After a much-hyped partnership announced earlier this year which named renowned international manufacturer Mitchell & Ness as the official on-court and off-court apparel partner to the NBL, the brand unveiled their new vision for the league’s apparel with a launch held at 524 Flinders, Melbourne.
NBL team merchandise was proudly on display as high profiles celebrities and hoops fans mingled in an awesome atmosphere, with up and coming musical acts Remi & Sensible J, Man Made Mountain and MzRizk providing the tunes all night.
For the 2016/17 NBL season, Mitchell & Ness have presented jerseys with refreshed club designs which are made domestically and have a custom fabric and fit structure, providing an ease of fit even in the most intense of offensive plays.
Mitchell & Ness are the current apparel partners for international sporting codes such as the NBA, NHLand NFL, and to have them sign on with the NBL is a huge coup for Australian basketball, and testament to the league’s recent resurgence both here and on an international level.
Below is the NBL ‘Award Series’ exhibition which was a part of the evening as well.
Photographs by Ben Clement.
Words by Jarrad Hurley.
Anthony Drmic “The New Breed”
Anthony Drmic represents the new breed of NBL guard. A long-limbed athlete with deadly shooting precision, Drmic is sure to punish defenders across the country with a dazzling array of swishing shots and spinning drives to the rim. Drmic has Olympic dreams in his sights and will treat the league as his own personal playground on his journey to greatness.
Mika Vukona “The Enforcer”
Some men play for accolades, some men simply do what it takes to win. Mika is a winner everywhere he goes due to his infectious energy, stubborn defence and transcendent spirit. He’s the guy that his teammates want to go to war with and his opponents hope they don’t meet in a dark alley.
Casey “Above the Rim” Prather
Whether he’s soaring over seven-footers or swatting away lay ups, Casey Prather plays above the rim. 2017 saw Prather delivered a championship to Perth in his rookie season and he believes the Wildcats can do it again. With Prather’s athleticism and versatile play at both ends of the floor opposing teams will have a tough time proving him wrong.
“The 3-Point Assassin” Jermaine Beal
The name Jermaine Beal is now synonymous with two things, long range shooting and NBL championships. When Jermaine is heating up from downtown, the game is as good as over for the opposition. After cutting down nets in Perth in 2014 and 2016 this season Jermaine hopes to bring the same success to his new home in Brisbane.
“Stat Sheet Stuffer” Marvelle Harris
When Marvelle Harris takes the court two things are certain – he’ll finish with impressive stats across the board and the media will surely make puns from his name. Marvelle is yet to debut for the Illawarra Hawks, but all pre-season indicators suggest even if fans don’t know his name now, they won’t forget it by season’s end.
“Mr Efficient” Cameron Gliddon
Cam Gliddon never wastes an opportunity. He lead’s his team in points per shot and is one of the league’s most efficient scorers, earning him the name “Mr Efficient”. A low maintenance player that is happy to do the tough, thankless work, Cam makes the smart decisions that get wins. Make no mistake about it, this Aussie up-and-comer is up and coming!
Chris “The Franchise” Goulding
The opponent is his. The crowd is his. Chris Goulding’s swagger is only matched by his ability to hit game-winning daggers. A Rio Olympian and NBA prospect, Chris Goulding is the face of a franchise looking to bring home Melbourne’s first NBL title since 2006.
Kevin Lisch “Lock Down Defender”
Naturalised Australian and Rio Olympian Kevin Lisch can suffocate the best NBL players with his defensive efforts. Never one to take a backwards step, Lisch plays like a man possessed, commanding respect and summoning fear on every court in the league.