Decals and Doubt, an NBL Love Story
The National Basketball League (NBL) is in a great place. It has worked tirelessly to pull itself from the doldrums of world basketball into the product it is today.
What was once a retirement league is now a very real and attractive option, not only for Australia’s best players to return home, but legitimate NBA talent.
Current Charlotte Hornet LaMelo Ball spent the 2019/20 season in Illawarra before being drafted 3rd overall. (Credit: NBL)
The Next Star pipeline has seen first round draft picks like LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton play down under. Increased sponsorship and coverage has brought stars like Ryan Broekhoff and Jock Landale home.
Current Australian Boomer and former Dallas Maverick Ryan Broekhoff will suit up for South East Melbourne Phoenix in the latter stages of the NBL Cup. (Credit: Jerome Miron, USA Today)
For all the good the NBL and its management have done, amateur issues continue to hold the league back. Yes, it’s the dreaded ‘D word’.
Decals.
NBL court decals are under fire from players and fans
Credit: Kelly Barnes, Getty
For those of you that may not follow the NBL closely, decals have been a controversial topic dating back to last season. Players reported a slipperier surface on the advertising spots compared to standard hardwood.
This season, the outcry has intensified to an almost deafening chorus. Players have piped up in unison on social media regarding the apparent lack of safety focus. The decals are in everyone’s heads.
What follows here is a laundry list of NBL players past and present voicing their disdain at the NBL’s preferred choice of advertising.
As you can see the players are fed up. I imagine, from a player perspective, given the incessant criticism, it must seem like the league has prioritised sponsorship dollars over player welfare.
Now it would be unfair to level that type of criticism at the league office, but it is a bit disheartening to see such little affirmative action taken to rectify the situation.
Larry Kestelman says the decals are staying this season
Credit: Bruce Yan, Getty
In mid-February, NBL owner Larry Kestelman indicated the decals would remain for this season.
The opening game of the NBL season in Adelaide prompted a review into the decals after several player slippages. The result of that review?
The decals are “very close to the ideal standard.”
Since when is very close good enough when dealing with player safety? Either the decals meet the standard, or they don’t. This isn’t a sliding scale of compliance.
“I slipped in the third and then our big man goes down from slipping on them too.”
There have been alternative options raised to combat this rising concern for the decals, but any different method thus far has been met with denial by league bosses.
The most obvious solution is digital signage, similar to what is used in the NRL, where sponsors are superimposed onto the playing field for the broadcast. Problem with that? Cost.
The NRL currently has virtual sponsorships for its broadcasts. (Credit: Broadcast Virtual).
Now I don’t pretend to know how much that technology costs, not even a ballpark figure. But what is going to happen when the league is sued for negligence due to a decal-caused injury?
I don’t like dealing in hypotheticals but could you imagine the furore if LaMelo Ball had injured himself slipping on a decal last season?
Surely the cost of a potential lawsuit against the league in a matter like this outweighs the cost of alternative options for sponsorship as a long term investment.
The NBLxNBA series has launched the NBL onto a global stage. In 2017, Melbourne United nearly beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, going down by 1 point. Casey Prather (R) and Russell Westbrook chase a loose ball here. (Credit: J Pat Carter, Getty).
The NBL has done an excellent job marketing itself to be visible to a global audience. The last thing it needs is said global audiences seeing such amateur issues as decal safety.
The other popular alternative raised has been to paint directly on to the court. As NBL teams don’t own their stadia, like NBA teams do, that idea was also shut down.
“On-court advertising provides an essential source of revenue for the league and clubs to fund NBL operations including items such as referee costs and the production of our broadcast, which in turn is essential to the revenue generating capacity of our clubs.”
No one is saying to do away with the sponsorship. Fans and players recognise the importance of revenue to keep the league’s lofty ambitions within reach.
When it comes to player safety, though, the NBL has to do better.
Players calling them out should be enough.
