Basketball On The Internet.

*FLASHBACKS, my irregular "lucky dip" where I just reach into my drawers of old Australian basketball stuff and transcribe whatever I find for you.

My past two weeks of hitting the NBL's 1983 Media Guide has been very well received so I may revisit that one again soon. Lots of great team summaries and stories too. When I put it away, I could not help but notice the 1982 Guide ...

(That said, not wanting this to become too sexist, I looked again and stumbled across the 1994 WNBL Finals program, excerpts of which you will find at Flashback 15b.)

 

LEAGUE CONTINUES TO GROW

The National Basketball League was formed in 1978 at a meeting of ten of Australia's top clubs on the initiative of the Australian Basketball Federation President, Dr John Raschke.

The competition began in 1979 on a complete home and away basis and the two top teams played off in a final in Melbourne.

The St Kilda club defeated Canberra Cannons right on the final bell with a last second basket.

In 1980, two extra clubs were added to make twelve teams.

The finals were held in Launceston and St Kilda had a convincing win over West Adelaide.

The same teams competed again in 1981 and the finals in Adelaide saw Launceston beat Nunawading fairly easily.

The St Kilda club were minor premiers but were unable to play in the final series as they were representing Australia at the inaugural World Club Championships in Brazil. They finished a creditable sixth.

Each season the media coverage and crowd support have continued to rise.

The clubs have grown in all directions. They are all approaching the sport in a professional manner, raising money, recruiting and promoting their games better each year.

The NBL is now followed closely by basketball fans in all states and any television appearance is popular with these fans.

1982 SEASON

The 1982 season will add new lustre to the NBL.

Two new clubs, Geelong Cats and the Westate Wildcats from Perth will be added to make fourteen teams.

The inclusion of Perth is a great move and makes the NBL the only genuine national league for any sport in Australia.

The season will open on Saturday, February 6 and will continue on a complete home and away basis until the finals at Broadmeadows Stadium, Newcastle on July 16, 17 and 18.

The final will be approximately 2pm on Sunday, July 18 and will be a national telecast on the ABC.

The standard of play will continue to rise and many new and exciting players will appear with different clubs.

Several clubs have gained sponsors and there will be much more television with over 70 of the 182 games being televised.

 

THE FUTURE OF THE NBL (by The Commissioner, Dr John Raschke)

Recently a basketball player, Otis Birdsong, signed with an NBA club for one million dollars per year.

He is quoted as saying: "There are only three sure things - death, taxes and my jump shot."

My variation of that is to substitute the NBL for the jump shot.

The NBL has passed its toughest tests in getting started, surviving the first three years, and now the expansion to take in clubs from all states.

These were all immense challenges to small, amateur clubs which had never been in the business of promoting games for crowds and which were being run in an amateurish way by a handful of enthusiasts.

This year the NBL has moved to fulltime administration and the rate of growth has accelerated.

Sponsorship has been attracted to more clubs and there is much more televising of NBL games.

The clubs themselves are widening their numbers of workers and are well aware of the need to upgrade their relationships with the media and the public, and the need also to promote their games as real entertainment as well as a sporting contest.

In future years the NBL will move into the bigger indoor centres in the various cities. Obviously it is important to attract bigger crowds and thus more gate money.

Bigger crowds in bigger venues must sooner or later attract a big television entrepreneur.

Basketball in Australia has immense possibilities for a television network when they finally discover just how well NBLs have succeeded in so many countries.

The NCAA series attracted only $3,000 for television in 1953.

In 1981, the contract for television in the NCAA (American universities) is over thirty million dollars.

Of course I am not saying that we will make such a fortune but there is considerable room for optimism.

I can also confidently predict a continuing increase in standard in the game and that we will attract bigger and better sponsorships.

Another fact of life that we will have to accept is that we will have to look after our players and coaches a bit better every year.

I will finish by saying our final series will be great in Newcastle this year but wait until the final series in the Melbourne Olympic Pool in 1983 with 6,000 fans and then the Sydney Entertainment Centre in 1984 with 10,000. I can hardly wait myself!

