"We'd do an All-Star game"

The All-Star Game is back on the NBL’s radar, with CEO David Stevenson confirming the League is very much open to its return, provided the top players are available to take part.

The event has not been held since 2012, despite growing interest from fans and players. Any revival, however, will need perfect timing to make it a success.

“In a perfect world, we’d do an All-Star Game tomorrow,” Stevenson said via NBL Now.

“It always comes down to scheduling. Where do we fit them in? Obviously, when you’ve got HoopsFest and NBA games and EuroLeague games and now Ignite Cup, there’s no obvious window.

“And clearly the FIBA breaks - we want to be able to support the Boomers or the Opals, and make sure the players can represent their country. So finding a window where we can do it properly, because there are lots of opportunities where we can do it ... but we’ve got to have the best players.

“I think it doesn’t work unless you’ve got the best players playing. And our schedule’s pretty tight at the moment. We’ve just got to find that right window.”

Chris Goulding claimed MVP honours when South beat North over a decade ago, while the All-Star Game was a staple on the NBL calendar through the 1990s and mid-2000s.

“I think the Australians versus imports is pretty good,” Stevenson added.

“I know we’ve tried different variations of that, but we’ve just got to make sure if we do it, we’ve got to do it well.”