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West Sydney Razorbacks
The West Sydney Razorbacks (known in its final season as the Sydney Spirit) were an Australian professional basketball team that competed in the National Basketball League (NBL). The club was based in Sydney, New South Wales.
They were the second team to represent Sydney's west in the NBL, several years after the Fosters (West Sydney) Westars were largely absorbed in a merger with the Sydney Supersonics to form the Sydney Kings. After the demise of the Sydney Kings in 2008, the Razorbacks rebranded themselves as Sydney Spirit to appeal to the greater Sydney community, as they were the sole remaining Sydney-based NBL team prior to the rebirth of the Kings in 2010. The experiment failed and the Spirit folded in 2009.
The Razorbacks were formed in 1992 as the West Sydney Slammers in the Continental Basketball Association, and were granted a National Basketball League licence in 1997. The licence was held by the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Rugby League Club which participated in the National Rugby League (NRL). Canterbury-Bankstown had plans to develop land in the south-west Sydney suburb of Liverpool to create a multi purpose venue, called "The Oasis" which included a licensed club, Rugby League stadium as well as Basketball stadium to house the Razorbacks. Initially though, the club would play home games out of the EG Whitlam Centre in Liverpool.
The club was headed up by basketball Olympian Robbie Cadee as General Manager, who launched the franchise in 1998–99. The club had recruited strongly for their inaugural season led by former league MVP Derek Rucker, veteran Bruce Bolden and young stars Simon Dwight and John Rillie. They were also coach by former Olympian Gordie McLeod. The Razorbacks, played their first game in the NBL on 10 October 1998 defeating the Sydney Kings 103–97. The team also become the first club to win the "Doomsday Double" against the Adelaide 36ers and Perth Wildcats on consecutive nights, however, beyond that initial success, they struggled away from home and ultimately failed the reach the play-offs.
They qualified for the NBL play-offs in their second season - 1999–2000, losing to eventual champions, the Perth Wildcats 2–1 in the first round. During Round 11 of the 1999–00 season, the Razorbacks defeated the Kings 88–81 in an away game at the Sydney SuperDome. This game attracted the still standing (as of 2016–17) NBL attendance record of 17,803.[citation needed] Following their first two seasons in Liverpool the club moved their home games to the 5,006 seat State Sports Centre in Homebush Bay for the 2000–01 season. They failed to build on the success of their previous seasons and finished outside of the play-offs.
General Manager Cadee responded by recruiting Sam Mackinnon from the Townsville Crocodiles and Scott McGregor from rivals Sydney Kings. Despite MacKinnon not playing a single game as result of a knee injury sustained whilst playing for Townsville, the Razorbacks made history in season 2001–02 becoming the first Sydney team in the NBL's 24-year history to contest the Grand Final series. The Adelaide 36ers went on to win the championship with a 2–1 result in the best-of-three series.
For the 2002–03 season the Razorbacks added Willie Farley from Adelaide who replaced foundation player John Rillie, who had taken up an offer to play for AEK Athens in Greece. They also added another former Sydney Kings player Aaron Trahair to their line-up. Rillie would return to the club later in the season.
Late in 2002 it was revealed that "The Oasis" development was riddled with misappropriation of funds and the planned development would not proceed The Razorbacks owners, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Rugby League Club had also been found guilty of serious and systematic breaches of the NRL salary cap regulations and were fined the maximum of $500,000 and deducted all 37 premiership points received during the season.
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West Sydney Razorbacks
The West Sydney Razorbacks (known in its final season as the Sydney Spirit) were an Australian professional basketball team that competed in the National Basketball League (NBL). The club was based in Sydney, New South Wales.
They were the second team to represent Sydney's west in the NBL, several years after the Fosters (West Sydney) Westars were largely absorbed in a merger with the Sydney Supersonics to form the Sydney Kings. After the demise of the Sydney Kings in 2008, the Razorbacks rebranded themselves as Sydney Spirit to appeal to the greater Sydney community, as they were the sole remaining Sydney-based NBL team prior to the rebirth of the Kings in 2010. The experiment failed and the Spirit folded in 2009.
The Razorbacks were formed in 1992 as the West Sydney Slammers in the Continental Basketball Association, and were granted a National Basketball League licence in 1997. The licence was held by the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Rugby League Club which participated in the National Rugby League (NRL). Canterbury-Bankstown had plans to develop land in the south-west Sydney suburb of Liverpool to create a multi purpose venue, called "The Oasis" which included a licensed club, Rugby League stadium as well as Basketball stadium to house the Razorbacks. Initially though, the club would play home games out of the EG Whitlam Centre in Liverpool.
The club was headed up by basketball Olympian Robbie Cadee as General Manager, who launched the franchise in 1998–99. The club had recruited strongly for their inaugural season led by former league MVP Derek Rucker, veteran Bruce Bolden and young stars Simon Dwight and John Rillie. They were also coach by former Olympian Gordie McLeod. The Razorbacks, played their first game in the NBL on 10 October 1998 defeating the Sydney Kings 103–97. The team also become the first club to win the "Doomsday Double" against the Adelaide 36ers and Perth Wildcats on consecutive nights, however, beyond that initial success, they struggled away from home and ultimately failed the reach the play-offs.
They qualified for the NBL play-offs in their second season - 1999–2000, losing to eventual champions, the Perth Wildcats 2–1 in the first round. During Round 11 of the 1999–00 season, the Razorbacks defeated the Kings 88–81 in an away game at the Sydney SuperDome. This game attracted the still standing (as of 2016–17) NBL attendance record of 17,803.[citation needed] Following their first two seasons in Liverpool the club moved their home games to the 5,006 seat State Sports Centre in Homebush Bay for the 2000–01 season. They failed to build on the success of their previous seasons and finished outside of the play-offs.
General Manager Cadee responded by recruiting Sam Mackinnon from the Townsville Crocodiles and Scott McGregor from rivals Sydney Kings. Despite MacKinnon not playing a single game as result of a knee injury sustained whilst playing for Townsville, the Razorbacks made history in season 2001–02 becoming the first Sydney team in the NBL's 24-year history to contest the Grand Final series. The Adelaide 36ers went on to win the championship with a 2–1 result in the best-of-three series.
For the 2002–03 season the Razorbacks added Willie Farley from Adelaide who replaced foundation player John Rillie, who had taken up an offer to play for AEK Athens in Greece. They also added another former Sydney Kings player Aaron Trahair to their line-up. Rillie would return to the club later in the season.
Late in 2002 it was revealed that "The Oasis" development was riddled with misappropriation of funds and the planned development would not proceed The Razorbacks owners, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Rugby League Club had also been found guilty of serious and systematic breaches of the NRL salary cap regulations and were fined the maximum of $500,000 and deducted all 37 premiership points received during the season.