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BASKETBALL's winter equivalent of cricket's upbeat, fast-paced, over-and-done Big Bash will hit Australia in 2017 when Champions League Basketball launches its inaugural season.

The CLB, which will run in a compact May-August format, complimenting Australia's premier National Basketball League's summer season, will include several innovations including:

*‘Game breakers’ (lit up fluorescent backboards for 3 minutes per half where 3-pointers become 4);

*48-minute games (like the NBA), fewer timeouts and shorter pre-game and halftime warm-up periods;

*An “Every Quarter Counts” initiative - first trialled and used by the NBL in its annual preseason Blitz - where championship points are awarded to the team winning each quarter of the game. (1 point per quarter won, plus 3 points for the overall winner);

*Bonus points for teams reaching 100 points during a game, even in a loss, meaning no ‘dead’ ends to games when a result may have been decided – the CLB continues to ‘matter’ until the final buzzer. Playoff positioning may even come down to these bonus points.

Longtime Victorian basketball administrator, Matt Hollard (pictured below), the CLB's co-founder and general manager, has spent the better part of the past two years devising and honing the product for its public reveal today.

He said the CLB would start with an eight team competition in the first year and grow to a 12-team competition by its third year, with representation in all major Australian cities as well as New Zealand and Asia.

"There will be a strong focus to re-engage with the Australian basketball public who at this point in time are hungry and crying out for a new and exciting basketball concept," he said.

Hollard's executive team includes Andrew Ede as Finance and Commercial Contracts Administrator, Adam Jacoby as its Strategic Planner, Yvette Hollard on Marketing and Events, Jason Smith is part of the Executive Team, along with Jon Shepherd.

Advisors include Amanda Gilbert and Chris Anstey while Hollard has spoken directly with Andrej Lemanis, Brendan Joyce, Simon Brookhouse (SEABL Chairperson), Ned Coten (BA Board Member), Nick Honey (CEO Basketball Victoria), Chris Mc Coy (CEO Basketball Tasmania), Rick Smith (CEO Basketball Western Australia), Daniel Martinez (CEO Basketball NSW), Mark Hallett (GM Nunawading Basketball), Steven Walter (CEO Knox Basketball), Brian Kerle (Hall of Fame legend and Bring Back Brisbane Bullets front man), Bruce Palmer ( Ex-NBL coach currently coaching in China), Bob Turner and Dorry Kordahi (Ex-Sydney Kings owners), Mike Bullock (CEO Waverley Basketball Association), Richard Wraith (Hawthorn Magic Basketball Club) ... the list goes on.

"I believe we've done our due diligence," Hollard said.

FIRST FIVE OF THE CLB EXCECUTIVE TEAM: From left, Yvette Hollard, Matthew Hollard, Jason Smith, Andrew Ede and Jon Shepherd

The CLB would open up winter options for NBL clubs too.

"For example, if they wanted, the team in South Australia could be the Adelaide 36ers' 'winter team' or the team in Sydney could be the Kings' 'winter team'," Hollard said.

But the bonus would be the prospect of overseas-based players such as Brad Newley, Chris Goulding, Nathan Jawai et al suiting for the compact season, along with a potentially impressive array of imports too.

"I think the concept has a lot going for it," Utah Jazz swingman and Boomer Joe Ingles confided last week.

Hollard said the main selling point was a genuine desire to engage fans in a product they could get excited about.

Online:

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Here at this site:

Everything you want to know

http://www.botinagy.com/blog/champions-league---everything-you-need-to-know/

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