Basketball: NBL board close to making Stars decision

Stars owner Tab Baldwin is confident the club will be cleared to play. Photo / Martin Sykes

The Auckland Stars should discover within the next 24-48 hours whether they will be allowed to participate in this season's National Basketball League.

The NBL board is scrutinising financial documents provided by the club following the Herald's revelation it had failed to disclose debts owed to former player Dillon Boucher and former coach Kenny Stone.

Stars owner Tab Baldwin, who is coaching in Turkey, said he was confident the board would clear the club to play.

"I can't see why we wouldn't be," Baldwin said.

"They have come in and they want to really scrutinise our position. [General manager] Steve [Done] and I have had to give them a lot of financial documentation for 2009 and 2010. We have done that and I am now waiting to hear back from [the league]."

The documentation included funding reconciliations, proof of sponsorship revenue and profit and loss statements.

"I don't know what more they could ask for or what they could object to," Baldwin said.

Whether Baldwin's confidence is well-placed remains to be seen.

Although Boucher confirmed he was happy with arrangements to pay him the $5000 in unpaid wages from last season before the end of the month, Baldwin disputes the debt to Stone and no agreement for payment has been reached.

There must also be serious questions about whether the league will accept a club that has just one contracted player, no coach and appears to be in financial difficulty.

The Herald understands key forward Casey Frank is yet to sign his contract, while the club's only other recognised player, Hayden Allen, is seeking a release.

The club is also yet to appoint a coach, with Done running training sessions in the interim. Baldwin didn't discount returning to coach himself, while Done was also considering doing the job.

Two imports would be brought in to support Frank and Allen, while the rest of the roster would consist of promising young players, Baldwin said.

The former Tall Blacks coach admitted he had been responsible for some of the club's recent struggles but felt the situation had been unfairly portrayed in the media.

Since taking over ownership he had propped up the club using his own money.

However, his own finances had taken a hit recently. He is suing his former Romanian club after it defaulted on 50 per cent of his salary, while his Turkish club had been close to collapse and had not paid him between September and January.

The cash flow issues had impacted on his ability to put more money into the Stars.

"I'm very disappointed in myself and very sorry a lot of this has happened," he said.

"I recognise that I have a responsibility to give all my employees what they are due but also to keep the good reputation of the Stars and basketball.

"I feel that I have dropped the ball on that, that I have let this go on too long."