21
Feb
Code Sports
Winner is Sydney? Harbour City expansion frontrunner
Sydney is the frontrunner to secure a second NBL franchise as early as 2026. Picture: Getty Images
NBL expansion in Sydney can only happen after 2026
- Second Sydney team would be the city's 8th in NBL history
- Proposal is for expansion club to focus on NBL Next Stars
- Sydney ahead of Gold Coast and Darwin as potential locations
Sydney may have a second NBL team by as early as 2026, Code Sports Basketball has revealed.
It could be the EIGHTH team the Harbour City has had in the league's more than 40-year history.
Code Sports Basketball reports Sydney is now ahead of rival contenders the Gold Coast and Darwin in the expansion pecking order.
Darwin is a difficult proposition for any expansion given its distance, climate during the NBL season and securing the required funding.
The prospect of it being an NBL Next Stars side, complemented by veterans and imports, has also been proposed.
The location for the team is yet to be finalised, but there is the prospect of renovating the International Convection Centre in Darling Harbour to suit basketball. There is also talk of a potential new purpose-built stadium at the Moore Park sporting precinct alongside the SCG and Allianz Stadium.
A second Sydney team can’t be introduced until 2026 under a lockout rule implemented under previous Kings management.
Read the Full Story at Code Sports Basketball
Sydney has a rich, merged and stalled history of establishing and fielding NBL teams.
- Sydney Kings
- Sydney Supersonics
- City of Sydney Astronauts
- West Sydney Razorbacks
- Sydney Spirit
- Bankstown Bruins
- West Sydney Westars
In 1979, the Bankstown Bruins men's team joined the NBL for its inaugural season. In 1983, Robbie Cadee was named NBL Coach of the Year after leading the Bruins to a significant turnaround, improving their record from 2–24 in 1982 to 12–10 in 1983. Ahead of the 1986 season, the team was rebranded to the West Sydney Westars, finishing fifth that year with a 15–12 record. Following the 1987 season, the Westars merged with the Sydney Supersonics to form the Sydney Kings.
The Sydney Supersonics, originally known as the City of Sydney Astronauts when they joined the NBL in 1979, became the Supersonics in 1982 after merging with the state league team Eastern Suburbs. In 1988, they merged with the West Sydney Westars to establish the Sydney Kings.
The West Sydney Razorbacks were established in 1992 as the West Sydney Slammers in the Continental Basketball Association. They secured an NBL licence in 1997 and competed as the West Sydney Razorbacks from 1998 to 2008 before rebranding as the Sydney Spirit for the 2008–09 season.
Only the Sydney Kings remain but the club faced significant financial challenges in the late 2000s. In 2008, the team was forced to withdraw from the NBL because of financial insolvency, leaving the league without its marquee franchise. The Kings’ absence from the league was a major blow to both the team’s fan base and the NBL, as Sydney is one of the largest basketball markets in Australia, and was without a team.
During this hiatus, efforts were made to revive the Kings and bring them back to the NBL. The team’s ownership group restructured, and new financial backing was secured. After a two-year absence, the Sydney Kings made their much-anticipated return to the NBL in the 2010-11 season.
Only time will tell if a second NBL team in Sydney will be successful not just on the court but financially.
