Basketball ACT hopes to lure NBL club the Illawarra Hawks to Canberra as early as next season as the sport starts rebuilding a professional pathway in the capital.
It can be revealed Basketball ACT boss Michael Haynes has been speaking to the Hawks and NBL officials about forging a partnership more than a decade after the Canberra Cannons went bust.
Basketball ACT opened its million-dollar three-on-three courts on Friday and there are plans to build an extra three indoor courts at its Belconnen headquarters to cope with a popularity boom.
Officials have already started talks with New Zealand and Singapore about hosting an international three-on-three tournament and Basketball Australia is using the courts as a "blueprint" for the rest of the country.
But the prospect of reconnecting with the NBL looms as a massive step for basketball in Canberra, and the Hawks are considering playing pre-season games in the capital to start a relationship.
"There's absolutely talk about NBL games. We're in discussions with the Hawks and they're very interested, even if it's pre-season games to start with," Haynes said.
"The Hawks want to extend their reach so we're talking with both the NBL and the [Canberra] Capitals about community engagement.
"We'd love to have the NBL come and do something similar to what the GWS Giants do in Canberra with the AFL.
"I don't think the Cannons are coming back in the near future. But NBL, I'm pretty sure it will be back in the capital soon."
Basketball ACT secured government funding to build its new outdoor facility adjacent to its Belconnen Stadium.
There are some initial plans to honour Canberra basketball legends, including Patrick Mills and Lauren Jackson, at the venue and details are expected to be finalised in the coming months.
The three-on-three courts could take on extra significance if the International Olympic Committee adds three-on-three basketball to its Olympic program.
It was hoped the sport would get the green light at a meeting in Switzerland late on Friday night, and Basketball Australia is planning to capitalise on the Canberra venue.
The courts, the first of their kind in Australia, were built to international basketball standard and Basketball Australia boss Anthony Moore hoped it would set a standard for other cities to follow.
"This is massive for Basketball Australia. This is the blueprint," Moore said.
"I'm just blown away looking at it ... we want to show this to other state associations and say, 'this is how you do it'.
"We're working to develop a national framework for a national three-on-three tournament ... having a venue like this means we've got a fantastic home to stage a major tournament. This could be the home for three on three."
The three-on-three courts will also host a wheelchair basketball competition.
"The courts will help us reach out to people who don't want to play in a 20-week season. It's a fantastic opportunity for us," Haynes said.
