It may be August, but it's always basketball season somewhere.
Two separate emails came my way this week, one a coaching update in the new NBL-Canada and the other a huge step in the right direction for American minor league basketball.
The Saint John Mill Rats announced this week that former NBA player Jaren Jackson will return for a second season with the New Brunswick-based team - its first in the new National Basketball League of Canada. Jackson and the Mill Rats will join six other teams in the league's first season beginning in November and running through March. The league will play 36 regular-season games.
Anyone else a little jealous? I will miss the Frost Heaves so much this winter, and I wish Saint John wasn't such a haul of a road trip away. Best of luck to the Mill Rats and the whole NBL venture.
I also got another email from the "Smashing Success" Premier Basketball League - the one everyone but the league's owners jumped ship from earlier this year - and apparently they are truly trying to be a smashing success. But they aren't just concerned with themselves, as one might imagine. The PBL and CBL are inviting all other minor leagues in the United States to a "Unification of Standards" convention in Chicago Sept. 10.
Apparently not wanting to (continue?) to make similar mistakes made by the ABA, which was the primary reason for breaking free of the unstable league.
From the release:
"The convention will discuss the creation of the United Basketball Federation of America (UBFA), a national model that centers in forming standards that would be followed by teams and recognized by sponsors, venues, and most importantly the fans. “This standardization has been overdue for some time,” said Dr. Sev Hrywnak, Chairman of the Board of the Premier Basketball League. “We formed the Premier Basketball League to remove ourselves from the bad experiences we endured in the ABA with teams due to poor league management,” continued Dr. Hrywnak.
The Minor League Basketball Convention was the idea of Mr. Mark King, Owner of the Florida Flight team of the Continental Basketball League (CBL). “It’s time that we started working together and create something much bigger than all of us as individual teams, and leagues,” said Mr. King.
“I spent a year working for an ABA team with the expectation of a salary,” said King. “The position turned into an unpaid internship because financial obligations could not be met. If leagues like the ABA are not going to do their due diligence and verify the business plans and financial backing of their member teams, the UBFA will.” President and CEO of the Premier Basketball League, Brij M. Desai, commented.
I hope this works out and makes minor league basketball in the United States less of a punchline and more of a viable enterprise both for fans and for players.
-Anna Grearson
Comments