NBL Review Calls For Change
Tagged in: NBL
Basketball New Zealand has offered National Basketball League franchises control of the competition from 2009.
NBL governance has been a keenly debated issue in recent seasons with teams previously unrepresented on the controlling board.
Since the 2008 season ended in June, BBNZ has conducted a wide-ranging review of league governance, operations, marketing and communications.
“Every aspect of the review has revealed concerns and issues of varying degrees,” observes chief executive Dale Stephens.
“Any programme of implementation that intends to include all of the recommendations of this review will need to be extensive, far reaching and will take more than one season to implement.
“After considering all of the information supplied, discussing the history of the NBL with various stakeholders, and analysing the current situation with the league and its relationship with BBNZ, the best approach is to deal with the governance issue first and then prioritise the rest of the review results next.”
NBL franchises have regularly expressed frustration at their lack of input into the decision-making process.
Under the review recommendations, they now have the opportunity to provide three representatives and nominate an additional independent member on a newly constituted six-person board.
Basketball New Zealand would continue to hold the league licence, but would have only one representative and the ability to nominate an independent.
The board would then elect its own chair.
“The board of BBNZ acknowledges and accepts that the franchises want a greater say in the governance of the league,” says Stephens. “They believe the new model for the board firmly places control of the league with the franchises, who are looking forward to their enhanced role in governance.
“BBNZ acknowledges that franchises have indicated they wish to appoint an independent league commissioner and this may well be one of the first considerations of the newly appointed board.”
The national body would still retain the power to protect certain provisions of the current NBL licence, including international transfer rules, drug-testing processes, scheduling within a harmonised national basketball calendar and access to Tall Black players.
NBL franchises are due to consider the proposed new structure at a meeting in Auckland on Thursday.
