NBL Returns to Auchenflower Stadium

BULLETS icon Leroy Loggins is urging the Brisbane basketball community to get behind next month’s NBL pre-season tournament to show the city can support its own team again.

The NBL will announce on Tuesday that Brisbane’s Auchenflower Stadium will host the annual “Blitz’’ competition from September 19-21.

Eight teams will play two games each in a bid to win the Loggins-Bruton Cup when top-level basketball makes a welcome return to Brisbane.

But a bigger prize awaits the host city.

The NBL is well advanced in its planning to revive the Bullets, who dropped out of the competition in 2008 when owner and former childcare mogul Eddy Groves was forced to give up the team’s licence due to financial troubles.

The 2015-16 season has been earmarked as the likely return.

Loggins said the massive crowd that gathered in King George Square recently to see the NBA championship trophy and Australia’s San Antonio Spurs players Patty Mills and Aron Baynes proved the city was still passionate about their hoops.

“It was amazing that day. People still love the game in Brisbane,’’ Loggins said.

“We need them to get along to the Blitz as well to show the NBL that we are serious about getting a team back and serious about supporting the game.

“A lot of people have been trying for a lot of years to get the finances to get the Bullets back. The NBL says it will back the team but we also need the people in the stands to make it happen.’’

NBL CEO Fraser Neill told The Courier-Mail in July the governing body was willing to financially support a Brisbane team initially and having an NBL presence in the city was one of his top priorities.

He said having the Blitz in Brisbane made sense on a number of levels.

“Given the desire and drive to have a Brisbane team back in the NBL, it is only right that we hold the tournament here. We are asking Brisbane to support a team so we should show some support the other way,’’ he said.

“Having it at Auchenflower is a nice touch. It’s where it all began for Brisbane in the NBL in 1979. We are going back to the grassroots again as we try to re-establish a team.’’

Neill said the NBL had held a series of talks with potential investor groups since July.

“We are continuing to talk to a whole range of people to ensure we make the right decisions. Hopefully we can have some sort of announcement sooner rather than later,’’ he said.

“The sooner we can do it, the better chance the team has of being successful.’’




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