Sydney basketball coaches are warning that a shortage of courts will dull a boom in interest in the sport following the Sydney Kings’ NBL finals victory that drew record crowds.
There are around 10,000 players on waiting lists to join basketball clubs in the state, the majority of which are in Sydney, according to Basketball NSW.
Basketball NSW interim CEO David Simpson said many of these potential players miss out because associations do not have enough courts for them to play on.
Mr Simpson said the state needs 330 additional indoor courts over the next decade, with 115 of those needed in the state capital.
“Across Greater Sydney, facilities are at capacity,” Mr Simpson said.
“Basketball’s had a real resurgence, New South Wales has seen around of 50 per cent growth since 2021-2022.”
The NBL finals series drew 70,269 fans in the five games played in Sydney and Adelaide, which included four sell-outs and set new attendance records.
Sydney basketball associations are keen to capitalise on the interest created by the Kings’ win. (AAP: Robbie Stephenson)
Mr Simpson said it was the greatest advertisement for the sport, but an opportunity to capitalise was being lost.
“People will be excited, interested, wanting to play basketball, but the challenge is then where they can go to play.
“There will be a lost opportunity, given we know people are on waiting lists all around Sydney.”
Mr Simpson admitted that the cost of building a new indoor facility was prohibitive, and often land was not available in areas like Sydney’s east.
He also said the sport faced competition for indoor court use from other sports like volleyball and futsal.
Basketball NSW says there needs to be 300 new indoor courts made in the next decade. (ABC Riverland: Sam Bradbrook )
Facility availability is hurting growth areas
Penrith in Sydney’s west is considered a growth area for the sport, but one local association says it has to spread its competition across seven courts, including those of local schools.
The Penrith District Basketball Association said having a central location would help them be able to meet demand and reduce their waitlist.
“Currently, around 50 junior boys are eager to play, but due to unsuitable game times and the location of available courts, they are unable to be accommodated,” a spokesperson for the association told 702 ABC Sydney.
“Following the Kings’ nailbiting grand final win, we’ve seen increased activity across our new website and social media channels.
“We’re hopeful this momentum will translate into new registrations once the school holidays conclude.”
Duane Jordan, who manages the Manly Warriagah Basketball Association, said associations were dealing with a surge of interest but do not have the space to hold competitions.
“We’re operating off a minimum course space to not maximise people’s enthusiasm.”
Minister’s office questions previous use of activity vouchers
A spokesperson for NSW Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said the government had committed $32 million to basketball or multi-use venues that include basketball since being elected in March 2023.
The spokesperson pointed out that $570 million had been spent on Active Kids vouchers by the previous Coalition government, which took the form of $50 vouchers to be used twice a year on activities such as sport.
“We understand that more money is needed to address the backlog in community infrastructure,” the spokesperson said.
“The NSW government has also backed major basketball projects, such as the Bathurst Indoor Stadium and Newcastle Basketball Stadium, which will include a number of courts for community use.”
The spokesperson said the Labor government had increased funding for grassroots sports through the Organisational Support Program from $2.4 million, before coming into office, to $5 million.