Editor: This post was written by Ben Fitzsimons; Basketball junkie and one time Adelaide 36ers CEO. Ben is our new contributor and will be adding more articles and thoughts here in the coming weeks.
The recent NBA lock out prompted many issues for many people.
Ostensibly the players argued that they are worth more than what they are being paid and the owners argued against this citing cash loses and low attendances.
This got me thinking what is the most valuable part of the sporting business, the stars or the team?
Will Laker fans go if Kobe is not playing to support their team or will they only go to see him play?
Where does the power lie? If the star has no platform to broadcast his or her talents around the world how will anyone ever become a fan?
It seems to me that the Stars need the NBA more than the NBA needs them.
My reasoning is that if there is no NBA then there are no stars, no elite players and certainly no highlight packages being pumped around the globe. However there is an NBA and the NBA needs heroes
The heroes are the ones who first engage fans with the sport. For me in the NBL this was Al Green and a young Scott Ninnis. I had heard of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson before seeing Al and Scott play but it was these two that drew me to the game.
Once I became an addict of the 36ers I learnt more and more about the game and was there as a fan when a young kid called Michael Jordan started to become a global icon of basketball.
What is interesting though is there was a day when neither Ninnis nor Green played for the 36ers, yet I still found myself more involved and engaged with the 36ers and the NBL.
Had my need as a fan changed? No. Had my interest level changed? Yes it had. I was more emotionally vested with this team, this logo, this stadium complete with its dodgy scoreboard than ever before.
In fact, there became a time when Green and Ninnis played against us. The two guys that made me become a fan were now the opposition, wearing bad uniforms and clearly not as good as when they where 36ers.
My loyalty had grown beyond the stars and was now lodged firmly with the club itself.
That is the power that great players have. They drag people to the stadium and to the lounge rooms. Their value is in creating not just fans of themselves but of the game.
An indication that players are engaging with the fans is audience. The NBL clubs are doing a fantastic job at building crowds. The Breakers showing that winning attracts people to games. It is so important for the NBL that with the growing crowds comes a greater spectacle.
The fans will initially come for the stars but they will stay for the team.
