I just read this little snip from Derek Rucker:
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,22984925-23769,00.htmlÂ
Does anyone have any ideas on how the NBL can become a popular Australian sport again?
Crowd numbers are pretty abismal, the game has little cash, it’s hard to attract good imports and frankly, the game is just not that exciting to watch.
- Do we need to change the rules and go to a more American model that is more focussed on entertainment?
Purist would argue that this is not how the games is meant to be played, however aren’t sports essential about the spectators? Look at the reformation in Cricket and how that has improved its popularity… - Do we need to change the emphasis on playing style at a junior level?
I know the game is about defense as much as offense (i.e. UQ basketball), but that makes for a very boring game if you are on the sideline. The games needs better athletes who are dynamic scorers. I don’t want to watch a guy take charges all day, I want to see someone dunking over 2 dudes or draining some monster treys!
I am personally in favour of freeing up the game a bit and encouraging a more attacking style of play. Every other sport has implemented changes to this affect. Union has just implemeted 8 new rules aimed at improving the game: http://www.brumbies.com.au/act.rugby/page/52353
The key to a successful sport is punter numbers. From this comes follow-ons like sponsorship and most importantly growth in the game. Keen to hear the thougths os the other ballers out there…
Few random ideas in no particular order.
Might point out that I think Rucker’s view of the game from the perspective of the Kings is a little jaded, he did get sacked after a year and is in the nation’s toughest market. There’s a whole host of problems with the Kings that are carries over of the previous owners. They’re playing at the wrong stadium, they lack a local identity (think the way the Bullets line up with the Brisbane local scene, namely Spartans, although this should be Brisbane) and that has affected they’re sponsorship for years. The problems they have you won’t find in a Townsville or a Cairns who properly align themselves with the local community. The Bullets I exclude because of Mr Groves. The Kings could take alot of notes away from the Wildcats or the 36ers, but anyways.
Insofar as the league’s (and the sport’s) popularity in general, there is a basketball community out there that just isn’t tapped into well enough. You have punters who jump on the bandwagons when the local team gets going, but that still doesn’t change the fact that you need a solid fan base to draw from irrespective of your team’s success. The Australian market is so saturated with sporting teams, particularly in the nations capitals, I’m starting to think basketball has started to get too big for its boots. I agree that the only way to survive commercially is continued growth and innovation, but is Australia big enough to accomodate a 13 team NBL competition???? Some very rough comparisons:
US Population: 300 000 000
US major sporting teams: 122 ( MLS, NBA, NHL, NFL) according to wikipedia)
Equates to 2.5 million per team
Australia Population 22 million
Australia Major sporting teams: 43( NRL, AFL, NBL, Super 14, A League)
Equates to 500,000 per team
Based on this, maybe stripping back the number of teams is an idea?? Id on’t know. The Asian market needs to come into consideration surely – there’s about a 500 million three foot tall chumps who can’t play ball yet love the game to death – surely we could get a piece of this. The Slingers aren’t the answer – the Melbourne model (Chinese sponsorship) is a good start.
Of course, some NBA players would help as well. Aside from Bogut, there’s about 3-4 more players who should crack NBA rotations in the next few years. That would be wicked exposure.
Basketball Ideas:
1. Put in a defensive circle under the bucket that you can’t take charges in. This should be in juniors anyway, but having at higher levels allows for more athleticism near the rim. However, I don’t think illegal defense, which I guess is the next evolution of this idea, should be implemented. The idea should be to keep the game as pure as possible.
2. Bring the crowds closer to the game, i.e. like the NBA also. This may not be feasible due to some stadium designs, but I feel jibbed whenever we’re at the Convention Centre at one of the ends – too far away from the action.
3. Improve the digital side of the game – its easier to support the NBA than it is the NBL. The NBA has more commercial support comparatively (obviously taking it proportional to the size of the US market), but this is not an excuse for the poor standard of the NBL website and associated highlights. I know that not every game can be telecast, but nbl.com should at least be making comprehensive highlights available.
4. Make the games shorter – 48 minute fully timed is too long, 40 should suffice. Either that or running clock on certain calls (violations mainly outside the last two minutes of a quarter).
5. Make the court bigger, particularly the keyway. With the three second rule, a bigger keyway makes for more driving space. Should = more scores and more athleticism at the rim. Woudl increase the entertainment value without hurting the game too much.
Really out there ideas:
1. Make the ring bigger.
2. Make it four players. Perhaps take something from hockey, such as power plays when you bring on an extra man.
And finally…..
