The Coles Express NBL1 and Basketball Queensland are delighted to announce that Darwin Basketball Association (DBA)/Basketball Northern Territory (BNT) will join NBL1 North in 2022.
Darwin/BNT joins the North Gold Coast Seahawks as the NBL1 North’s newest teams, bringing the conference’s total to 16 clubs.
Darwin/BNT’s entry also means that the NBL1 becomes the first Australian sport league to have clubs based in and playing out of every state and territory in Australia.
"It’s great to welcome Darwin Basketball Association and Basketball Northern Territory into NBL1 North," Basketball Queensland Chief Operating Officer Josh Pascoe said.
"We thank all of our existing clubs for their acceptance and willingness to see NBL1 North continue to grow.
"The inaugural year of NBL1 North was an outstanding success, with more than four million minutes of games watched via live streaming.
"We look forward to an uninterrupted 2022 for all 16 associations."
NBL1 General Manager Dean Anglin said this was a testament to the growth of the league and the work behind the scenes to make it happen.
"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.
"It is quite amazing to see how far we have come in just a few years, despite all the challenges that have been thrown at us.
"The states, clubs, players, coaches and officials have stayed committed to reaching this point and it’s only just the beginning."
Darwin Basketball Association Executive Officer Kerri Savidge was equally excited about entering NBL1 North in 2022.
"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."
Basketball Northern Territory Chief Executive Officer John Mitchell was thrilled to partner with Darwin Basketball Association for this exciting opportunity.
"Basketball NT are delighted to partner with Darwin Basketball Association in what will be enormous for Basketball right across the Territory," Mitchell said.
"We are extremely proud of our acceptance into the NBL1 North competition and look forward to being a part of a truly national sporting competition, providing a clear pathway to elite sport for our young athletes."
