Queenstown to join NBL in 2024

Queenstown will officially be the second expansion team to join the National Basketball League in 2024, joining the Bay of Plenty Stingrays.

Basketball New Zealand this morning said the expansion process for 2024 had been thorough, with four teams shortlisted and two eventually granted entry into the league.

NBL general manager Huw Beynon is thrilled to welcome another team to the league and complimented the Queenstown ownership group for being fantastic to work with during the process.

“Queenstown submitted an excellent application and have been great to work with throughout. The city has long been on our radar, so we’re obviously thrilled to have them enter the league in 2024,” said Beynon.

“The talent base in the South Island is rapidly growing and another team in the region will only enhance that. We’re not only excited about the on-court product, but what the team will do for the community too.”

Queenstown Mayor Jim Boult says having a team in the NBL was an incredible opportunity.

“This is an incredible opportunity for the Queenstown Lakes community, and we are currently looking into what might be required for the Queenstown Events Centre to meet the standard required to have our own team in the 2024 NBL,” said Boult.

“Given the growth of our population, our ability to be incredible hosts and growth in the popularity of basketball here, we see this as an exciting opportunity for our athletic community and for the national league to mutually benefit from a great partnership.”

The Queenstown ownership group is a consortium; further details will be released at a later date, along with the team's name and logo.