Kings to face Bullets and Phoenix at Canberra's Blitz

The National Basketball League (NBL) announced on Friday that its pre-season tournament, the Blitz, will be held in Canberra in 2025.

Fans will converge on AIS Arena from August 27 for five days of non-stop action where all 10 NBL teams make their final preparations ahead of the season.

During the competitions, the Sydney Kings will take on Brisbane on August 28 (5.30pm AEST) and South East Melbourne on August 31 (3.30pm AEST) - both at the AIS Arena.

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"Bringing the Blitz to Canberra is the highlight of our pre-season calendar,"  said NBL chief operations officer and head of basketball operations, Vince Crivelli.

“We are incredibly grateful for the strong support from the ACT Government, our clubs, and AIS Arena for making this event possible.”

“Canberra basketball has an amazing history with the NBL, and most significantly as the Cannons winning three championships in 1983, 1984 and 1988, so we are delighted to be back hosting elite NBL competition here.

“Canberra's passionate basketball fans, and those from around the country, are encouraged to make the trip for this great event as we look to showcase professional basketball with everything the ACT has to offer.”

Echoing his thoughts was NBL Group CEO David Stevenson, who is excited to bring 10 high-quality games to the nation’s capital.

"Bringing the NBL Blitz back to Canberra is fantastic,” Stevenson said.

“We are grateful for the strong support from the ACT government, our NBL clubs, Basketball ACT and AIS Arena for making this event possible.

“This event isn't just about elite basketball; it's also a wonderful opportunity for community engagement and to foster the NBL stars of the future, and we encourage everyone to get involved.

“We can't wait to deliver five days of exhilarating basketball for our passionate fans, who are truly the heartbeat of our league and whose enthusiasm always makes the Blitz a highlight of our pre-season."

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Tickets are on sale Friday from Ticketek at 9.30am, and cost as little as $5 for kids, $20 for adults, and $40 for families. 

The jam-packed schedule of double-headers includes: 

Wednesday, August 27

• Perth Wildcats vs Melbourne United 
• Adelaide 36ers vs Illawarra Hawks 

Thursday, August 28

• Brisbane Bullets vs Sydney Kings 
• Cairns Taipans vs Tasmania JackJumpers 

Friday, August 29

• South East Melbourne Phoenix vs New Zealand Breakers 
• Illawarra Hawks vs Perth Wildcats 

Saturday, August 30

• Melbourne United vs Brisbane Bullets 
• Tasmania JackJumpers vs Adelaide 36ers 

Sunday, August 31

• Sydney Kings vs South East Melbourne Phoenix 
• New Zealand Breakers vs Cairns Taipans 

Kings fans can buy their Blitz tickets here.