:Gold Coast Blaze

{{Short description|Defunct basketball team from Broadbeach, Australia}}

{{infobox basketball club

| name = Gold Coast Blaze

| logo = Gold Coast Blaze.png

| logo_size = 260

| nickname =

| leagues = NBL

| founded = November 2006

| dissolved = July 2012

| history = Gold Coast Blaze
2007–2012

| arena = The Furnace
Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre

| capacity = 5,269

| location = Broadbeach, Gold Coast, Queensland

| colors = Blue, orange, black, white
{{color box|#00BFFF}} {{color box|#FF7F00}} {{color box|#000000}} {{color box|#FFFFFF}}

| current =

| sponsor =

| president =

| vice-presidents =

| manager =

| coach =

| ownership =

| championships = 0

| website =

| h_body = 00BFFF

| h_pattern_b = _thinwhitesides

| h_shorts = 00BFFF

| h_pattern_s = _whitesidesandhems

| a_body = 00BFFF

| a_pattern_b = _thinsidesonwhite

| a_shorts = 00BFFF

| a_pattern_s = _blanksidesandhems

}}

The Gold Coast Blaze were an Australian men's professional basketball team which competed in the National Basketball League (NBL). The Blaze played five seasons in the NBL between 2007 and 2012, and played their home games at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre on the Gold Coast in Queensland.

History

In November 2006, the NBL announced a Gold Coast team would join the competition in the 2007–08 season after a licence was granted to a consortium headed by former Adelaide 36ers coach David Claxton.{{cite news |title=Gold Coast to join NBL |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-11-21/gold-coast-to-join-nbl/1314952 |access-date=12 November 2024 |work=ABC News |date=21 November 2006 |language=en-AU}} The franchise was initially owned by Claxton and local businessmen Tom Tate and Owen Tomlinson.{{cite news |title=Gold Coast 'will be ready to rumble' |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/gold-coast-will-be-ready-to-rumble-20061122-gdovom.html |access-date=12 November 2024 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=21 November 2006 |language=en}} It was announced that the team would play its home games at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.

In February 2007, the team name was revealed to be the Gold Coast Blaze. There had been a voting competition where 'Heat' had won as the preferred name, but it was not able to be considered following objections from the NBA and the Miami Heat.{{cite news |title=Gold Coast sets NBL a Blaze |url=http://www.nbl.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&aid=4745 |access-date=12 November 2024 |work=NBL.com.au |date=23 February 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070914093458/http://www.nbl.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&aid=4745 |archive-date=14 September 2007}}

Brendan Joyce was the team's inaugural head coach,{{cite news |title=Joyce ready for next challenge |url=http://www.nbl.com.au/default.aspx?s=featuredisplay&aid=4642 |work=NBL.com.au |date=5 February 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070908042602/http://www.nbl.com.au/default.aspx?s=featuredisplay&aid=4642 |archive-date=8 September 2007}} while Scott McGregor, Juaquin Hawkins, Pero Cameron and Casey Frank were notable inaugural signings. The 2008–09 season saw Shane Heal join the Blaze.

In May 2012, the Blaze entered voluntary administration.{{cite news |title=Blaze in administrators' hands |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-10/blaze-in-administrators-hands/4004002 |access-date=12 November 2024 |work=ABC News |date=10 May 2012 |language=en-AU}} They later joined forces with the Gold Coast Basketball Association and reverted to a community model. They reportedly received a $500,000 cash injection from a mystery fan.{{cite news |title=Blaze up in smoke as owners walk away |url=http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2012/07/18/432391_gold-coast-blaze.html |work=goldcoast.com.au |date=18 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120720213731/http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2012/07/18/432391_gold-coast-blaze.html |archive-date=20 July 2012}}

On 17 July 2012, the Blaze were withdrawn from the NBL by owners, Owen and Ben Tomlinson. Basketball Australia had ordered the Tomlinsons to post a $1 million bank guarantee before granting them a licence for the 2012–13 season. The Tomlinsons, who had earlier declared they had secured the finances to operate in the 2012–13 season, had already reappointed staff when they were informed their submission would not be granted. Basketball Australia had given the owners until the end of the month to provide "irrefutable evidence" they could operate a team and repay their debts to the league; the Tomlinsons instead decided to withdraw from the league and dissolve the franchise.{{cite news |last1=Ward |first1=Roy |title=Gold Coast Blaze out of the NBL |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/basketball/gold-coast-blaze-out-of-the-nbl-20120718-229by.html |access-date=12 November 2024 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=18 July 2012 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=NBL must learn from Gold Coast Blaze demise |url=http://michaeldifabrizio.com/2012/07/nbl-must-learn-from-gold-coast-blaze-demise/ |work=michaeldifabrizio.com |date=18 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064759/http://michaeldifabrizio.com/2012/07/nbl-must-learn-from-gold-coast-blaze-demise/ |archive-date=4 March 2016}}