Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has congratulated the NBL on its First Nations management because the league launched its annual Indigenous Round on Tuesday.
Accompanied by league executives and Brisbane star Aron Baynes, the prime minister praised the league’s Indigenous participant rule, which supplies groups wage cap reduction for Indigenous athletes on their books.
Mr Albanese mentioned the league was blazing a path different competitions may quickly observe.
“Indigenous Round celebrates the enormous contribution Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make to basketball in Australia and the sporting life of our nation,” he advised reporters.
“It’s great they’re backing up this round with the Indigenous player rule, the first of any code to have such serious incentives.
“I congratulate the NBL on its management in encouraging golf equipment to recruit extra First Nations expertise.”
Running rounds 10 through 12, the period will celebrate First Nations culture within the sport including through specially designed Indigenous jerseys.
It’s the second year the league has run the round.
“It’s nothing however constructive, it is an essential place for us to take,” NBL owner Larry Kestelman told AAP.
“We love doing it and we’re very pleased with the contributions First Nations folks have made to our league.
“We’ve got some amazing players and coaches and their history is great.”
Boomers star Baynes was additionally proud to launch the initiative, saying it took him again to rising up within the small Queensland city of Mareeba.
“It’s something that’s close to home, growing up in far-north Queensland, running around on a basketball court for the first time with a lot of Indigenous players,” the Bullets centre advised AAP.
“That’s what I see basketball as, it’s so accessible … it’s a great pathway to bring people together and stay focused on something.”