BRING BACK CHEERLEADERS. Sorely missing from the family environment of the ABC learning centre Bullets….
Comment by Al — January 3, 2008 @ 5:42 pm
More importantly – is this blog dead????
Comment by Al — January 8, 2008 @ 8:45 am
I agree Al, it has been very quiet.
I’ll fire back with some stuff then
I like your comments about sporting saturation.
Funny thing is that the NBL was extremely popular at a time when other sports in OZ were very strong (late 90’s).
It has just seen a massive downturn in the 00’s. One idea I wanted to float was that the NBL has suffered becasue Australians have lost thier fascination with the NBA.
I remember being at school and everyone was trading cards, watching highlight reels and playing Ball like madmen. The NBA was full of superstars and subsequently captured not just the dreams of American kids, but those all around the world. I know it was definitely a reason for me picking a bball and learning to play. After the late 90’s you saw a lot of the biggest names starting to fade…no more Jordan or the Bulls, Shaq hit the decline, Grant Hill didn’t drink Sprite anymore and so on…
What we have also seen is the take off in Asia, with the emergence of national hero Yao. The country has rallied behind him and I would argue the the NBA is the most popular sport in China atm. Maybe what is needed is an Australian superstar that we can, as Al said, jump on the bandwagon and get behind?
I just think that minor tweaks to the game are essential for its growth, definitley bring back cheerleaders!, but in the long term it will not be enough to bring back the popularity of the game. I would be really keen to see if there are any figures on numbers for juniors joing clubs around the country. I would even hazard a guess that this has been in decline over the last 8 years. I know GBL was far more impressive, had NBL quality players and was a much larger league when we all started. Now it is scratching along at best, with the top four pretty much locked in before the season starts. Another eg. Tully basketball was huge when I went through school, with College teams from the states touring, teams at Classics and guys being offered NBL contracts. Now it is a ghost stadium and the league no longer exists…
I think unless the NBL can start to create some basketball exports then I think it’s future will be limited to those of us who are die hards. Bogut is promising, but realistically he is not the kind of player that will spark a kids imagination to dream of being like him.
Other points, I like all your idea for tweaks to the game Al. I am also a fan of outlawig Zone defense at a senior level. It’s ok at junior levels, but I don’t think it promotes the right skills and attitudes at a senior level.
The NBL needs to become a spectacle again. I want to be entertained when I go to watch anything live, and if I am bored when going to watch teh Bullets, then what chance does the average non-basketball punter have?
Comment by Amon — January 8, 2008 @ 9:00 pm
I don’t mind the current illegal defense setup they have in the NBA – if your in the keyway you have to be defending the cutter – should clear up some space. Couple this with a widened key and that would create plenty of wide lanes to drive.
Your right – the game needs to appeal to a wider target audience than just purists. I can sit and enjoy a half decent GBL game but the NBL needs to differentiate itself from other sports. I truly believe that the best all round athletes (combination of size, speed, agility, strength) are basketball players by design, the NBL just needs to find a way to put this athleticism on show.
Make the court bigger + some rules for defending in the keyway. That would be a great start.
Also – basketball, apart from soccer is the most international game going round. Tap into this as much as possible! Realise it hasn’t worked with soccer inspite of massive junior numbers, but thats not a reason to stop. Develop the game at grassroots level as much as you can, hopefully this will flow up to the men’s team over time and produce some medal winning teams. I think the AIS is great – is the reaosn we’ll have 5 NBA players in three years time. Having said that, it needs to continue. Make the sport attractive so kids don’t go to AFL/Rugby etc…
Comment by Al — January 9, 2008 @ 9:11 am
Yep in agreeance!
Maybe they could do something similar to what they have done with Union.
Bring in a bunch of experimental rule changes at say a Southern Cross or GBL level and see how they go?
This would be a good testing ground!
On your point about promoting the game better in Australia, maybe the NBL needs a ‘John O’neill’ to take over the rains as CEO and really give it a good push from a commercialisation perspective. His track record is impressive, however I am sure there are others that could do it…
AIS is good, but I would rather see improvement in NBL teams developing at the junior level. Eg. signing promising young players, tournaments for development teams and maybe even looking at a draft?? Other sports in OZ are really active in sourcing and supporting young talent, but the NBL is average at best. This is where you fight for ground in determining what sports a junior will ultimately stick with (note that many promising juniors often excel at several sports before deciding on which to pursue).
