The South East Melbourne Phoenix are an Australian professional basketball team based in the southâÂÂeastern Melbourne suburb of Wantirna South, Victoria. The Phoenix entered the National Basketball League (NBL) in the 2019âÂÂ20 season. The team play the majority of their home games at John Cain Arena, which they share with fellow NBL team Melbourne United, with some games being played at the State Basketball Centre.
With plans to expand the National Basketball League (NBL) beginning with the 2019âÂÂ20 season, the league sold a franchise licence to Swansea City co-owner Romie Chaudhari in July 2018. It was later announced that the league's ninth franchise would be based in south-eastern Melbourne. On 17 November 2018, the team's name was announced as South East Melbourne Phoenix. The team logo and colours were also revealed. Former NBL player Tommy Greer was the inaugural general manager, Simon Mitchell was the inaugural head coach, and forward Mitch Creek was the first marquee player signing.
The Phoenix debuted in the 2019âÂÂ20 NBL season, with their first game being on 3 October 2019 against cross-town rivals Melbourne United at Melbourne Arena. The Phoenix won 91âÂÂ88. They started the season with a 3âÂÂ0 record before reaching 6âÂÂ6 after twelve games and then winning three of their final 16 games. They finished the season in eighth position with a 9âÂÂ19 record. The Phoenix averaged the highest crowd figures ever for a first-year start-up club in Australian Basketball, with a total of 75,179 fans attending their fourteen home games at an average of 5,369 fans per game. Creek and American guard John Roberson were the standout players.
In the 2020âÂÂ21 NBL season, the Phoenix qualified for their maiden finals berth after finishing in fourth position with a 19âÂÂ17 record. The team won six out of seven games between rounds 9 and 12. In the semi-finals, the Phoenix lost 2âÂÂ1 to Melbourne United. Alongside Creek, forward Yannick Wetzell and import Keifer Sykes were key players for the team.
In the 2024âÂÂ25 NBL season, the Phoenix started by going winless over their first five games, which led to the club parting ways with head coach Mike Kelly. After going 2âÂÂ1 under interim coach Sam Mackinnon, new coach Josh King took over from round seven. The Phoenix went on finish in fourth position and earn a finals spot, becoming the first team to make the finals after starting 0âÂÂ5 in the 40-minute era and the second in league history. They ultimately lost 2âÂÂ1 in the semi-finals series to the Illawarra Hawks.
The Phoenix are headquartered and train at the State Basketball Centre, located in Wantirna South, part of the South-Eastern City of Knox region that forms part of the club's strategic engagement area. The Phoenix play most of their home games at John Cain Arena, which is known as "The Fire Pit" during Phoenix Games. The Phoenix also play a select number of regular season games at the State Basketball Centre each season. During the 2020âÂÂ21 NBL season, COVID-19 border closures meant that the Phoenix had to relocate their last two home games against the Cairns Taipans and Brisbane Bullets to Cairns Pop-Up Arena. They also hosted their semi-final home game at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.
On 25 January 2022, the Phoenix played a regular season game against the Cairns Taipans at the Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium (GRISS) in Traralgon. The Phoenix have played at least one game at the GRISS every season since, in a partnership with the Latrobe City Council and the Victoria State Government.
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