Longley, Bogut and Goorjian discuss future of basketball at first-ever Kings Panel

Sporting legends Luc Longley, Andrew Bogut and Brian Goorjian on Wednesday, November 13 shared their collective vision for the future of basketball in Australia at Hoops Capital East, emphasising the importance of infrastructure, investment and diversity and inclusion in securing the future of the game.  

This emphasis is in response to survey results from the Australian Sports Commission that identified that basketball is the most popular team sport alongside soccer for 15–24-year-olds, with basketball being the fastest-growing participation sport in the country. 

Australia’s first export to the NBA and now part of the Hoops Capital ownership team Luc Longley said, “It’s amazing to see how basketball has evolved over the past few decades and is truly moving from strength to strength.” 

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“Particularly here in Sydney, embracing our cultural diversity is a real strong point for us.  

“Championing our backgrounds and for our players across the Sydney Kings and Flames to turn up as their complete selves allows them to play to the best of their ability on the court and really unites the team off the court.  

“It’s inspiring to see more and more kids take up basketball to run around with friends and pursue it into their adult life to stay fit and healthy,” Longley said.   

With the rapid rise in participation, Andrew Bogut highlighted government and private opportunities to invest in and support Australian basketball as a global leader.  

“It’s been great to see the government get behind sport in Australia, following the success of the Matildas at the World Cup and more recently the Opals, by providing extra funding that can further drive participation and pathways. 

“Not only that but the impact that small to medium businesses can make by partnering with sports teams whether at a local or national level is invaluable and we’re starting to see the benefits of that,” Bogut said.   

The growth of basketball has reached record numbers with now more than one million players across Australia; however, infrastructure has not mirrored this growth.  

Code Sports estimates that more than 900 new courts are required to meet current demand.  

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Executive Director at Hoops Capital Matthew Denholm commented on the link between courts, infrastructure and participation. 

 “We’re really proud to support the next generation of athletes right here in Sydney,” Denholm said. 

“We are focused on ensuring those pathways are accessible and that we can continue to lift the game of basketball in Australia and that means ensuring that there are adequate spaces for clubs to practice and play. 

“Infrastructure and access to courts is a real challenge across Sydney, we don’t want kids and their families missing out because of waitlists.  

“We hope to work with councils and the state government to respond to the growing demand for courts and basketball across our community."