Australian Basketball Association

The Australian Basketball Association (ABA) was a semi-professional basketball entity based in Australia. The ABA was Australia's biggest basketball competition for many years. With over 120 teams participating across five leagues and six states, the ABA competition was the vital link between grass roots basketball in Australia and the elite NBL and WNBL leagues. The association provided a high standard of competition for local basketballers from across the country as well as an intense environment for professionals to use in their off seasons.[1]

Australian Basketball Association (ABA)
FormerlySouth Eastern Conference
1965–1970
South Eastern Basketball League
1981–1987
South East Australian Basketball League
1988–1991
Continental Basketball Association
1992–1998
Australian Basketball Association
1999–2008
SportBasketball
Founded1965
Ceased2008
Country Australia
ContinentFIBA Oceania (Oceania)
Level on pyramid2
Related
competitions
Big V
Premier League
QBL
SEABL
Waratah League

Between 1965 and 2008, the ABA played an integral part in the development of Australian basketball with hundreds of former and active NBL and WNBL players honing their skills against world-class opposition. Many NBL and WNBL clubs also benefited from their involvement in ABA competition, including the Melbourne Tigers who competed in the SEBL before joining the NBL.[2]

In its heyday, the ABA incorporated five leagues – SEABL (south and east conferences), QABL (north conference), CABL (central conference), Big V (Victorian conference), and Waratah League (New South Wales conference). With the support of Basketball Australia, the competition consistently built upon the successful structure created by the well-respected Continental Basketball Association. The end result was a culmination of over 30 years of evolution, during which time the ABA had mushroomed from eight teams in the south-east of Australia to a competition that involved 135 men's and women's teams based in six states and territories. The ABA was representative of the huge number of junior-based associations across the country and was the endorsed national development league of the sport's peak body, Basketball Australia.[2]

History

The Australian Basketball Association's (ABA) roots can be traced back as far as 1965, when just eight clubs competed in the South Eastern Conference (SEC). The SEC continued until 1971 when the Australian Club Championships gained pre-eminence.[2]

In 1981, the SEC was reborn as the South Eastern Basketball League (SEBL) when the Australian Club Championships ceased to operate due to the rise of Australia's first truly national competition, the National Basketball League (NBL).[2]

The SEBL was divided into a South and East Conference format in 1986; the same year Queensland's State Basketball League was founded. In 1994, the bodies merged to create the long-standing North, South and East Conference concept of the National Continental Basketball Association.[2]

1998 saw further expansion with the inclusion of a Central Conference from South Australia. In that same year, the switch of NBL and WNBL seasons to Summer enabled the ABA to offer professional players a showcase for their skills during the Winter months.[2]

Extensive discussions and numerous meetings regarding the establishment of an Australian-wide association based basketball championship consumed considerable energy and time throughout 1998. This activity culminated in December 1998 with the Basketball Australia Council formalising the ownership and the national structure of an association based national competition. This competition was set to consist of representation from Basketball Australia's Constituent Associations in a series of regional geographic competitions and incorporating the existing CBA competition structure. The management of this competition was offered to the CBA. To accommodate this decision, it was agreed that a new company, CBA (National) Ltd, would amend its Memorandum & Articles and change its name to Australian Basketball Association Ltd. Basketball Australia and all participating conferences were equal shareholders in this management company. The competition was thus promoted under the Australian Basketball Association banner from 1999 with further enhancements to be applied the following year as envisaged in the approved guidelines for the establishment and conduct of the new competition.[3]

2000 saw the addition of Big V from Victoria and in 2001 the Waratah Conference from New South Wales was included for the first time.[2]

Starting in 2002, the champions of each of the six conferences and a number of wildcard entries competed at the annual ABA National Finals. This addition of a truly national ABA finals series marked the dawn of a new era of national basketball competition in Australia.[2]

The ABA National Finals became known as the Australian Club Championships (ACC) in 2007 and continued on as such in 2008. Following the 2008 season, Basketball Australia's Competitions Commission took over the management of all state-based leagues and competitions from 2009 onwards, thus disbanding the ABA and leaving its affiliated leagues to be independent.

ABA National Champions

Men

TeamsWinLossTotalYear(s) wonYear(s) lost
Ballarat Miners3361989, 1994, 19951990, 1991, 1992
Cairns Marlins3251998, 2004, 20071994, 1997
Geelong Cats/Supercats3031981, 1999, 2006
Bulleen Boomers2351984, 19901983, 1985, 1988
Bendigo Braves2131988, 20051989
Hobart Chargers2132000, 20022008
Frankston Bears/Blues13419821981, 1995, 1998
Kilsyth Cobras12319851999, 2000
Sydney City Slickers/Sydney City Comets/Sydney Comets12319921986, 2005
Melbourne Tigers11219831982
Newcastle Hunters11219861987
Knox Raiders11219911996
North-West Tasmania Originals/Thunder11219962004
Adelaide Buffalos1011987
North East Melbourne Arrows1011993
Suncoast Clippers1011997
Mount Gambier Pioneers1012003
Rockhampton Rockets1012008
Dandenong Rangers0222006, 2007
Chelsea Gulls0111984
Murray Bridge Bullets0111993
Australian Institute of Sport0112002

Women

TeamsWinLossTotalYear(s) wonYear(s) lost
Bayside/Frankston Blues3361993, 1997, 20041991, 1992, 1994
Knox Raiders3251992, 1994, 19961998, 2005
Bendigo Braves2132000, 20032006
Townsville Sunbirds/Flames2132007, 20081997
Dandenong Rangers2021990, 1991
Kilsyth Cobras2021998, 2002
Ballarat Miners2022005, 2006
Launceston Tornadoes11219951996
Southern Districts Spartans1011999
Sturt Sabres0221990, 2002
Broadmeadows Broncos0111993
Adelaide Opals0111995
Norwood Flames0111999
Nunawading Spectres0112000
Forestville Eagles0112003
North Adelaide Rockets0112004
Hume City Broncos0112007
Sydney Comets0112008

See also

References

  1. "2007 ABA Media Guide" (PDF). ABABasketball.net.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 September 2007.
  2. "History of the ABA". ABABasketball.net.au. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012.
  3. "Basketball Australia Annual Report 1998" (PDF). Basketball Australia. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 March 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
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