Long-term success key for Gold Coast

Basketball fans on the Gold Coast have been encouraged to vote with their feet, as momentum grows for an NBL franchise in the city. 

For the second year in a row, the NBL Blitz will return to the Gold Coast, after record attendances and unprecedented interest in the pre-season tournament. 

That has led to a groundswell of support for a new team on the Gold Coast.  

“I do think that the (Gold) Coast is ready for a team in the NBL, but we’re also in a situation where we want to make sure that the team is sustainable, successful, loved by the basketball community here in Queensland, and has a chance for success longer-term,” the league’s Chief Operating Officer Vince Crivelli said. 

“Whilst we’re in a hurry to make it happen, we’re not in a hurry to make it happen at the expense of missing a few steps along the way.

“We’ll be diligent in the way we approach it, as will all of our stakeholders and partners in the venture.

“If we can pull it off, I think it will be a wonderful achievement for everyone.”

Brisbane Bullets star Casey Prather welcomed a potential new rivalry, but said providing a pathway to the professionals was key for an ever-growing participant base at junior level.

“The youth are really inspiring, so I think it’s important to have a professional team out here so kids can see what they’re aspiring to be,” Prather said.

The Gold Coast has enjoyed record levels of participation among kids in its basketball programs, further growing calls for an NBL presence. 

“We’ve been working really hard to see and understand how we might get to play more basketball here on the coast,” Crivelli added. 

“The sport is booming, we couldn’t be more thrilled.

“We’re an agile organisation as you can see by what’s happened in Tasmania with the success of the JackJumpers.

“We see no reason why we can’t replicate that on the coast.”

Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate lent his support to the potential of a new team, admitting infrastructure would need to be improved in the area to properly accommodate elite talent. 

“To the NBL, I hope this is the beginning of a long-term relationship and I believe we’ll be able to bring more basketball to the Gold Coast,” Mr Tate said at the Blitz announcement.

“It’s about time Gold Coast joined back in and had a national team.

“I’m more than happy to budget and build the infrastructure that’s needed.

“It’s not a matter of how we do it, it’s how quickly we want to do it.

“The only ask I have is … the brand is representative of the city and with that we can bring everyone from the Gold Coast on the journey.”