AUS - “Responsible” NBL clubs hit back

TOWNSVILLE (NBL) - With Australian media outlets trumpeting the demise of the NBL, a number of club owners and CEOs have hit back, suggesting the management practices of the Brisbane Bullets and Sydney Kings have led to their serious financial predicament – not the state of the NBL.

The most articulate response came from Townsville Crocodiles CEO Ian Smythe, who pointed out that his club has made a financial profit every year in existence. “Since the inception of the Townsville McDonald’s Crocodiles (known then as Townsville Suns) … in 1993 the club has successfully run a sound business model,” he said.

“The Townsville McDonald’s Crocodiles have had solid backing from the same group of local shareholders since day one. We’ve worked hard as an organisation over the past fifteen years to place ourselves in the great position we are in today.”

Smythe then turned his attention to the Bullets and Kings, and suggested their plight was having an impact on how all clubs are perceived. “"It doesn’t surprise me that these two teams are struggling financially.

The Kings and Bullets are two clubs that have increased the financial pressure on themselves, the league and the other clubs by establishing new bench marks in player conditions and payments in their bids to secure championships.”

“The management of the Kings and Bullets does not necessarily reflect the business practices of the NBL, the Townsville McDonald’s Crocodiles or the majority of the other NBL clubs in the league,” he said. “Professional sport is not an easy business but clearly there are models out there that work in the NBL.”

Melbourne Tigers majority owner Seamus McPeake was far more blunt in his assessment. “We are better off without [expletive deleted] (owners) in the league.”

McPeake pointed to the review of basketball that was implemented by the NBL, Basketball Australia and the Australian Government last year, saying basketball is in a position to move onward and upward. "There's a review of the NBL being done at the moment, and at the end of the day people will be surprised when they see the results."

Cairns Taipans CEO Denis Keeffe added his voice to the chorus. ““The majority of clubs in the league are very strong financially, have great ownership and operate responsibly. There is not a sporting code in the country that doesn’t have clubs who run into financial problems,” he said.

“The teams in the NBL have a great rapport with each other, work well together and have a very strong belief in the league. We believe the future looks exceptionally bright, and with the commercial review of basketball in Australia and the NBL nearly completed, we will have solid plan to move forward.”

Many of the NBL’s clubs have moved forward in recent seasons, and will continue to do so after the review is finalised. However, the key for the NBL is convincing their corporate partners in light of the overwhelmingly negative publicity, so they can renew their television deals and secure a major sponsor, and avoid an embarrassing collapse of one the world’s highest standard basketball competitions.

Paul Kennedy
FIBA