

I like Koreas rules with 2 per team however only 1 at a time during the 2nd and 3rd quarters. That makes a true competitive local competition.

I think finicky import rules based on playing time or number on court at once will just confuse incoming fans.

Limit of two for top teams makes sense. Most are competing because of their local contingent as much as any imports. And permit a third ABL import for weaker teams to help them remain competitive.

It's an interesting question.
I don't think the 2-import restriction is magical, or perfect, but it does contribute to maintaining opportunities for locals, as well as encouraging naturalisation, loyalty, and stability.

3 imports is fine.

You felt the need to bump a six-year-old thread for that?

I don't respect you or require your permission.