History of Melbourne United in Timeline

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Melbourne United

Melbourne United is a professional basketball team based in Melbourne, Australia. They compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at John Cain Arena. The team is a prominent fixture in the Australian basketball scene.

1931: Birth of the VBA

In 1931, the Victorian Basketball Association (VBA) was established, marking the origin of the Melbourne Tigers.

1975: Melbourne Tigers Name Established

In 1975, the Melbourne Tigers name was established.

1981: SEABL Debut

In 1981, the Melbourne Tigers debuted in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL).

1983: SEABL Championship

In 1983, the Melbourne Tigers won the SEABL championship.

1983: NBL split into Eastern and Western divisions

In 1983, the NBL was split into Eastern and Western divisions during the regular season.

1984: Melbourne Tigers NBL Debut

In 1984, the Melbourne Tigers debuted in the NBL, led by coach Lindsay Gaze and his son Andrew.

1984: Melbourne Tigers played at Albert Park Basketball Stadium

In 1984, the Melbourne Tigers played at the 2,000 seat Albert Park Basketball Stadium.

1984: NBL split into Eastern and Western divisions

In 1984, the NBL was split into Eastern and Western divisions during the regular season.

1984: NBL Debut

In the 1984 season, the Melbourne Tigers debuted in the NBL.

1986: Brisbane Entertainment Centre was Largest Venue

In 1986, the Brisbane Entertainment Centre had been the largest venue since then.

1987: Andrew Gaze's Scoring Record

During the 1987 season, Andrew Gaze set a still-standing NBL record with 44.1 points per game, including a 60-point game against the Newcastle Falcons.

1987: Melbourne Tigers played at Albert Park Basketball Stadium

In 1987, the Melbourne Tigers played at the 2,000 seat Albert Park Basketball Stadium.

1988: Melbourne Tigers moved to Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre

In 1988, the Melbourne Tigers moved into the 7,200-capacity Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, also known as The Glass House.

1989: First Finals Appearance

In 1989, the addition of imports David Colbert and Dave Simmons led the Melbourne Tigers to their first-ever finals appearance.

1991: Melbourne Tigers played in The Glass House

In 1991, the Melbourne Tigers played in The Glass House, which they shared with the North Melbourne Giants.

1992: Melbourne Tigers moved to the National Tennis Centre

In 1992, the Melbourne Tigers and the South East Melbourne Magic both moved into the 14,820-seat National Tennis Centre.

1992: Maiden NBL Grand Final Series

In 1992, the addition of Lanard Copeland led to the Melbourne Tigers reaching their maiden NBL Grand Final series, where they were defeated 2–1 by the South East Melbourne Magic.

1993: Last Time Grand Final MVP Awarded to Player from Losing Team

In 1993, it was the last time before 2024 that the NBL Grand Final MVP was awarded to a player from the losing team.

1993: Melbourne Tigers won NBL Championship

In 1993, the Melbourne Tigers won the NBL championship while playing at the National Tennis Centre.

1993: First NBL Championship

In 1993, with the addition of Mark Bradtke, the Melbourne Tigers, led by Gaze, Copeland, Simmons, and Bradtke, won their first NBL Championship against the Perth Wildcats.

July 1994: Melbourne Tigers set All-Time Home Game Attendance Record

On 11 July 1994, Melbourne's all-time home game attendance record was set when 15,129 attended a Round 14 game between the Tigers and South East Melbourne at the Tennis Centre.

1996: Melbourne Tigers set NBL Attendance Record

In 1996, the Melbourne Tigers and Magic set a then NBL record attendance of 15,366 for a regular season game at the Tennis Centre, while the Grand Final series between the two Melbourne rivals set an NBL record aggregate attendance of 43,605 over the 3-game series.

1996: NBL Grand Final Loss

In 1996, the Melbourne Tigers returned to the NBL Grand Final but were defeated 2–1 by the South East Melbourne Magic.

1997: Second NBL Championship

In 1997, behind Gaze, Copeland, Bradtke, and Timmons, the Melbourne Tigers reached their fourth NBL Grand Final series, claiming a 2–1 victory against the Magic to win their second NBL Championship.

1997: Melbourne Tigers won NBL Championship

In 1997, the Melbourne Tigers won the NBL championship while playing at the National Tennis Centre.

2000: Melbourne Tigers moved to Vodafone Arena

In 2000, citing the rising costs of playing games at the Tennis Centre, the Melbourne Tigers moved to the newly built, 10,500 capacity Vodafone Arena (now John Cain Arena).

2002: Private Ownership

In 2002, the Melbourne Tigers franchise entered into private ownership to restore financial stability after accumulating a $2 million debt.

2002: Melbourne Tigers moved to State Netball and Hockey Centre

In 2002, the Melbourne Tigers moved from Vodafone Arena to the smaller (3,500 seat) State Netball and Hockey Centre.

2005: End of the Gaze Era

In 2005, coach Lindsay Gaze and his son Andrew retired from the Melbourne Tigers. Mark Bradtke and Lanard Copeland also parted ways with the team.

2006: NBL Championship

In 2006, the Melbourne Tigers, behind the likes of Chris Anstey and Darryl McDonald, won the NBL championship, sweeping the Sydney Kings 3-0.

