Basketball On The Internet.

FORMER Opals and WNBL star Tracey Browning has joined the executive of Champions League Basketball and Tassie is keen to suit a team in the inaugural 2017 season.

Tasmania as a state had its interest in returning to the NBL tweaked by former CEO Fraser Neill when he was proposing widespread expansion a year ago, ahead of his ultimate demise as chief exec.

Behind the work of one of Tassie's NBL championship winners - Anthony Stewart (Perth Wildcats) - the job of uniting a fractured state behind one national league team began and with State Government support, it looked a real possibility.

But after Neill resigned and the NBL leadership fell into a freefall only stalled late this off-season when Larry Kestelman stepped in as its Executive Director, Tasmania's bid largely was ignored.

Not by the CLB though.

"I contacted them and said Tasmania would be very interested," Stewart said.

"The way the CLB are presenting themselves fits Tasmania.

"I see this as a bit of a launching-pad to get us back into the NBL."

Stewart (above) said the fact the CLB was playing a compact season in winter meant it was not in competition with the NBL and he could see the new league complimenting the existing rebranded national competition.

"In time, I could see the Champions League being a stepping-stone into the NBL," he said.

"I'm an advocate of playing in the off-season, especially in this short, sharp, aggressive format."

Stewart said Basketball Tasmania had been kept informed of conversations with the CLB.

"There is strong interest to try and get back into some sort of national competition," Stewart said.

"We're doing OK in the SEABL.

"But the vision of (a Tasmanian team) playing right across the state is the one we're most interested in promoting.

"We don't want a team playing most of its games in Hobart, for example. We want to show the product across the state."

Stewart said fellow Tasmanian NBL championship-winner Mark Nash (Adelaide 36ers) was not directly involved in the CLB discussions as his mission is to get the island state represented again in the WNBL.

BROWNING joins the CLB with a wealth of experience from both a basketball and business standpoint.

An Opals player at the 1990 FIBA World Championship, Browning is a WNBL Life Member and five-time WNBL Championship winner.

She has spent the past 15 years running successful events and exhibitions in Australia and a range of events internationally.

Her network is impressive and her management experience, along with her flawless work ethic, will make her an outstanding asset to the CLB leadership team.

Online

Adelaide 36ers are on court at: http://bit.ly/1IFO39O

Boomers and Opals in SO shadow: http://bit.ly/1OZa4Bx