Brisbane Bullets update

If you've been following the news about a potential resurrection of the Brisbane Bullets back in to the NBL, you would've heard there was a meeting last night to discuss the future and get people organised to assist with the task.

I messaged a few of my friends to find out if they were attending but none were and while I thought about it, I didn't make it there either. I guess I don't have the time to commit to the cause so I will follow along from the outside.

Thanks to the BrisbaneNBL twitter account, I came across a radio interview with Leroy Loggins discussing how the meeting went.

Here's the press release regarding Basketball Australia's perspective on the meeting:

MEDIA ALERT
12 August 2010
Basketball

SENGSTOCK “OPTIMISTIC” AFTER BRISBANE NBL MEETING

Basketball Australia (BA) Chief Executive Officer Larry Sengstock says he has renewed optimism that the National Basketball League can once again have a Brisbane-based team in the competition following a meeting in the Queensland capital last night.

More than 50 people who are committed to trying to regain an NBL license for Brisbane met at Carina Leagues Club last night at a gathering initiated by former Brisbane Bullets legend Leroy Loggins.

Sengstock and NBL General Manager of Operations Chuck Harmison attended the meeting as representatives of BA and Sengstock said he came away from the gathering heartened by the possibility of reintroducing a Brisbane team to the competition in the future.

“The meeting in Brisbane last night was well attended and out of it a ten-person working party has been formed comprising individuals with a range of key skill sets and business experience who will look to drive their bid for an NBL license,” said Sengstock. “NBL General Manager Chuck Harmison will be working very closely with the group as will representatives from Basketball Queensland and a number of the local Brisbane associations.

“This group has been formed to draft up a plan to consider how best to put together a viable business model for a Brisbane NBL team, and more specifically how to target the key decision makers and government departments to help achieve their goal. They are getting down to business immediately and will be meeting this weekend.

“After witnessing the passion, work ethic and shared vision displayed by the group at the meeting last night, I am feeling optimistic that there could indeed be a Brisbane team in the NBL for season 2011/12. Clearly there is a great deal of hard work that lays ahead for this to become a reality however and ultimately this group will need to rally appropriate financial backing as well as corporate and community support by November if they are to have a chance of obtaining a license in time for the 2011/12 season.”

“Whilst we remain supportive of any and all attempts to reintroduce a team to Brisbane, ultimately BA will only grant a license to a new team when they can demonstrate that they have in place a clear plan for ensuring their long-term financial stability,” concluded Sengstock.