2006: NBL Grand Final Victory

In 2006, the Melbourne Tigers, coached by Al Westover, reached the NBL Grand Final series and swept the Sydney Kings 3–0.

2007: NBL Grand Final Loss

In the 2007 season, the Melbourne Tigers returned to the NBL Grand Final, where they were defeated 3–1 by the Brisbane Bullets.

2008: NBL Championship Win

In 2008, the Melbourne Tigers acquired Sam Mackinnon and Ebi Ere. The Tigers won Game 5 of the NBL Grand Final series with Anstey and Thomas each scoring 21 points.

2008: Financial Losses

In 2008, the Melbourne Tigers experienced financial losses for the first time in five years.

January 2009: Acquisition of Thomas and Kendall

In January 2009, following an injury to Sam Mackinnon and the mid-season departure of Rod Grizzard, Dave Thomas and Luke Kendall were acquired by the Melbourne Tigers.

May 2009: Decision to Sit Out

In May 2009, the Melbourne Tigers briefly decided to sit out the 2009–10 season due to financial losses, but ultimately continued in the competition.

2009: Roster Changes

In 2009, Sam Mackinnon continued with the Melbourne Tigers. The team acquired Mark Worthington and initially decided to go with an 'all-Australian' roster, but later added Julius Hodge and Mike Rose to the squad.

2009: NBL Grand Final Appearance

In 2009, the Melbourne Tigers appeared in the NBL Grand Final for the fourth consecutive year but were defeated by the South Dragons.

2010: Roster Dismantling and Coaching Change

In 2010, the Melbourne Tigers roster was dismantled, with several players departing and retiring. Darryl McDonald became the coach after Al Westover was sacked.

2011: Acquisition of New Players and Coach

In 2011, the Melbourne Tigers acquired coach Trevor Gleeson and recruited several new players, including Patty Mills during the NBA lockout.

January 2012: Sacking of Ayinde Ubaka

In January 2012, Melbourne Tigers owner Seamus McPeake sacked Ayinde Ubaka after a loss to the Gold Coast Blaze.

2012: Roster Changes and Coaching Appointment

In 2012, the Melbourne Tigers acquired several new players, and Chris Anstey became the head coach.

2012: Melbourne United split games between John Cain Arena and Netball Centre

Since 2012, the club has split its games between John Cain Arena and the Netball Centre.

2013: Return of Mark Worthington

In 2013, Mark Worthington returned to the Melbourne Tigers. They reach the finals.

May 2014: Rebranding to Melbourne United

On May 20, 2014, the Melbourne Tigers franchise was rebranded as Melbourne United to connect with all of Victorian basketball.

2014: Chris Goulding Season in Spain

Chris Goulding spent the 2014-15 season in Spain.

2014: Roster Changes and Coaching Resignation

In 2014, Daryl Corletto and David Barlow returned to the franchise. Following a loss in the season opener, coach Chris Anstey resigned and was replaced by Darryl McDonald.

2014: Franchise Rebrand

In 2014, after 31 seasons as the Melbourne Tigers, the franchise underwent a controversial rebrand, changing the team's name to Melbourne United.

2015: Coaching Hire and Roster Additions

In 2015, Dean Demopoulos was hired as coach, and Todd Blanchfield was acquired. Chris Goulding returned after playing in Spain in 2014-15.

2015: Melbourne United played games at Margaret Court Arena

In 2015, Melbourne United also played games at the newly renovated Margaret Court Arena.

December 2016: Melbourne United set Record Home Attendance

On 4 December 2016, Melbourne United's record home attendance of 10,300 was set against the New Zealand Breakers at Melbourne Arena during Round 9 of the 2016-17 NBL season.

2016: Aggregate Attendance Record Still Stands

As of the 2016-17 NBL season, the 1996 Grand Final series between the Tigers and Magic still holds the NBL record aggregate attendance of 43,605 over the 3-game series.

2016: Roster Changes and Import Replacements

In 2016, Melbourne United added Tai Wesley and David Andersen to the roster. They replaced their initial imports mid-season with Casper Ware, Josh Boone, and Lasan Kromah.

2016: Melbourne United to play games at John Cain Arena and Netball Centre

In 2016, Melbourne United will play most of its games at John Cain Arena with a select number of games played at the Netball Centre during January due to the Australian Open tennis.

2017: Coaching Change and Roster Additions

In the 2017 off-season, Dean Vickerman was hired as head coach. Casey Prather was also acquired. An Achilles injury to Daniel Dillon forced the team to sign Peter Hooley.

2018: NBL Championship Win

In 2018, Melbourne United won the NBL Championship, defeating the Adelaide 36ers in the Grand Final series. Chris Goulding was named Grand Final MVP.

2018: NBL Grand Final Loss

In the 2018–19 NBL season, Melbourne United returned to the NBL Grand Final series, where they lost 3–1 to the Perth Wildcats.

2018: Melbourne United moved to Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre

Since 2018, Melbourne United have trained and had their head offices located at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre in Albert Park.

2021: NBL Championship

In 2021, Melbourne United won another NBL championship.

2024: End of Season

As of the end of the 2024–25 season.

2024: NBL Grand Final Loss and MVP Award

In 2024, Melbourne United lost the NBL Grand Final series 3-2 to the Illawarra Hawks. Despite the loss, Matthew Dellavedova was awarded the Larry Sengstock Medal as the NBL Grand Final MVP.