NBA Australia says Boomers-USA series a “blueprint” for historic first match

NBA Asia and India managing director Ramez Sheikh said two Australia-USA matches that drew record crowds to Marvel Stadium in 2019 were a blueprint to lure the world’s biggest stars to Australia’s sporting capital.

“We had a terrific experience and we would be open to future opportunities,’’ he said.

Mr Sheikh said the NBA was aware of strong interest in bringing a game to Melbourne or Sydney, describing Australians as “our most rabid and loyal fans’’.

And with Victoria’s Josh Giddey, Ben Simmons and Matthew Dellavedova among 12 players with Aussie heritage now playing in the NBA, the league was taking notice of “an incredible market’’.

“We are either entering or in a golden era of basketball in Australia, at least as far as the NBA is concerned,’’ he said.

“In Australia in particular the demand for our game is just intense.

“One in five Australians are NBA fans and we have got close to 90 per cent awareness from the general population about the NBA.

“We are sensitive that we are an export, we are an American-born company (coming) into all these countries including Australia in large part due to the success of Australian players.’’

Mr Sheikh – who will visit Melbourne to speak at this month’s SportNXT summit, alongside 50 other leading sport figures – said 100,000-strong crowds at the Boomers-USA series “absolutely” proved Melbourne could stage an NBA match.

“I was there … for sure we were all blown away by the ­experience at Marvel Stadium,’’ he said.

“I know our players who were there really appreciated it.

“The challenge I think for having NBA games internationally, and this is not unique to Australia, is the toll the travel takes on our players and balancing that with hosting games internationally is ­always a consideration.

“And while we don’t have any immediate plans for a game in Australia, we are ­always hoping to figure it out.’’

He said an Aussie exhibition match between the likes of Giddey’s Oklahoma City Thunder and a Brooklyn team containing Mills and Simmons would be a nice way to reward fans.

“There is always that possibility and potential and we are certainly open to it,’’ he said.

“There is certainly an openness, there is just nothing current that we are looking at.

“But we are always open to the opportunity.’’

Australians remain the top-paying subscribers to NBA League Pass outside of the US and Canada.

Mr Sheikh said the NBA would also support its players returning to Australia for ­another national series against the Boomers.

Originally published as NBA Australia says Boomers-USA series a “blueprint” for historic first match