Wollongong Hawks supporters are up in arms over the demise of the Hawks and are demanding answers from the NBL.
Are the Hawks the NBL's version of the poor cousin that never gets an invite to family parties?
Should the NBL's last original club be given help from the league to survive?
Will professional basketball be lost to NSW? Where is basketball headed in Australia?
Basketball Australia chief executive Scott Derwin took time out to answer all those questions and more in a revealing interview with The Mercury's basketball writer TIM KEEBLE.
Q: Is there a push in some quarters to squeeze out the Hawks or any other clubs for that matter?
A: No. The (league's) EOI (expression of interest) process has been developed in full consultation with the NBL clubs and established to ensure an equitable, transparent, process of evaluation which is another visible step in our reform agenda to secure a viable future for our sport.
Q: The Hawks have made it quite clear they cannot meet the financial obligations of the NewNBL criteria and don't look like getting any outside help. Can the club count on any concessions or a leg-up from the NBL or BA?
A: Existing NBL teams who submit an EOI response are not required to pay the $1million licence fee. The EOI process allows for the submission of compliant and non-compliant bids which will be considered on their merits by the EOI evaluation board and ultimately the BA board.
Q: What has become of basketball in Australia when a club that has such a history and grassroots support can't play at the elite level because of the NewNBL's financial requirements?
A: The success of an elite sporting competition is underpinned by the financial and operational viability of its member clubs. One key criteria that needs to be met by teams in the new league is a business plan which details community engagement and the development of community programs to ensure an enhanced level of grass roots engagement, support, involvement and attendance, which will be benchmarked and governed by BA.
Q: Hawks captain Mat Campbell said last week that basketball had become a "rich persons sport". What message does it send to basketball followers when a team like the Hawks can't play in the NBL because they aren't rich enough?
A: Basketball is played by over 450 million people worldwide because it is a financially accessible sport for everyone. However, we're talking about a professional sporting league here and clearly participation at that level is beyond the capacity of the vast majority of local sporting associations in this country. The new financial criteria is designed to create a more stable league by ensuring the long-term financial viability of its participant teams.
Q: If the Hawks don't play the 2009-10 season, is the door closed forever?
A: No. BA conduct an annual season review and will continually look to improve and expand in accordance with the strategic vision set by the CEO and the board in the best interest of basketball. The first part of that process is establishing a viable and stable elite men's competition for the 2009-10 season.
Q: Given the NewNBL is likely to sign a lucrative deal with FOX Sports, couldn't some of that money be dispensed among the clubs, thus giving the Hawks a better chance of survival?
A: The FOX Sports commitment is intrinsically linked to a stable, viable and strong competition. Over time and in partnership with FOX Sports the new league's commercial value will grow with commensurate benefit to all levels of the sport. Short term we need financially robust and self-sufficient teams that can leverage opportunities presented by the FOX Sports deal for their own financial benefit.
Q: Does the board expect the NewNBL to be represented by a NSW team and can it survive without a Sydney team?
A: We are confident there will be at least one NSW team in the new league or possibly two, and it is clearly important for the state to be represented. Until we close the EOI process and evaluate all submissions, however, it would be premature to speculate on the final representation.
Q: Can the board guarantee a prospective Sydney franchise would not be given any special consideration with its licence application?
A: The EOI Process ensures all submissions are considered equally and on their merits based on the level of compliance with the EOI criteria.
Q: How close was the board to deciding basketball should follow soccer's lead and effectively take a year off?
A: All options were considered during an exhaustive evaluation and consultation process in the lead-up to the issuance of the EOI and the decision to start on October 9 was made in the best interests of the new league, the existing clubs and due consideration of the options available.
Q: Why is the NewNBL board confident of attracting a sufficient number of clubs for a restructured competition?
A: The potential of basketball, as a truly global sport, is massive and was only partly realised during our boom period of the 1980s and 90s. Basketball participation ranks third in Australia's participant sports. Under one unified and aligned basketball governing body, a new league with strong, financially viable teams with inextricable links to the community and promoted through live games on FOX Sports marks the most promising development ever for basketball in Australia and a tangible aspiration to convert our junior players to the elite competition. While we cannot speculate on exactly how many teams will apply for licences to the new league, the level of interest at this stage of the process is promising. I am confident that the reform process will create a new league which is an exciting, stable and attractive long-term proposition.
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