Kestelman “Blown Away” by Expansion Interest

Monday, February 6, 2023

NBL Owner Larry Kestelman has revealed he is “completely blown away” by the level of interest for new expansion teams in the competition.

Newscorp has revealed the NBL could grow to 12 teams by 2026, but Kestelman has reiterated any new licenses must showcase a sustainable model and not disrupt the growth of any of the current franchises.

“I’m completely blown away at the interest. It’s just great to be in a place where there is such demand and excitement about the NBL,” Kestelman told Newscorp.

“I don’t want more teams for the sake of having more teams, if they’re going to be struggling.”

Kestelman added the key pillars for new bids include having fan interest, government backing, a NBL standard venue and support from businesses.

Recent expansion teams have enjoyed great success in the NBL with the Tasmania JackJumpers making the Finals in their two seasons of existence, while the South East Melbourne Phoenix have returned to the postseason.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">History to be made ?<br><br>The fixtures are confirmed for the first ever Play-In games in NBL history ?<br><br>Will the Taipans and Phoenix take care of business at home, or can the JackJumpers or Wildcats cause an upset ? <a href="https://t.co/qvbDujWVb8">pic.twitter.com/qvbDujWVb8</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1622143365835001857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>