9 games, 1 city: Ultimate HoopsFest guide

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First Australian sports fans had NRL's Magic Round, followed closely by the AFL's Gather Round but now hoops enthusiasts have an event of their own with the NBL and WNBL's HoopsFest starting in Perth this week.

All 10 NBL clubs and eight WNBL franchises will take to the court at the iconic RAC Arena for a four-day basketball festival, featuring nine games of some of the world's top athletes going head-to-head.

This is the second edition of HoopsFest, with both being played in Perth, but this season it has moved to January instead of October where it was played in 2024 -making it easier for holiday-goers to attend the event from all over the country.

Headlining this year's HoopsFest, on top of the nine games being played, is NBA legend and 2001 NBA MVP Allen "The Answer" Iverson who will be the league's special guest, attending numerous events and interacting with basketball fans across the four days before he then goes on a tour of the east coast of Australia.

Iverson, as well as events such as the HoopsFest Cup as well as the Fan Zone and Sneakerland, make HoopsFest a cultural event about more than just what happens on the court.

The event will tip-off with a blockbuster top three WNBL clash between the hometown Perth Lynx and the top-of-the-table Bendigo Spirit with the Perth Wildcats facing the Illawarra Hawks on Friday before the South East Melbourne Phoenix and Adelaide 36ers cap-off the week on Sunday.

Perth will become a hub for NBA scouts as well with CODE Sports Basketball reporting high-level NBA personnel from up to 25 teams making the trek this week for a chance to see every NBL team play once. It will be a chance for future draft picks and NBL Next Stars in Karim Lopez, Dash Daniels and Malique Lewis to show what they can do on the big stage but also certain Aussies with Jaylin Galloway, Ben Henshall and more also on NBA radars in recent months.

An already famous RAC Arena has been made even more iconic with a purpose-built 32.4m by 7.8m ‘Slam Wall’ the visual centrepiece for the venue. It’s more than eight times the size of the total screen area of the existing RAC Arena cube screen and almost the same size as the big screen at Optus Stadium.

While the event is in Perth for a second year, CODE Sports are reporting there’s high demand from rival states itching to steal the four-day festival of basketball, which features a full round of NBL and WNBL games.

While the NBL is in talks with the WA government to continue its partnership, CODE Sports revealed South Australia, Tasmania and NSW have expressed an interest in taking over as host state for the event. It’s understood Victoria would also consider it but, with Melbourne Park and John Cain Arena taken over by the Australian Open during January, the timing poses a significant issue.

HOOPSFEST SCHEDULE

Thursday:

• Perth Lynx 85 Bendigo Spirit 81 (WNBL). Recap
• Sydney Kings 95 Brisbane Bullets 80 (NBL). Recap
  

Friday:

• Geelong Venom v Sydney Flames (WNBL) - 4pm AWST/7pm AEDT - RAC Arena
• Perth Wildcats v Illawarra Hawks (NBL) - 6.30pm AWST/9.30pm AEDT - RAC Arena
  

Saturday:

• Southside Melbourne Flyers v Adelaide Lightning (WNBL) - 11.30am AWST/2.30pm AEDT - RAC Arena
• Cairns Taipans v New Zealand Breakers (NBL) - 4pm AWST/7pm AEDT - RAC Arena
• Tasmania JackJumpers v Melbourne United (NBL) - 6.30pm AWST/9.30pm AEDT - RAC Arena
  

Sunday:

• Adelaide 36ers v South East Melbourne Phoenix (NBL) - 11.30am AWST/2.30pm AEDT - RAC Arena
• Townsville Fire v UC Capitals (WNBL) - 2pm AWST/5pm AEDT - RAC Arena