| founded = 1989
| founded = 1989
| inaugural = 1989
| inaugural = 1989
| general_manager = Brighton Pass<ref>{{cite web |title=Contact {{!}} West |url=https://nbl1.com.au/contact/west |website=www.nbl1.com.au |access-date=5 February 2025 |language=en}}</ref>
| general_manager = Brighton Pass<ref>{{cite web |title=Contact {{!}} West |url=https://nbl1.com.au/contact/west |website=nbl1.com.au |access-date=5 February 2025 |language=en}}</ref>
| teams=””‘W:”’ [[#Current teams|13]]<br>”’M:”’ [[#Current teams|14]]
| teams=””‘W:”’ [[#Current teams|13]]<br>”’M:”’ [[#Current teams|14]]
| country = [[Australia]]
| country = [[Australia]]
Australian semi-professional basketball league
NBL1 West, formerly the State Basketball League (SBL), is a semi-professional basketball league in Western Australia, comprising both a men’s and women’s competition. In 2020, Basketball Western Australia partnered with the National Basketball League (NBL) to bring NBL1 to Western Australia. NBL1 replaced the former SBL to create more professional pathways and opportunities for males and females playing basketball in Western Australia. As a result, the SBL became the west conference of NBL1.
The State Basketball League originated in 1972 as the District Competition.[2] The District Competition was introduced by the Western Australian Basketball Federation (WABF) as an ‘elite’ competition held on Friday nights, featuring eight Perth-based associations from the prominent districts of Perth, Swan Districts, Tangney/Willetton, Subiaco, East Perth, Cockburn, Stirling, and Claremont.[3]
In 1987, plans were put in place to expand the competition and include several country teams. In 1988, it was decided to form a State Basketball League for both men and women, and in 1989 the SBL made its debut season with three new franchises established in country areas: Rainbow Coast Raiders from Albany, Batavia Buccaneers from Geraldton, and Souwest Slammers from Bunbury.[2] Kanyana Kings from Mandurah and Goldfields Giants from Kalgoorlie joined in 1990.[4]
In 2017, the SBL shifted to the 40-minute game format in-line with FIBA, with games consisting of ten minute quarters as opposed to the twelve minute quarters under the previous 48-minute format.[5]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 SBL season was cancelled and later replaced by the amateur-based West Coast Classic.[6][7]
In October 2020, Basketball Western Australia and the National Basketball League (NBL) announced a new partnership to bring NBL1 to Western Australia in 2021, with NBL1 replacing the SBL. The SBL was officially renamed NBL1 West and became the west conference of NBL1.[8][9]
In 2024, an NBL1 West record grand final crowd – also a national record – of 6,460 attended RAC Arena. The men’s grand final set a national viewership record of 333,865 minutes watched. In 2025, the NBL1 West led all NBL1 conferences in streaming numbers.[10]
| Team | Location | Arena | Debut season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cockburn Cougars | Hamilton Hill, City of Cockburn | Wally Hagan Stadium | 1989 |
| East Perth Eagles | Morley, City of Bayswater | Morley Sport and Recreation Centre | 1989 |
| Goldfields Giants | Kalgoorlie | Goldfields Basketball Stadium | 2022 |
| Joondalup Wolves | Joondalup, City of Joondalup | Arena Joondalup | 1989 |
| Kalamunda Eastern Suns | Lesmurdie, City of Kalamunda | Ray Owen Sports Centre | 2008 |
| Lakeside Lightning | North Lake, City of Cockburn | Lakeside Recreation Centre | 2001 |
| Mandurah Magic | Mandurah | Mandurah Aquatic & Recreation Centre | 1996 |
| Perry Lakes Hawks | Floreat, Town of Cambridge | Bendat Basketball Centre | 1989 |
| Perth Redbacks | Belmont, City of Belmont | Belmont Oasis Leisure Centre | 1989 |
| Rockingham Flames | Rockingham, City of Rockingham | Mike Barnett Sports Complex | 1992 |
| South West Slammers | Bunbury | Eaton Recreation Centre | 1992 |
| Warwick Senators | Warwick, City of Joondalup | Warwick Stadium | 1989 |
| Willetton Tigers | Willetton, City of Canning | Willetton Basketball Stadium | 1989 |
League championships
[edit]
The Willetton Tigers have won the most championships in the women’s competition with 9 Grand Final wins, while the Perry Lakes Hawks have won the most championships in the men’s competition with 7 Grand Final wins. The Hawks women have also amassed seven titles, making Perry Lakes the most successful club in league history with a total of 14 championships.
| Women | Men | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams |  |
Year(s) won | Teams | |
Year(s) won |
| Willetton Tigers | 9 | 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2021 | Perry Lakes Hawks | 7 | 1994, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2018, 2021 |
| Perry Lakes Hawks | 7 | 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2017 | Perth Redbacks | 4 | 1989, 1990, 1997, 2017 |
| Joondalup Wolves | 4 | 1990, 1992, 1995, 2013 | South West Slammers | 4 | 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999 |
| Rockingham Flames | 4 | 2014, 2015, 2019, 2024 | Geraldton Buccaneers | 4 | 2000, 2019, 2023, 2025 |
| Swan City Mustangs† | 3 | 1991, 1993, 1996 | Lakeside Lightning | 4 | 2005, 2006, 2009, 2013 |
| Perth Redbacks | 2 | 1989, 2000 | Cockburn Cougars | 3 | 1992, 2012, 2016 |
| Warwick Senators | 2 | 1994, 2022 | Joondalup Wolves | 3 | 1993, 2011, 2015 |
| Lakeside Lightning | 2 | 2006, 2018 | Goldfields Giants | 2 | 2007, 2008 |
| Cockburn Cougars | 2 | 2023, 2025 | Swan City Mustangs† | 1 | 1991 |
| South West Slammers | 1 | 2012 | Willetton Tigers | 1 | 2010 |
| East Perth Eagles | 1 | 2014 | |||
| Rockingham Flames | 1 | 2022 | |||
| Mandurah Magic | 1 | 2024 | |||
| † indicates club is not a current member of NBL1 West | |||||
