The Canberra Cannons of 1990 … do we dare to dream again? Photo: File.
This week has shown that there is support for the return of an NBL license in the Capital.
Like many fans of the NBL in Canberra, I was burnt by the Cannons experience in the late 1990s to the early 2000s.
The club went from winning three titles in six years, in 1983, 1984, and 1988, packing out the Palace for every home game, to struggling to generate interest 12 years later.
The very public demise of the team, marked by its financial woes and change of ownership, left a bitter postscript to what was once a powerhouse of the NBL.
Such was the depth of scarring from the experience in the basketball community that I felt the prospects of the return of the Cannons ‘Mark 2′ were a pipe dream and deserved to be called out as such.
Every time somebody attempted to generate a campaign for an NBL team post the Cannons, I was quick to point out the obstacles. I doubted whether there was sufficient corporate support.
But this week was a litmus test for a potential NBL team in Canberra.
The NBL Pre-Season Blitz, featuring all ten teams playing two games over five days this week at the AIS Arena, has generated interest the like of which hasn’t been seen for men’s basketball in 30 years.
The Friday night, Saturday and Sunday sessions have sold out, with over 16,000 tickets sold over the five days of competition.
Remember, this is just the pre-season.
Of course, many fans will be coming from outside Canberra, including Wollongong, following the Hawks’ success last season. However, there has also been a significant take-up of tickets from NBL fans in Canberra.
This has resulted in a resurgence of energy in bringing an NBL team back to Canberra, with the NBL itself openly discussing its desire to see Canberra return to the league.
The NBL has signalled, though, that before it goes any further, Canberra needs to commit to an 8000-seat stadium.
This is timely given the ACT Government’s plans for such a facility in Civic alongside a new Convention Centre.
But the new 8000-seat stadium isn’t scheduled to be built until 2030.
UC Caps at the AIS Arena after defeating the Adelaide Lightning to win the 2018-19 season championship. Photo: Tim Gavel.
What might be possible is for the NBL to use the AIS Arena for a Canberra NBL team while the larger facility is being built.
The NBL may require a guarantee on the new stadium before committing to a Canberra-based team.
To reinforce the sport’s commitment to the city, the NBL1 finals series, featuring six men’s and six women’s teams, will take place at the Tuggeranong Basketball Stadium over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The Canberra Gunners are in the finals after being crowned champions of the East Conference.
If they go on to win the finals series, momentum for an NBL team in Canberra will go through the roof.
This week could go down as a game-changer for the sport in this city.
