Basketball: Breakers eager to play despite suggestions of hiatus

The Breakers are able to survive financially if the NBL took a year off. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The New Zealand Breakers are eager to play a full season of the Australian National Basketball League (ANBL) despite suggestions across the Tasman that the competition will take a one-year hiatus.

Basketball Australia (BA) chief executive Larry Sengstock will today outline the future for the competition after the Melbourne Tigers confirmed they would not compete in the 2009-10 ANBL.

The Tigers announcement yesterday follows Friday's news that the reigning champion South Dragons would opt out for a year.

Breakers general manager Richard Clarke said the departure of the two Melbourne clubs meant the ANBL series was at least one team too short.

"There are seven clubs that have put through their licence agreements - we really need at least eight to have a league. So the plan from here could involve us getting to Sydney to meet other clubs and the ANBL.

"We also need to see if there are other parties in Melbourne that might be interested in starting a team."

Clarke said the Auckland-based side would be able to survive financially if the competition took a year off.

"We've been working with everything based on having a full league season. But we can survive if we have a season off."

With seven players contracted to the Breakers, Clarke said revenue from community activities would carry the organisation through.

"Obviously we would lose some sponsorship income and ticketing income from not having a league, but we can still get by. We have seven [players] on contract and they're safe."

The Breakers performed well last season and big crowds at the North Shore Events Centre boosted the revenue.

With the ANBL board meeting last night, Clarke expected the future of the league to become clearer in the week ahead.

A broadcast deal with pay-TV network Fox Sports had been hit by the withdrawal of the teams. A proposed $35 million a year contract to screen four live games each week had been reduced after teams in Sydney and Brisbane pulled out. A new offer of $200,000 a year to broadcast one live game a week had been suggested before the Melbourne sides joined the exodus.