NO NO NO . This is most even nbl season ever and they want to expand and bring in weaker sides.I'm not liking the idea.

"Read the forum... there's a Kestleman thread about this."

Good try but that thread is about the Herald Sun, NOT the Telegraph.

Also, the Herald mentions nothing about a new Melbourne team.

Anyone else?

"NO NO NO . This is most even nbl season ever and they want to expand and bring in weaker sides.I'm not liking the idea."

This is all about revenue. Which is pivotal. Sports, or any business

I don't know the exact dynamics of what would work best, but a 2nd team in Melbourne certainly makes sense. If they can get a bunch of non-tigers and non-MU fans back to the NBL, and get a cross-town rivalry going, it could be epic. There are some big venue in Melbourne, so cross-town games could become HUGE.

Same with Wellington, there is just so much to like about that idea. Trips to NZ would become the new "doomsday double," but at least with the 2nd game the travel factor would be mitigated. And again, an inter-NZ rivalry could be huge.
Over time, it would also water down the Tall-Blacks' factor.
My only question is whether they have a big enough venue?

Not sold on trying to play games in China.

"If you want an Asian team name it an Asian team. Not an Australian team pretending to be an Asian team."

I don't think FIBA will let the NBL have a team based in Asia, so LK has to find another way.

What I'd expect is a something like a team with Chinese owners, who play most of their home games in China, have a deal with Chinese TV, a mix of Aus, NZ, US and Chinese players but are officially an Australian-based team.

My views

1)FIBA wouldn't mind as now Oceania is playing in FIBA Asia's Olympic qualifying format

2)I'm not sure the Chinese basketball Assocation will allow chinese clubs to play in an Australian league. It could undermine the local CBA comp.

3)Maybe an Asian champion's league format would be better to align the big leagues in the Asia-Pacific. This Champion's league format idea has been floated about since about 2010-onwards.

Trust me, FIBA do mind. And the NBL won't be able to play games in China without CBA approval, so the fact the NBL is talking publicly about it tells me that side of things is going well.

Dazz, Wellington have a 4,000 seat venue where the Wellington Saints play in the NZ NBL, which is about the same size as the Brisbane Convention Centre.

Sorry yeah, I was vaguely aware of that.
I'm thinking the issue with Brisbane, and any other new team, is that you expect the crowds to grow over time, and move to a bigger venue. Makes sense to start in something around the 3~4k mark, get a good atmosphere going, but to be viable long-term, they would need to be able to eventually pull bigger crowds, and have a bigger venue, especially for finals.

If you want an Asian team name it an Asian team. Not an Australian team pretending to be an Asian team."

I don't think FIBA will let the NBL have a team based in Asia, so LK has to find another way.

What I'd expect is a something like a team with Chinese owners, who play most of their home games in China, have a deal with Chinese TV, a mix of Aus, NZ, US and Chinese players but are officially an Australian-based team.

So we can't have a team "based in China,"
but we can have a Chinese team playing "Most of their home games in China"???

Putting aside the logistical nightmares and incredible expense of playing NBL games in China.
Presumably the goal (apart from an extra licence fee) is generate viewer support in China and leverage a broadcast deal with a Chinese network.
Now yes, that has the potential to be a huge deal, but you'd need to have a quality product with significant appeal to the Chinese market. China is a major country, with potentially the biggest consumer market in the world. They are not some pisspot developing nation happy to take the westerner's scraps.

Let me put it this way, if instead the NBL entered a team n the Chines League, would we all buy Foxtel subscriptions to watch it?
Particularly if it was just some re-branded Chinese team with a Dodo sponsorship deal???

For starters, we'd need to establish the NBL as a significantly superior league. We could do that with many of our neighbouring countries, but I'm not so sure about China? How much do Chinese players make in their league? I don't know enough.
Then, no matter how you structure it, it needs to be something that grabs the support of the Chinese. A reincarnation of the Slingers isn't going to do that.

For starters, we'd need to establish the NBL as a significantly superior league.

What was the smallest margin in the NBL vs CBA games at the ABC again?

If they want to expand into Asia they should look to something closer and more easily relatable to Aussies. Field a Bali side. They could wear Bintang singlets. I'm not sure of a team name, but it's probably best to avoid the nickname of the old 1940s St Louis NBA team.

More drivel from Dazz. Go and whinge to the mods yet again, you lowlife.