The NBL Grand Final is the championship series of the
National Basketball League (NBL). The entrants are determined by the victors of the two Semi Finals series, who engage in a
best-of-five
There are a number of formats used in various levels of competition in sports and games to determine an overall champion. Some of the most common are the ''single elimination'', the ''best-of-'' series, the ''total points series'' more commonly kn ...
game series to determine the league champion. The winners of the Grand Final series are awarded the Dr John Raschke Trophy.
History
Prior to 1986, the NBL Grand Final was decided by a single game. From 2004 until 2009, the series was expanded to a best-of-five games.
The first NBL Grand Final was played on 10 June 1979 at the Albert Park Basketball Stadium in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
. The
St. Kilda Saints
The St Kilda Football Club, nicknamed the Saints, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier league.
The club's name originates ...
defeated the
Canberra Cannons
The Canberra Cannons are a defunct basketball team that competed in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL). They went into financial administration in 2003 and were relocated to Newcastle, where they became the Hunter Pirates. After thi ...
94-93 to become the inaugural NBL Champions.
The
Perth Wildcats
The Perth Wildcats are an Australian professional basketball team based in Perth, Western Australia. The Wildcats compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at RAC Arena, known colloquially as "The Jungle".
Afte ...
hold the record for most Grand Final appearances with 15 between 1987 and 2019/20. They have also won a record 10 NBL Championships. The Wildcats have not missed the
NBL Finals
The National Basketball League (NBL) Finals is a tournament held at the end of each NBL season to determine the league champions.
The top six teams qualify for the finals based on the regular season results. The current finals format consists ...
since 1987, a record of 35 consecutive years.
No Grand Final MVP was awarded between 1981 and 1985. The
NBL Grand Final Most Valuable Player Award
The National Basketball League Grand Final Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball League (NBL) award given since the league's inaugural season to the best performing player of the Grand Final series. The winner receives the Larry ...
winner receives the Larry Sengstock Medal, which is named in honour of
Larry Sengstock
Larry Sengstock (born 4 March 1960 in Maryborough, Queensland) is an Australian retired basketball player and was the CEO of Basketball Australia and the NBL until April 2012.
Career
Larry was born in Maryborough Qld. He was a champion swi ...
, the winner of the league's first Grand Final MVP award in 1986.
Rocky Smith
Rocky Smith (born October 24, 1954) is an American retired professional basketball player.
High school
Born in Oroville, California, Smith graduated from Oroville High School, where he played basketball, in 1973. He was an All-Star, all four yea ...
(1980),
Leroy Loggins
Leroy Loggins (born 20 December 1957) is an Australian-American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball League (NBL) from 1981 until 2001.
College career
Born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Loggins attended F ...
(1987),
Scott Fisher (1989),
Chris Williams (2002/03),
Chris Anstey
Christopher John Anstey (born 1 January 1975) is an Australian former professional basketball player. His career included stints in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Russia and Spain. Anstey was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers i ...
(2005/06) and
Cedric Jackson
Cedric Lamar Jackson (born March 5, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player. He played two years of college basketball for Cleveland State University, where he made a notable game-winning full-court shot against Syracuse and hel ...
(2012/13) all won the Grand Final MVP and the regular season
MVP
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
awards in the same season.
Results
Grand Final Record
* Teams in bold are currently in the NBL.
See also
*
NBL Finals
The National Basketball League (NBL) Finals is a tournament held at the end of each NBL season to determine the league champions.
The top six teams qualify for the finals based on the regular season results. The current finals format consists ...
*
WNBL Grand Final
The WNBL Grand Final is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball League.
Champions
Results by team
See also
* NBL Grand Final
* AFL Women's Grand Final
* NRL Women's Grand Final
* W-League Grand Final
References
Ex ...
References
External links
{{NBL
National Basketball League (Australia)
Grand finals
Recurring sporting events established in 1979
1979 establishments in Australia