The NBL has struggled to schedule an NBL All-Star game into the season over the past decade, and with many of the games being poorly attended, why not dismiss it?
It’s difficult to add an extra round with the NBL being a hot spot for US players partially due to its short season and costly to send players, staff, and resources from all across the country (unless it’s Melbourne) to facilitate a poorly attended game that doesn’t mean anything and players often don’t try due to fear of injury.
But as fans, we love the idea of getting access to the best players in the country, as well as the excitement of a three-point shootout and dunk competition.
Alternatively, why shouldn’t the league follow the path of the AFL and their “Gather Round” or the NRL’s “Magic Round”, where an entire round is played in one location?
If the NBL were to do this, not only would a city be getting a chance to see the best talent in the NBL up close, but a three-point shootout, dunk competition and perhaps even a very much overlooked Hall Of Fame event.
Why Australia’s Basketball Hall Of Fame is glossed over each year with very few fans knowing about it is beyond me, but here’s a chance to make it a special event with most people who are likely to be involved in a Hall Of Fame event in the area for the event.
While NBL players will likely take an All-Star game casually so as to avoid an injury that hurts their NBL team’s success or future contract chances, they will come prepared to play hard for a regular season game.
Players who would also be prepared to compete would be many of the league’s development players and NBL1 talent who would froth at the mouth to play in a Future Forces type event (a nod to the NBL’s previously named rookie event) as they get the chance to show their skills in front of thousands of fans and every NBL coach in the country.
A Future Forces game that pits the best of the NBL’s development players against the best talent from the NBL1, with 20 players hungry for an NBL contract, sounds super entertaining to me.
With all-star games across the world losing their shine, fans are still hungry for the ‘best bits’ of an All-Star weekend. An opportunity for the league to have all its personnel in one spot where it could arrange basketball camps or school visits would also be sure to pay dividends as well.
While fans from one city may not support a game of two interstate clubs playing each other, they certainly will if their son or daughter comes home excited after their basketball clinic with one of those interstate team players.
While there would be some additional costs in sending nine teams to one city (unless it’s Melbourne, cue the groans from Perth and Adelaide), the additional monies would likely be similar to holding an All-Star game.
This could be a major opportunity for the league by having its entire personnel in one place mid-season, something that never happens, they could hold coaches workshops, referee development, player media training, and develop unique content that wouldn’t be available without sending someone individually to every NBL team to interview/video/etc.
Let’s make it happen NBL. Unless you can give us a reason not to?
Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.
