Australian NBL governance dispute

In early August 2026, a coalition of three NBL franchise owners – South East Melbourne Phoenix, Perth Wildcats and Illawarra Hawks – formed an independent owners' association and pressed Basketball Australia to release a confidential governance review prepared by former solicitor‑general Justin Gleeson. The report had cleared league owner Larry Kestelman of wrongdoing, but Basketball Australia refused public disclosure, citing confidentiality.

Two days later the conflict had deepened. The three clubs had taken legal action against Kestelman and publicly questioned the league’s governance and financial arrangements. They renamed their group the Professional Basketball Club Owners Association and continued to demand the report’s release. Meanwhile, the remaining seven NBL franchises, including the Sydney Kings, Melbourne United and the New Zealand Breakers, issued a joint statement supporting Kestelman and rejecting the owners' association as unrepresentative. Mediation over related issues such as travel costs remained unresolved, highlighting a clear split within the league.