Hungry Jack’s NBL 2020-21 Season Update

Originally scheduled to tip-off on December 3, the NBL has announced a delay to the start of the upcoming 2020-21 Hungry Jack’s NBL season until at least mid-January 2021.

Hungry Jack’s NBL Owner and Executive Chairman Larry Kestelman said: “The main reason for pushing the start of the season back to the new year is to give the clubs the best opportunity to play in front of as many fans as possible.

“We will remain flexible about the exact start date and this will depend on a number of factors including travel and border restrictions, community transmission numbers and availability at venues across Australia and New Zealand.”

Sydney Kings Owner and Chairman Paul Smith said: “Since March of this year, the Sydney Kings have placed player and personnel welfare at the forefront of our decision making – we have received nothing but support from our members, corporates and fans and are thankful for those that have stood behind us.

“In what is a difficult time for our players, fans and the larger community, we stand committed to the upcoming season. To continue to remain financially viable, fan attendance at our games is essential as it is a key component of our commercial framework and we are unrelenting in our desire to play in front of a strong Sydney crowd.”

Sydney Kings Chief Executive Officer Chris Pongrass added: “This delay to the start of our season provides an even greater opportunity to play in front of our fans, the lifeblood of this organisation.

“The Kings have experienced unprecedented growth over the past two seasons, and this is a testament to the support of our loyal fan base; we hope to continue this trajectory into the 2020-21 season and beyond.”

The Kings will be ready when the time comes

We understand that some of our fans may be disappointed by today’s announcement given the eagerness for the season to start, however we are working diligently behind the scenes to ensure there will be more opportunities over the coming months for you to see the team in person. We expect these opportunities to be limited to members and corporates only so we encourage anyone who may not yet have renewed or purchased a membership to do so here.

With only one roster spot remaining to fill, the Kings are in a strong position heading into the 2020-21 season and are confident this team will be competing for a Championship once again.

“Consistency in our playing group is something we strived for this off-season, and with eight players returning from last season, it is evidence of the culture we are building here in Sydney. We strongly believe this is the blueprint to success for this program.” Pongrass shared.

Health and safety of fans is our priority, social distancing protocols will be followed

We want to take this opportunity to reassure all members that our first priority in returning to play is the safety of our players, members, corporates, fans and staff. We are continuing to work with Qudos Bank Arena to ensure that the venue will be as safe as possible and will meet all the NSW Health guidelines.

Given the government-imposed restrictions currently in place, we anticipate that Qudos Bank Arena will be subject to limitations on seating capacity to meet social distancing regulations. These limitations may change leading into or throughout the season as restrictions are eased.  

Stay connected with us

The delayed start to the season provides our staff with more time to work on reduced capacity crowd models and an opportunity to adapt seat models to minimise the impact on seating configurations. Subject to crowd restrictions we could face a situation where some games may not be open to the general public and may be limited to our partners and members only – another reason to renew or purchase your membership, as this may be your only way to secure a seat. You can do so here.

Over the next few weeks, the NBL taskforce, League Office and the Clubs will continue planning and preparations and we will share updates with you as it comes to hand.

Stay strong Kings fans, basketball will be back in Sydney soon.