Illawarra Hawks

Illawarra Hawks

The Illawarra Hawks are an Australian professional basketball team based in Wollongong, New South Wales. The team compete in the National Basketball League and play their home games at WIN Entertainment Centre, known colloquially as ‘The Sandpit’ The Hawks are the only remaining NBL team to have competed in every season since the league’s inception in 1979. They won their first and so far only NBL Championship in 2001 and finished as runners-up in 2005, 2010 and 2017.

About Illawarra Hawks in brief

Summary Illawarra HawksThe Hawks are an Australian professional basketball team based in Wollongong, New South Wales. The team compete in the National Basketball League and play their home games at WIN Entertainment Centre, known colloquially as ‘The Sandpit’ The Hawks are the only remaining NBL team to have competed in every season since the league’s inception in 1979. They won their first and so far only NBL Championship in 2001 and finished as runners-up in 2005, 2010 and 2017. In 201314, import Rotnei Clarke was named MVP of the league, becoming the third Hawk to win the award. On 17 June 2019, high school phenom LaMelo Ballo announced that he will sign with the Illawarra Hawks for the 2016-17 season. He helped them reach the NBL Grand Final for the first time since 2010, where they were defeated 3–0 by the Perth Wildcats. The Hawks play out of Beaton Park Stadium, commonly known as \”The Snakepit\”. In 1981, import Mike Jones was named NBL Most Valuable Player.

In 1987, the Hawks had their best season to date, finishing in third place with a 20–6 record. In 1998, the team was renamed the Wollongsong Hawks and moved into WIN Entertainment Center, known as the Sandpit, with Beaton park remaining as their office and training facility. In 200910, they made their third appearance in the grand final series, this time coming up short to the Perth Northwestern Wildcats. In February 2009, captain Mat Campbell started the \”Save the Hawks\” campaign after the ownership group declared the team would not be able to join the league in 200910 on financial grounds. In July 2014, a new era was ushered in by the Hawks after Telecommunications entrepreneur James Spenceley was successful in his bid to become the organisation’s new owner. On 22 June 2015, the organisation announced that the team will revert to its original name, the Illwarra Hawks.