The Australian National Basketball League "is ready to give Wellington its shot," with a spot in an expanded league by '15-16 now a strong likelihood for the capital, according to Marc Hinton of FAIRFAX NZ NEWS. The ANBL believes that "a Wellington-based regional entity should be part of its first wave of expansion," which it has penciled in as at least four new teams by the '15-16 season. ANBL CEO Fraser Neill and expansion strategist Graeme Watson hit Wellington for two days of meetings that they hope "will kick-start a process that will end with a second New Zealand team in the league." Although the team "would be based in Wellington, the vision is for it to be a regional entity and playing games throughout the lower North Island, and possibly on the other side of Cook Strait." There are suggestions that "the venture could also include Nelson, with the South Island city having the facilities and participation numbers to be part of the expansion side." The league "has an ambitious plan to double in size from its current eight teams to 16 within five years" (FAIRFAX NZ NEWS, 2/18).