 

WATCHING THE STARS

New players in the NBL in 1982

Tad Dufelmeier 193cm (Loyola, Chicago to Canberra)

Tim Evans 198cm (Puget Sound Uni to Perth)

Chuck Harmison 205cm (Iowa State Uni to Nunawading)

Billy Keys 198cm (Tulsa Uni to Perth)

Ron Lemons 200cm (Iowa North to Nunawading)

Brad Miley 203cm (Indiana State Uni to Geelong)

Bruce Palmer 193cm (Melbourne to Coburg)

Alonzo Weatherley 203cm (Denver University to Illawarra)

David Winslow 200cm (East Missouri to Adelaide City)

George Morrow 203cm (Creighton Uni to Newcastle)

Phil Smyth 185cm (Sturt to St Kilda)

Players changing clubs

Calvin Bruton (Brisbane to Geelong)

Ian Davies (Launceston to Newcastle)

Dan Hickert (Brisbane to Perth)

Benny Lewis (Illawarra to Coburg)

Leroy Loggins (Brisbane to West Adelaide)

Cliff Martin (Launceston to Sydney City)

Larry Sengstock (St Kilda to Brisbane)

Top players who retired in 1981

Ian Ellis (Canberra)

Jerry Lee (Canberra)

Bill Palmer (Nunawading)

 

SNIPPETS FROM UNDER THE BASKET

David Turner, NSW Technical Director and one of the top referees in the NBL in the past two years, has returned to Europe to take up work at the FIBA office in Munich. He has taken leave from the NSW Basketball Association to assess the position. The job could be a big one for David.

Ron Carling, 1980-81 NBL Commissioner, returned to the USA in September, 1981 to take up work at BYU in Hawaii as assistant basketball coach. Ron's work as National Director of Coaching was very rewarding to Australian basketball and many of his innovations will be long remembered.

John Raschke (NBL Commissioner) won an award for the 1981 Administrator of the Year in the recent Confederation of Australia Sport awards dinner in Melbourne. Basketball is doing well in these awards as Lindsay Gaze was Coach of the Year in 1980.

Ian Davies continued his great scoring on the recent Australian team's tour of USA and China. He top scored with an average of 26.8ppg, high points being 41 against East Carolina and 40 against Iona University.

The NBL is giving Australians much tough competition and eight of eleven of the 1981 Australian team played in the League in 1981. Phil Smyth will be joining St Kilda and only two not in the NBL now are Mark Gaze and Peter Walsh.

In 1982 League teams will be aiming to upgrade their public relations, develop their supporters' groups and to present games in a professional manner for maximal entertainment value.

A notable absence from the NBL this year is Nunawading centre Bill Palmer. Originally from Stanford University and currently Victorian Director of Coaching, Bill battled some severe injuries over the years to keep playing. Bill was a centre in the classical mould and an example to younger players.

Brisbane fans are pleased to see Larry Sengstock back in the sunshine state after three years down south with St Kilda. Larry left Maryborough as a top junior and returns as a classy national representative with a PE degree.

Only four coaches have survived the first three seasons and have been reappointed for 1982. They are Charlie Ammitt (Sydney), Brian Kerle (St Kilda), Barry Barnes (Nunawading) and Ken Richardson (West Adelaide). Of these, Charlie Ammitt coached back in the original South Eastern Conference in the 60s and the other two Aussies were players.

Sponsors are beginning to pop up in the NBL. New sponsors this year are Harbison ACT (Illawarra), Hang Ten (Nunawading), Cyprus Hellene Club (Sydney City), South Australia Brewing Co. (Adelaide City) and other sponsors have renewed - Kern with Newcastle Falcons, Mazda with Canberra Capitals, Puma with St Kilda.

Owen Wells, who did so well with Newcastle Kern Falcons in 1981, is playing in the Dutch NBL with distinction and his team is highly placed with a good chance of making the finals. Owen is homesick for Oz and intends to return here to stay in April, 1982. He misses the sunshine and good times here and thinks he will not return to Europe for another season.

Perth have included the name of veteran Rick Longley in their squad. It can be confidently said that Rick would set a record for the oldest player to play in the NBL if he steps on court. Furthermore the record would stand for quite a while.

Danny Morseu, Australia's jumping jack, is still unavailable for play because of a nasty knee injury sustained in 1981. Danny had surgery and is expected to play later this year. It is highly debatable whether this talented, highly popular player will play in the NBL in 1982.

It's great to see Tony Barnett back from the USA this year. Tony is a very talented forward who frequently scores 30 points with deceptive ease. The Australian team can certainly use him again if he is available for the World Championships.

Sid Taylor has been appointed Supervisor of Officials in the NBL this year and has worked very hard so far to see that the NBL gets maximal value from the Pioneer Concrete sponsorship.