It has been three years (or should we say 20 years) in the making, but the time has finally arrived to announce Champions League Basketball’s first two CLB3X3 foundation clubs, The Hobart Devils and The Townsville Suns.
These two clubs form the infancy of what will become
Australia’s Elite 3X3 league, with a total of 24 clubs joining the league over
the coming months and years Australia wide and in every state and territory
creating a true National League in every sense, something no other sport in
Australia has been able to achieve.
“Both of these teams come from cities that are no strangers to the world of
basketball and have an impressive history, but have been starved of the
opportunity to represent in a National League.
We thought it was time to bring them back to the stage and this is just the beginning, we will be announcing more teams over the next few months.
Peak Sport Australia together with Nahum Ziersch Illustration (the designer
behind the Adelaide 36ers new branding) have worked tirelessly to get the
uniforms “just right” and bring back a bit of the old school hoops, and
reinvigorate some traditional Australian Basketball names not seen or heard of
for some 10-20 years”, said Matt Hollard General Manager of CLB3X3.
Mark Nash the 6Ft 6 Power Forward & former NBL 300 gamer, 2002 Championship winner and who’s career, spanning almost 20 years at the highest level, included stints at the Adelaide 36’s, Brisbane Bullets and of course his home town club, Hobart, will head up the CLB3X3 Hobart Devils Branch.
Mark is one of the most highly respected individual ballers to have played in Australia, representing the Boomers in the 2001 East Asian & Goodwill games & the Australian U-20 team in the 1995 Junior World Champs and has since gone on to carve out his own professional career outside of basketball.
“Mark will be a key driver in the Hobart Devils brand as our CLB3X3 Regional Manager, having lived, played and coached all over Tasmania. We are very proud and honoured to have an individual of Marks calibre join our team and head up a very important piece to our brand” said CLB3X3 Founder and General Manager Matt Hollard.
Hobart Devils
Townsville Suns
“As a Tasmanian diehard and member of the original Devils, I am excited to be involved with CLB3X3 and bringing back the Hobart Devils to the basketball public in Tasmania. Our teams will feature emerging male and female Tasmanian talent and the initial buzz from Athletes so far has been contagious” said Mark Nash.
With the WNBL Cluster round just around the corner featuring an official CLB3X3 Tournament which will showcase male and female CLB3X3 Elite, SEABL & Big V teams and some of the Australian players that have represented at the recent FIBA3X3 Asia Cup, this is perfect timing to officially announce the Townsville Suns and Hobart Devils.
These two foundation clubs, which are stacked with talent are looking forward to participating in the upcoming tournament with the Townsville Suns suiting up the likes of Tim Keating (QBL & Townsville Suns Regional Manager), Luke Schenscher, former 2010 NBL Championship winner who also had stints with the Portland Trailblazers and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA, Peter Crawford or PC as we all know him, a veteran of our National league and a 3 point shooting master as well as current SABL player Robert Linton.
The Hobart Devils will unleash their brand new teams in both the Women and Mens categories with local players Ellie Collins and Sharna Thompson spearheading the women’s team, while the men’s team will be led by experienced SEABL player BJ Radcliffe and emerging talents in Matthew Young and Elijah Pawson.
With all Elite games on the Show Court Sat 25th November and our Masters round on the Sunday owe are also going to ensure that the entire Elite competition is being live streamed via CLB3X3’s digital partner Live Sport Australia. Another great opportunity for the fans both locally and globally to get their eyes on what is happening here in Australia and the world of 3X3.
