Basketball: Stars facing expulsion over debt declaration

Dillon Boucher is defecting to Harbour. Photo / Paul Estcourt

The Auckland Stars are facing possible expulsion from the New Zealand NBL after failing to declare debts owed to former coach Kenny Stone and North Harbour-bound star Dillon Boucher.

League rules require franchises to notify the NBL board of all creditors and debtors, with a failure to do so deemed a breach that could result in a franchise being expelled from the league.

The Herald understands the Stars' participation agreement, signed by owner Tab Baldwin, fails to declare unpaid wages owed to Stone and Boucher.

Yesterday Stone - who has been either a player or coach at the club for the past 15 years - broke his silence, confirming he was owed an amount of money "large enough to be significant to me".

NBL chairman Sam Rossiter-Stead confirmed the Stars had failed to notify the league of the debts to Boucher and Stone, believed to total more than $30,000.

"The Stars management have not informed the board of any outstanding debts owed to players or coaches," Rossiter-Stead said.

When the Herald first revealed the non-payments in October, Rossiter-Stead said the Stars would only be allowed into this year's competition if all outstanding bills were paid.

Yesterday, however, he was less equivocal.

"We will be taking this issue up with the Stars management as a matter of some urgency," he said.

Boucher, whose wife is expecting twins, declined to comment but confirmed he has defected to Harbour, where he will join Breakers import Rick Rickert in a powerful lineup that also includes Tall Blacks Corey Webster and BJ Anthony and classy veterans Daryl Cartwright.

"I saw that Harbour was putting together a good team and I wanted to be part of it," Boucher said.

Harbour Basketball chief executive Stephen Dally was delighted to have picked up one of the league's most dominant players.

"I understand that he has had issues with the Stars but that has nothing to do with Harbour Heat," Dally said. "We've started new with Dillon and we've got a solid reputation for paying all of our players."

Once a powerhouse in the league, the Kohimarama-based Stars have been in disarray since former Tall Blacks coach Baldwin assumed sole ownership in 2007.

They are due to start their campaign against Otago on March 5 at ASB Stadium.

Veteran forward Casey Frank and guard Hayden Allen are the only players of note on their roster, while general manager Steve Done has been running training sessions in Stone's absence.

"I guess there were philosophical differences with the way the team has been run and operated the last couple of years," Stone said.

"I've decided that, after last year, it is time for me to step away."

Stone confirmed the club's continued failure to pay his wages had been a major factor in his decision but declined to put a figure on how much he was owed.

"I'm not going to go into the details of what I'm owed. I am disappointed. I would like to have continued coaching the Stars. I have been a part of them since 1995 and feel a lot of loyalty to the Stars and the brand."

Stone is clearly less than happy about the club's operation under the Turkey-based Baldwin."There are some real challenges for [Baldwin] as an owner and it is between him and the league as to what is going to happen," Stone said. "There needs to be a focus on getting the right personnel in there - they are going to have to spend some money to get some quality players and get some good imports in as well."

Baldwin is coaching in Turkey and could not be contacted.

In better news for the league, the Herald understands a broadcasting deal for the competition has been agreed with Sky TV.

TALE OF THE TAB

2007

* Baldwin takes over sole ownership of the Stars.
* March: Import Tashaan Forehan-Kelly sits out the first match of the season after paperwork pertaining to his transfer is not completed.
* The Stars are censured by the league for playing Dillon Boucher despite not having registered him as a player.
* Forehan-Kelly and fellow import Jeremy Lambert quit the club, with Forehan-Kelly accusing Baldwin of insulting him with a racial slur.
* The Stars finish 5th, missing the playoffs.

2008

* June: The Stars are thrown out of the playoffs for failing an instalment of their entry fee. They threaten legal action and are reinstated the day before the game against North Harbour, which they won.

2009

* June: A weak Stars team finishes seventh out of nine teams, missing the playoffs.
* Oct: The Herald reveals star player Dillon Boucher and coach Kenny Stone are owed thousands of dollars in unpaid wages.

2010

* February - The Stars fail to declare the debts to Boucher and Stone on their participation agreement, putting their participation in the 2010 NBL in jeopardy.