THE National Basketball League of Australia is delaying its season opener to prioritize its fans, but Kai Sotto’s highly anticipated debut for Adelaide is pushing through.
The league released its schedule for the new season, with the 36ers set to tangle with new team Tasmania JackJumpers on opening day on Dec. 3 at the MyState Bank Arena in Hobart.
“While it’s only a few weeks later than we originally planned, the new start date gives us a greater level of comfort and flexibility as we navigate through the current environment and prioritize having our growing number of fans courtside around the country and in New Zealand,” NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger said on the league’s website.
“The NBL is a fan-first product and playing in front of crowds is vital for the league and our clubs. Giving supporters an even better chance of seeing their teams compete at home was a key driver in moving things back slightly and in how we’ve structured the schedule,” he added.
The NBL’s new season was initially set to kick off on Nov. 18 but was reset due to travel issues and vaccination woes in Australia.
The 7-foot-3 Sotto was signed by Adelaide last April after a botched try to play for Ignite in the NBA G League.
Loeliger said the league carefully planned its actions.
“There are a lot of factors to consider, and we’ve tried to plan for them all, so as some or all of those various events unfold and begin to materialize, we will enter a different phase of the schedule and certain things change as a result and as we deem necessary,” Loeliger said.
“We are confident that as the country opens back up, our schedule will open up with it and we will get back to running the competition like we used to with all teams playing and travelling from their home bases.”
Adelaide came off a seventh-place finish with a 13-23 card last year behind star Josh Giddey, who was chosen sixth overall by Oklahoma City in the NBA draft last July.
The son of former pro Ervin, Sotto graduated from high school at Miami School in Hamilton, Ohio last April.
