THE Australian Basketball industry is continuing to grow on a yearly basis, with the National Basketball League (NBL)1 expanding their reach across the country with the addition of yet another state. Basketball Northern Territory (BNT) and Darwin Basketball Association (DBA) will be joining the NBL1’s North League for the 2022 season, in an exciting move for basketball fans up north.

NBL1 North currently has 14 teams fighting for a championship, all of whom are based in Queensland, but the league will now operate as an interstate competition, with the Northern Territory now set to shake things up for their opponents. The NBL1 North is the premier basketball competition in the North of the country, and will only grow further thanks to this move. 

The two organisations joining the competition already carry impressive reputations in regards to their operations, with both a crucial pathway in recognising and developing some of the best young talent in the Northern Territory. 

The state’s Territory Performance program allowed young players the opportunity to develop and improve their game with some of the best in the state. However, prior to this move, there was no national or state competition for these sides to compete in, but with the growth of both the NBL and the NBL1 in recent years, it seemed a logical move to include the state in some form of competition.

The NBL1 has had its fair share of success in developing the sport in states such as Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia, so it looks likely that this move will do wonders in progressing the Northern Territory as a basketball state. This move also sees the NBL1 become the first sporting league in Australia to have clubs based in and playing out of every state and territory in the country.

NBL1 General Manager Dean Anglin expressed the league’s excitement over the growth of the league as a whole.

“We are delighted to welcome Darwin Basketball Association and Basketball Northern Territory to the NBL1,” Anglin said.

“We thank the Darwin Basketball Association, Basketball Northern Territory and Basketball Queensland for their cooperation during this process and look forward to bringing NBL1 to the top end.

“The inclusion of Darwin/BNT into NBL1 North and the launch of NBL1 East in 2022 completes the national roll out of NBL1, we are now a truly national product.

With the NBL and NBL1 continuing to produce quality talents, the expansion to the Northern Territory only furthers the claims that Australia is becoming one of the premier basketball nations in the world. This now provides the opportunity for Australia’s finest basketball talents to emerge and take full advantage of the resources at their disposal, regardless of their location.

Darwin Basketball Association Executive Officer Kerri Savidge says the team is ecstatic to be able to join a league on such a national scale.

“For 70 years, Darwin Basketball has grown from strength to strength,” Savidge said.

“This is the next step on an exciting new path for our players, officials and spectators.

“We are so excited to be partnering with Basketball NT in this competition to show the rest of Australia the beauty of Darwin and the talent of the future.”