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NBL1 Central, formerly the Premier League, is a semi-professional basketball league in South Australia, comprising both a men's and women's competition. In 2020, Basketball South Australia partnered with the National Basketball League (NBL) to bring NBL1 to South Australia. NBL1 replaced the former Premier League to create more professional pathways and opportunities for males and females playing basketball in South Australia. As a result, the Premier League became the central conference of NBL1.
| Most recent season or competition: 2024 NBL1 season | |
 | |
| Formerly | SA State League 1957–1997 Central Conference of the ABA / Central ABL 1998–2014 Premier League 2015–2019 |
|---|---|
| Sport | Basketball |
| Founded | 1957 |
| First season | 1957 |
| No. of teams | M: 10 W: 10 |
| Country | Australia |
| Continent | FIBA Oceania (Oceania) |
| Most recent champion(s) | M: Forestville Eagles (9th title) W: Central Districts Lions (1st title) |
| Most titles | M: West Adelaide Bearcats (16 titles) W: North Adelaide Rockets (21 titles) |
| Official website | NBL1.com.au/Central |
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The South Australian Metropolitan Basketball Association was founded in 1936. This organisation later became known as the Basketball Association of South Australia (BASA).[1] The sport of basketball in the state of South Australia was boosted after World War II by the influx of emigrants from Europe especially from the Baltic countries.[2] In 2006, Basketball South Australia was formed following the dissolution of BASA.[3]
The first official South Australian State Basketball League season took place in 1957.[4][5] At the time, there was a summer season and a winter season. The winter season soon took pre-eminence and was eventually referred to as the State Championship season.[6] During the 1990s, the league was known under sponsor names "State Bank League" and "BankSA League".[7]
In 1998, the SA State League joined the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) as the association's Central Conference.[8] In 1999, the CBA was restructured as the Australian Basketball Association (ABA).[9] The ABA would not allow South Australia maintaining its competition as a "state league" and required two alterations: a name change and some representation in the competition from outside Adelaide. The competition was initially titled Central Conference of the Australian Basketball Association and later the Central Australian Basketball League (Central ABL) name was adopted and remained in place until 2014,[7] despite the ABA folding in 2008.[10]
The league was rebranded as Premier League in 2015.[11]
In February 2020, Basketball South Australia and the National Basketball League (NBL) announced a new partnership to bring NBL1 to South Australia, with the Premier League being renamed NBL1 Central and becoming the central conference of the NBL1.[12][13] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 season was cancelled.[14] The NBL1 Central debuted in the 2021 season.[15]
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| Club | City | State | Arena | Joined NBL1 | NBL1 National Championships | Most recent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Districts Lions* | Adelaide |  South Australia |
STARplex | 2020 | 0 | N/A |
| Eastern Mavericks* | Mount Barker | South Australia |
St Francis de Sales Community Sports Centre | 2020 | 0 | N/A |
| Forestville Eagles* | Adelaide | South Australia |
Wayville Sports Centre | 2020 | 0 | N/A |
| North Adelaide Rockets* | Adelaide | South Australia |
The Lights Community and Sports Centre | 2020 | 0 | N/A |
| Norwood Flames* | Adelaide | South Australia |
The ARC | 2020 | 0 | N/A |
| South Adelaide Panthers* | Adelaide | South Australia |
Marion Basketball Centre | 2020 | 0 | N/A |
| Southern Tigers* | Adelaide | South Australia |
Morphett Vale Stadium | 2020 | 0 | N/A |
| Sturt Sabres* | Adelaide | South Australia |
Springbank Sports Centre | 2020 | 0 | N/A |
| West Adelaide Bearcats* | Adelaide | South Australia |
Port Adelaide Recreation Centre | 2020 | 0 | N/A |
| Woodville Warriors* | Adelaide | South Australia |
St Clair Recreation Centre | 2020 | 0 | N/A |
* Teams that transferred from the Premier League.
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| Team | Total Titles | Men's | Women's | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titles | Winning Seasons | Titles | Winning Seasons | |||
| North Adelaide Rockets | 27 | 6 | 1957, 1958, 1959, 1983, 2007, 2021 | 21 | 1957, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1982, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2004, 2014, 2018 | Won both inaugural titles in 1957. |
| West Adelaide Bearcats | 24 | 16 | 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1988, 1994, 1996, 2017, 2023 | 8 | 1968, 1980, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1993, 2007, 2022 | |
| West Torrens / Forestville Eagles | 18 | 9 | 1974, 1990, 2003, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2019, 2024 | 9 | 1975, 1976, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2019 | |
| Norwood Flames | 13 | 4 | 1999, 2008, 2009, 2015 | 9 | 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2023 | |
| South Adelaide Panthers | 12 | 11 | 1963, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1973, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2022 | 1 | 1958 | |
| Glenelg / Noarlunga City Tigers | 11 | 5 | 1976, 1977, 1992, 1993, 1998 | 6 | 1978, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1996 | |
| Sturt Sabres | 10 | 5 | 1985, 1986, 2001, 2002, 2010 | 5 | 1974, 1981, 2002, 2006, 2008 | |
| Vikings | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963 | ||
| Southern Tigers | 4 | 2 | 2016, 2018 | 2 | 2017, 2021 | |
| Woodville Warriors | 3 | 3 | 2000, 2005, 2014 | 0 | ||
| A.S.K. (Adelaide Giants)[16] | 2 | 2 | 1960, 1964 | 0 | ||
| Budapest | 2 | 2 | 1961, 1962 | 0 | ||
| Central Districts Lions | 2 | 1 | 1984 | 1 | 2024 | |
| Adelaide[16][17] | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1966 | ||
| Eastern Mavericks | 1 | 1 | 2004 | 0 | ||
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