Finally, our national team HAS to perform and be in the top 4. How can Lithuania beat the USA and be a world force and we be second rate at best?? I think some of the problem is Australia’s lack of focus on individual prowess, rather preferring a heavy team focus. Great teams are built on building good role players around a couple of superstars, not having a whole team of role players…
Comment by Amon — January 9, 2008 @ 8:02 pm
P.S. What about strengthening University competition?
, but how about turning Unigames into a proper seasonal competition?
I know it has always been about pissing it up, which we all know only too well
There are enough Uni’s in each state to have conference style competition, with top teams going through to the ‘big 4′ etc.
I know this is a bit more of a stretch given Uni’s resources and distances in OZ, but a college sport culture is definitely missing in OZ…
Comment by Amon — January 9, 2008 @ 9:45 pm
Everything you want is cool, but it takes $$$$$$$$. Not something ball has in abundance.
Ball is unique in that the sport’s not big enough to really have a formal system for young players to get into the league – ie a draft. The college system is the best finishing scool once you gte past 16/17 when the AIS is available. Some players take the Newley/Ingles rout and go straight to NBL, but College is usually the best way to get into the NBL.
Most players under 25 in the NBL have gone through college – just playing ABA definitely is not enough, although you do get the occassional player such as Kelvin Robertson/Dwayne Vale in Cairns who bypass both AIS and college and play through their NBL teams ABA/NBL development program. Perhaps the Cairns/Townsville model is an guide, although I suspect it works well in these areas because of their regionality (“bogan factor”). Ball is the clear number 2 sport behind league in these centres – makes it easier to have such a comprehensive junior development program – less distractions.
This has been a bit of a ramble but I guess my point is still to have a strong junior program backed up with an entertaining men’s game. That’s all you can really do, aside form hoping all NBL owners run an IPO that jumps 500% in 5 years alah Mr Groves. On another note – who said money doesn’t buy you a championship and everlasting happiness???
Comment by Al — January 10, 2008 @ 9:01 am
Yeah I agree that it costs $$$$, but the game is in decline, so if they don’t make some active moves (spending, promotion, rule changes) then the sport may never recover. All our players will head o/s and we will be left with an average domestic league at best and a disjointed national team. Most sports adapt and the NBL hasn’t done much to adapt over the last decade adn we have all seen the results…
I agree with your points and would note that unless you win the battle in the juniors, then you will likely lose the battle overall. Money can indeed by you a championship, but it’s not much good if no one came to watch you win it
P.S. Australia version of And-1? Would prob be crap as none of us can dunk lol!
Comment by Amon — January 11, 2008 @ 1:16 am
None of us can dunk? Speak for yourself!
I can’t dribble though…
Comment by Craig — January 11, 2008 @ 7:06 am
Sports can die (anyone remember the Australian baseball league? Brisbane Bandits?) but basketball in Australia won’t, Its been in this country since the 50s and its not going away because the professional aspects of the game aren’t as comprehensive as they need to be. The Australian league standard wise is rated very, very highly internationally. Not quite the Euroleague but outside the top 2 Europer competitions and NBA, Australia is EASILY next.
Its funny this past year has actually seen a big influx of current, NBA prospects into the league. I’ve never seen it like this before – you always had guys at the backends of their careers coming to Oz (Bobby ‘Zanetrain’ Brannen comes to mind, Leon Trimmingham, D-Mac), but now legitimate NA players, some of whom will break into the league at some point, are coming down under. Orien Greene for the Breakers, Julius Hodge for the 36ers, Dontaye Draper for the Kings, Darnell Hinson for the Razorbacks. The Australian $ has brought parity to the contracts in a way, the 250,000 on offer for an NBL season stacks up better against Euro and other offers. Having said that, the standard is also appealing as well. Australia is getting a good reputation for being a tough basketball league – our bigs are shite but thats ok, the way the game istrneding is toward smaller, quicker lineups now that hand checking is illegal.
Lastly – I think this is truly basketball’s best chance to gain a bigger foot in the Australian domestic sport scene. I shit you not, this kid could be the Yao Ming ( from both an ability and philosophical marketing perspective) of Australia. He is, an absolute beast.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23035493-10914,00.html
Matt, Dave and I are going to be watching his first and last appearance in the Brisbane Convention Centre tomorrow night (assuming Brisbane doesn’t run into them in the finals). Can’t wait.
Comment by Al — January 11, 2008 @ 9:15 am