Funny Finally BA, NBL & ABA to combine

Finally some common sense has forced everyone around a table to talk about the future of Basketball.

Link

My reasons for why this has to happen and quickly (Men's only, Women's have already done it, almost):

1. At last years AFL draft, 7 state basketball representatives where pick up by AFL teams. At the moment, if you are not the super talented and not chosen to join the AIS, then their is no structure in place to develop you for NBL. OK, some clubs have development programs, but its not organised like the AFL and you have to have played as a junior in the area to eligible. Also Pendleberry went from the AIS to Collingwood due to a better future. This is the same issue as there is nothing in place once he left the AIS.

2. We came 10 in the Worlds last year. We heard all kinds of reasons why, Injury - who cares, with the amount of good senior players this should not be a issue, but then, they are not in the squad in the first place!

3. NBL is the winner as well. At the moment, unless you are a BN or a JI, NBL wants a 23yo fully rounded player. How does a player get from U18 to 23 years old unless they are lucky with ABA selection, job, education etc. If a structure of development were in place they would get quality players.

4. A draft creates interest in the sport. If a draft was held in May or June, it keeps the public interested in the sport during the off-season. Papers write about the sport and TV will follow. Then money will follow as the sport is seen as a true professional sport, not just a Boomers development squad as it is at the moment.

5. In 1975 I was selected for Footscray U19's, the then equivalent draft. I dropped out due to no support from the club and family. It was then a sport not a profession. I see Basketball now at the same level as AFL in the late 70's. OK for the seniors, but for the up and coming, other sports offering more. This move will bring Basketball into the late 20th century, not quite up to date, but getting their, only the players, officials, and spectators will do that once they all see and enjoy the benefits.

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Round Orange Ball
Years ago

Also, the next step is to combine all State bodies with their associations. This will take the benefits down to the grass roots, stop infighting and egos getting involved. That can be left to the clubs. Those clubs that continue that type of behaviour will perist and those who don't will flourish.

This will be the harder to impliment as their is no finacial or status benefit is thei=r is in the BA, NBL, ABA merger. The states will have to bury their ego's.

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Round Orange Ball
Years ago

2 more points:

1. At the moment, in general ABA is a complete joke. Some are better than others, but still a complete joke! It should be the D League for the NBL, but all it is, is a forum for 30 35 yo has-beens to bolster their ego's smashing the younger players! The general public has no idea of its existence, therefore no money, spectator participation media coverage etc. An example of their complete lack of credibility is their various Web Sites. Of the various associations of ABA, it is very difficult to find out what teams are involved, let alone when and where they play. You have to be a computer wiz kid to get hold of any useful information.

2. Why compare Basketball to AFL, well they have got it right. The who package, even in non-AFL states. For an example, about 4 years ago, my nephew who was 18 at the time came to live with us, he was from country Victoria and did not have cable TV in his home. After about 2 months, he asked one day, "Is that Rugby?" He had never seen the game before. Another 2 months passed and he asked, "Are there 2 types of Rugby?" So one can see that even after Melbourne Storm had won a Grand Final, Victorian kids did not even know the sport existed. Basketball has the same exposure! All the general public knows is the Boomers, most have never heard of the NBL and none know of the ABA.

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Anonymous
Years ago

All the control goes to BA - they will do things to appease their sponsors and take dictorial control.

Such as taking away http://www.adelaide36ers.com/36ers/ and replacing it with a generic www.basketball.net.au looking website. It is happening now.

there are many sponsorship arrangemnets with clubs that are different to the sponsorship agreements that BA has. I hope that BA have allocated several millions of dollars to provide to the NBL clubs to payout for the number of contracts that will have been breached. As well as alienating a number of existing supporters of basketball.

Not a smart idea to try and ram something like this through in such a short amount of time. Good in theory, very bad 3 months before a season.

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Anonymous
Years ago

So does this mean that NBL will have a yearly draft, assuming most picks would come from ABA players? That would be heaps interesting

Reply #133865 | Report this post

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Funny Finally BA, NBL & ABA to combine

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