Could Singapore Sling Back into NBL?

Thursday, February 2, 2023

NBL Owner Larry Kestelman has revealed growth in Asia is high on the league’s agenda.

“We are looking very closely at Asia, how do we get an interest out of Asia, how do we get eyeballs from Asia, how do we grow?” Kestelman told Newscorp.

The Singapore Slingers competed in the NBL from 2006-2008 and Kestleman endorsed the potential of a similar concept in the future.

How the team is constructed, and where it would be based, are unanswerable questions at this point, but Kestelman believes it would be an ideal way to increase the awareness of the league in Asia.

“I’ve got this concept; I’d love to see the old Singapore Slingers revived … an Asian team, whether they’re based here (Australia), or whether they’re based overseas,” he said.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Crest Sport and Entertainment (Crest), the ownership group of the Illawarra Hawks, are pleased to announce a significant investment in the East Asian Super League.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HawkNation?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HawkNation</a> <br><br>Read more: <a href="https://t.co/LR1QKo18tf">https://t.co/LR1QKo18tf</a></p>— Illawarra Hawks Basketball (@illawarrahawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/illawarrahawks/status/1614177450950537217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Last month, the Illawarra Hawks spread their wings into the Asian basketball market, with club owners Crest Sport and Entertainment announcing a significant investment in the East Asian Super League.

Crest also invested into the Bay Area Dragons, the team coached by legendary NBL coach Brian Goorjian.

"I am passionate about the sport and its development in the region,” Goorjian said.

“Having spent the last 30 years coaching in Australia and China, I have seen firsthand the potential for growth in the game.

“Ongoing investment in the respective professional leagues will continue to drive the success of Australian and Asian players on the international scene.”