Seven NBL Clubs Break Ranks with Breakaway Owners’ Association in Governance Standoff

Seven of the NBL’s ten clubs have publicly distanced themselves from a newly formed breakaway “Owners’ Association,” reaffirming their full commitment to working collaboratively with the league’s established governance structures.

Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Melbourne United, New Zealand, Sydney, and Tasmania released a joint statement making it clear that the independent group, established by just three dissenting owners from Illawarra, South East Melbourne, and Perth, does not represent the views or interests of the majority of the competition.

Representatives for the coalition argued that creating a separate, independent advocacy body is entirely unnecessary given existing communication channels.

“This group are not representatives of the majority of NBL club owners, and their views do not reflect the views of the other seven owners.”

“Creating a separate, independent group to advocate for clubs is not necessary. We already have strong, open and collaborative lines of communication with the League,” the coalition said. 

NBL Group CEO, David Stevenson supported the majority stance, emphasising that the organisation already maintains structured forums for strategic and commercial collaboration.

“Healthy debate and differing perspectives are an important part of any successful sporting competition.”

“However, our priority is building a stronger future through collaboration, shared ambition and long-term thinking, not fragmentation or pursuing outcomes that benefit only a select few.

“The NBL will continue investing its time, energy and resources in working with the vast majority of clubs that are aligned in purpose and committed to the collective success of the competition,” Stevenson shared. 

While acknowledging that healthy debate forms a natural part of any elite sporting competition, the seven clubs stressed that they strongly oppose approaches that create division or prioritise a small faction over collective league success.

Emphasising the financial and structural health of the competition, the coalition pointed out that the NBL has never been in a stronger position regarding its commercial value, television audiences, and broader fan engagement.

They attributed this stability to modernised governance frameworks and the inclusion of respected independent figures, such as former Rock Entertainment Group CEO Len Komoroski and former ACCC Chair Professor Graeme Samuel AC. Upholding transparency as a core priority, the seven clubs committed to continuous improvement while backing the league’s executive leadership.

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