Unrivalled Growth Drives NBL

In just a few days the NBL will be back on television screens all across the country.

Arenas will be filled, fans will be cheering, and people around Australia will be preparing themselves to ride the highs and lows that inevitably come with following elite sport.

The build-up to this season has been immense. With the arrival of bona fide NBA calibre players like Tyler Johnson, to the movement of top existing talent like Antonius Cleveland and Robert Franks, and the breadth of incoming talent from all corners of the globe, the competition has positioned itself to be one of the highlights of the Australian sporting summer.

NBL Chief Operating Officer Vince Crivelli says it’s not just the exciting growth of the league that sells the NBL, but the opportunity to ply your trade in a country like Australia.

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“I feel like every year I say the same thing … I think the standards have gone up, and I do think they’ve gone up again,” Crivelli said on SEN.

“Global sport players can pick and choose where they wish to give their services, but we can sell summer, a great lifestyle, an amazing country, relative freedoms and an incredible league to boot.

“With the progression of the league and the standing of the league internationally we’re now a bona fide option for any player wanting to showcase their wares back to the NBA.

“I think firstly it starts with the best ever import that has ever come to Australia in Bryce Cotton, that’s a little controversial maybe … but Cotton is again playing for the Perth Wildcats and he's a highlight a minute, that guy is just absolutely unbelievable.

“Every year, every team just gets a little bit better.”

One exciting international player who will be returning to Australian shores is Chinese centre Zhou Qi after the 26-year-old agreed terms to a one-year contract and re-signed with the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">? ??????? ??????? ???? ???? ?? ?<br><br>? Memberships available NOW ? <a href="https://t.co/dmbWOdxx19">https://t.co/dmbWOdxx19</a> <a href="https://t.co/WhixPu4LCu">pic.twitter.com/WhixPu4LCu</a></p>&mdash; South East Melbourne Phoenix (@SEMelbPhoenix) <a href="https://twitter.com/SEMelbPhoenix/status/1574628658848768000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Qi, who stands at 7’1”, averaged 11.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and two blocks per game last season in the NBL while shooting a remarkable 63 per cent from the field.

Crivelli says he’s excited at the return of such a remarkable talent to the league.

“He’s (Qi) the most dominant Chinese player currently running around on hardwood anywhere in the world. His following is astronomical,” he added. 

“I thought last year he had moments in games where he truly showed dominance, and then there were other games where teams were able to figure him out.

“All in all this is a massive signing for both South East Melbourne Phoenix and also a great signing for our league … for context he could basically ply his trade anywhere in any league in any team in the world, so for him to come back here is not only a massive feather in the cap for everybody at South East Melbourne, but also great for the fans of the game here in Australia.

“We think we’re at that point where it’s the NBL to the NBA, and that a genuine pathway to a future in the NBA for a lot of these athletes.”