Basketball: Late decision on finals venue next year

The National Basketball League will not confirm the venue for the 2000 finals until late next season to avoid claims of a conspiracy.

NBL general manager Mark Cameron said he would book two or three venues around the country and then decide on a host stadium close to the end of the regular season when it became clearer which teams would qualify.

Waikato Warriors coach Jeff Green claimed the NBL and league referees conspired to ensure the Canterbury Rams made the top-four playoffs this season. The NBL had chosen Christchurch's WestpacTrust Centre as the finals venue and Green claimed the organisation was desperate to generate maximum revenue by having the home team participate.

Cameron also plans to make the finals weekend a bigger event by including the women's finals with the men's national and conference (second-division) league finals.

"We could have 18 teams and their supporters involved at one venue over a long weekend," he said.

He understood the reasoning of Tab Baldwin, coach of the NBL-winning Auckland side, who wanted a return to the best-of-three finals format. Baldwin believes it gives the league's top side a better chance of winning the title than a one-off encounter.

Cameron said: "Tab's probably right, but a finals weekend is where it's at for New Zealand basketball at present."