NBL1 West, formerly the State Basketball League (SBL), is a semi-professional basketball league in Western Australia, comprising both a men's and women's competition. In 2020, Basketball Western Australia partnered with the National Basketball League (NBL) to bring NBL1 to Western Australia. NBL1 replaced the former SBL to create more professional pathways and opportunities for males and females playing basketball in Western Australia. As a result, the SBL became the west conference of NBL1.
| Most recent season or competition: 2024 NBL1 West season | |
 | |
| Formerly | State Basketball League 1989–2020 |
|---|---|
| Sport | Basketball |
| Founded | 1989 |
| First season | 1989 |
| General Manager | Brighton Pass |
| No. of teams | W: 13 M: 14 |
| Country | Australia |
| Continent | FIBA Oceania (Oceania) |
| Most recent champion(s) | W: Rockingham Flames (4th title) M: Mandurah Magic (1st title) |
| Most titles | W: Willetton Tigers (9 titles) M: Perry Lakes Hawks (7 titles) |
| Official website | NBL1.com.au/West |
History
The State Basketball League originated in 1972 as the District Competition. The District Competition was introduced by the Western Australian Basketball Federation (WABF) as an 'elite' competition held on Friday nights, featuring eight Perth-based associations from the prominent districts of Perth, Swan Districts, Tangney/Willetton, Subiaco, East Perth, Cockburn, Stirling, and Claremont.[1] In 1986, the competition was rebranded as the "State League". This name continued in 1987, but 1987 was something of a watershed year for the WABF, as the entire structure of the game in Western Australia was being reconsidered.[2]
A census in 1987 showed that 61 percent of WABF members were from country areas, so it was decided to try to include several country teams in the state's premier basketball league. The Perth Wildcats had a hugely successful season in 1987—reaching the NBL Grand Final in their first trip to the finals—attracting much television coverage, which saw basketball's popularity soar. In 1988, it was decided to form a State Basketball League for both men and women, and to develop it into an elite, statewide competition as soon as possible. This meant seeking out private owners and attracting corporate sponsorship, so as to not burden the association. As part of basketball's development, the Western Australian Institute of Sport men's team was included in the SBL under Warren Kuhn.[2]
Simon Leunig, who had been the WABF's development officer, was appointed general manager of the SBL, and set about organising an expanded league for 1989. His marketing strategy paid off, and three new franchises were established in country areas: the Rainbow Coast Raiders from Albany were the first, followed by the Batavia Buccaneers from Geraldton[3] and the Souwest Slammers from Bunbury.[2]
The expanded SBL, which was limited to men's teams in 1989, was sponsored by McDonald's and Skywest, with a $65,000 grant from the State Government to help with travel costs.[2]
In 2017, the SBL shifted to the 40-minute game format in-line with FIBA, with games consisting of ten minute quarters as opposed to the twelve minute quarters under the previous 48-minute format.[4]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 SBL season was cancelled and later replaced by the amateur-based West Coast Classic.[5][6]
In October 2020, Basketball Western Australia and the National Basketball League (NBL) announced a new partnership to bring NBL1 to Western Australia in 2021, with NBL1 replacing the SBL. The SBL was officially renamed NBL1 West and became the west conference of NBL1.[7][8]
Current clubs
Women's teams
| Team | Location | Arena | Debut season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cockburn Cougars | Hamilton Hill, City of Cockburn | Wally Hagan Stadium | 1989 |
| East Perth Eagles | Morley, City of Bayswater | Morley Sport and Recreation Centre | 1989 |
| Goldfields Giants | Kalgoorlie | Niels Hansen Basketball Stadium | 2022 |
| Joondalup Wolves | Joondalup, City of Joondalup | HBF Arena | 1989 |
| Kalamunda Eastern Suns | Lesmurdie, City of Kalamunda | Ray Owen Sports Centre | 2008 |
| Lakeside Lightning | North Lake, City of Cockburn | Lakeside Recreation Centre | 2001 |
| Mandurah Magic | Mandurah | Mandurah Aquatic & Recreation Centre | 1996 |
| Perry Lakes Hawks | Floreat, Town of Cambridge | Bendat Basketball Centre | 1989 |
| Perth Redbacks | Belmont, City of Belmont | Belmont Oasis Leisure Centre | 1989 |
| Rockingham Flames | Rockingham, City of Rockingham | Mike Barnett Sports Complex | 1992 |
| South West Slammers | Bunbury | Eaton Recreation Centre | 1992 |
| Warwick Senators | Warwick, City of Joondalup | Warwick Stadium | 1989 |
| Willetton Tigers | Willetton, City of Canning | Willetton Basketball Stadium | 1989 |
Men's teams
League championships
The Willetton Tigers have won the most championships in the women's competition with 9 Grand Final wins, while the Perry Lakes Hawks have won the most championships in the men's competition with 7 Grand Final wins. The Hawks women have also amassed seven titles, making Perry Lakes the most successful club in league history with a total of 14 championships.
| Women | Men | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams |  | Year(s) won | Teams | | Year(s) won |
| Willetton Tigers | 9 | 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2021 | Perry Lakes Hawks | 7 | 1994, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2018, 2021 |
| Perry Lakes Hawks | 7 | 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2017 | Perth Redbacks | 4 | 1989, 1990, 1997, 2017 |
| Joondalup Wolves | 4 | 1990, 1992, 1995, 2013 | South West Slammers | 4 | 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999 |
| Rockingham Flames | 4 | 2014, 2015, 2019, 2024 | Lakeside Lightning | 4 | 2005, 2006, 2009, 2013 |
| Swan City Mustangs† | 3 | 1991, 1993, 1996 | Cockburn Cougars | 3 | 1992, 2012, 2016 |
| Perth Redbacks | 2 | 1989, 2000 | Joondalup Wolves | 3 | 1993, 2011, 2015 |
| Warwick Senators | 2 | 1994, 2022 | Geraldton Buccaneers | 3 | 2000, 2019, 2023 |
| Lakeside Lightning | 2 | 2006, 2018 | Goldfields Giants | 2 | 2007, 2008 |
| South West Slammers | 1 | 2012 | Swan City Mustangs† | 1 | 1991 |
| Cockburn Cougars | 1 | 2023 | Willetton Tigers | 1 | 2010 |
| East Perth Eagles | 1 | 2014 | |||
| Rockingham Flames | 1 | 2022 | |||
| Mandurah Magic | 1 | 2024 | |||
| † indicates club is not a current member of NBL1 West | |||||
See also
References
External links
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