2007 Dominion Finance NBL Handbook - Basketball New Zealand

Chairman’s Message
On behalf of the board of National Basketball League Limited
(NBLL), welcome to the 2007 NBL season.
NBLL operates the NBL through the participation of 10
franchised teams, currently representing most of the regions in
the country where there is a strong basketball following. Together,
NBLL and the franchises, along with other key stakeholders,
hope to develop the NBL into one of the most well-recognised
domestic sporting competitions.
The 2007 NBL season promises to capitalise on the hard work of key stakeholders,
including the teams, sponsors and administrators, in the 2006 NBL season in order to
deliver greater excitement for our basketball audience.
Amongst the developments this season, we will have our earliest start to the season,
on March 8 and (as a warm-up) the NBL Blitz — a pre-season tournament in Wellington
on March 2 and 3. The Blitz, based on the Australian NBL’s warm-up event, is aimed
at providing short, sharp contests to both publicise the start of the league and enable
teams to consolidate their line-ups before the league begins in earnest.
Other new developments, include a new television contract with Sky Television,
featuring televised games on Thursday nights, and thereby seeking to cement a position
for Thursday night as “basketball night”. Also, we are pleased to announce Dominion
Finance as a new naming rights sponsor for the League.
The League operates in a window between the end of the Australian NBL and the
beginning of national team fixtures by the Tall Blacks. In doing so, we are seeking to
ensure that there is basketball available to the New Zealand sporting public for the
greater part of the year.
To the NBL’s sponsors, both existing and new, I wish to convey the thanks of the
board to your support and investment in the league. To basketball administrators and
others interested in the governance, operation and management of the league, I wish
to thank you for your involvement. In keeping with all other sporting codes in this
country, basketball could not continue to thrive without the support of a network of
dedicated volunteers and fans.
I encourage you to attend as many NBL games as you can (and encourage others
to do so). Your support in developing audiences for the televised games would be
particularly appreciated.
Just as we encourage the franchised teams to strive to succeed in the contests on
the court, NBLL strives to succeed to deliver a League which attracts and retains an
audience. In doing so, we wish to build on the successes of previous seasons. This
handbook contains information about each of the teams involved in the League for the
2007 NBL season as well as key contact details and background information.
The NBLL board wishes the NBL teams and everyone else involved in the League a
successful 2007 NBL season.
Stephen Layburn
Chairman, National Basketball League Limited
NBL Handbook — 2007