The Sydney Kings in action against the Adelaide 36ers in the NBL Ignite Cup at the AIS Arena. Photo: Linda Muir.
Having witnessed first-hand the demise of the Canberra Cannons in 2003, it has been hard to imagine the city ever securing another NBL team in my lifetime.
The downfall of the three-time NBL championship team was hard to watch as each day brought with it a new level of confusion and uncertainty.
There have been several attempts to breathe life into a potential Cannons mark II without moving beyond an idea.
Credit then to those involved in the sport in Canberra who have worked quietly behind the scenes to keep the dream alive to the point where the city is in contention to secure an NBL licence.
The NBL has publicly identified Canberra, Sydney and the Gold Coast as areas for expansion teams.
It’s worth noting that all three cities have had NBL franchises which have fallen in the past. Along with the Cannons, there were the Western Sydney Razorbacks and the Gold Coast Rollers.
There is obviously plenty of talent from which to draw in Canberra and that has never really been the sticking point.
My scepticism around a return of an NBL licence to Canberra was the lack of corporate support, but that appears to be not a significant obstacle at the moment.
Instead, it is the size of the venues available for NBL games in the three identified expansion centres that remains the main hurdle for the league’s growth.
And with the NBL looking for venues with a capacity of at least 8000 a game, the ACT falls far short, with the AIS Arena’s capability of just over 4000.
There is, of course, the potential for an expanded facility with the new convention centre, but it would require the NBL to seek certain guarantees from the ACT Government before it commited to a licence to Canberra.
This year, the NBL has put on display for the ACT Government what the league is capable of bringing to the table.
The NBL hosted the pre-season blitz featuring all teams at the AIS Arena, before hosting the first regular season league game in Canberra since 2019. In that game the Sydney Kings won 97-93 in an overtime victory against the Adelaide 36ers.
The game is part of the Ignite Cup season 2026, which began in October and concludes in January 2026. They played in front of a capacity crowd.
It would appear the NBL is doing all it can to showcase their wares.
It now remains to be seen whether the league is prepared to play games at the AIS Arena while they wait for the new convention centre.
Canberra, it would seem, is closer than ever since 2003 to securing a home team.
