"It's an exciting time for our sport": Gaze

This week was a landmark one for basketball in Australia, with the NBL signing a two-year deal with the 9Network to have it become the free-to-air home of hoops in this country.

Not only will the NBL join the NBL on 9, but both competitions also have a lucrative deal with ESPN to broadcast their matches.

This, plus the fact that both competitions recorded unprecedented seasons in attendance, broadcast, digital and commercial performance, strengthens its position as Australia’s fastest growing sporting league.

It’s because of this that seven-time NBL MVP Andrew Gaze believes the sport in Australia is in as strong a position as it’s ever been, highlighted by the number of players who have made the transition from the NBL to the NBA.

“My word, it [the NBA] does [take the NBL seriously],” Gaze said to the 9Network.

“In recent times, there's been a number of players who have transitioned from the NBL to the NBA.

“[Our competition is of] the standard, due to its elite level of competition and also style of play, that a lot of the NBA executives see what happens here and think the skill sets can usually be transferred into the NBA.

“It’s incredible validation of the work that's being done at the grassroots level [here in Australia].

“[It’s not just the NBL either, with] the WNBL recently having a couple of their girls drafted into the WNBA as well.

“It [the WNBL] is fantastic. It continues to grow, and the growth of women's sport in Australia in general has just come on in leaps and bounds over the last 20 years.

“There's been a real transformation [period] for the WNBL, with the standard of the players and the competition off the charts.

“It's a it's an exciting time for the sport.”

Further to that, Gaze, who won two NBL and one NBA championships during his career, believes the country’s national teams, the Boomers and Opals, loom as strong contenders at the upcoming 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

“What an incredible backcourt [the Boomers have] with the scoring, the passing and the defence with Dyson [Daniels] and the way in which Josh Giddey can run a team and see the floor,” Gaze said.

“That's an incredible time [for the team, especially when considering] the great things Jock Landale has also been doing throughout the course of the season.

“We've got some emerging players too, and for the first time, there will be a real challenge to actually make the team.

“In fact, there could be a situation where we've got some NBA talent that misses out, such is the depth that we have with the Boomers.

“[Then the Opals, on the international stage] have been winning medals for a long time, and right now, we have right now would be considered one of the favourites [for the gold medal].

“The USA, of course, always dominates, but we’re bridging that gap.

“Hopefully, in Los Angeles, we can put together a team that can compete against the Americans that are going to be even stronger on their home deck.”

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