The Tasmania JackJumpers and Jewels are one step closer to having what they say will be the best training facility in Australian basketball, with the first section of court flooring laid at their new high-performance centre in Kingston on Monday.
The 3,365 square metre facility will house both the JackJumpers and expansion WNBL side the Tasmania Jewels under one roof.
It will feature two courts, a show court, gym, wet and dry recovery areas, medical facilities, change rooms and a merchandise shop.
“This facility is purpose-built to help train our JackJumpers and Jewels stars, while also ensuring the community has a hub for high performance basketball,” Premier Jeremy Rockliff said.
JackJumpers coach Scott Roth said nothing in the country compared, drawing on his experience coaching in the United States and across Australia.
“It might look like we’re laying just a few timber boards today, but we’re actually laying the foundation for the next era of the Tasmania JackJumpers and Jewels,” he said.
Roth said the centre was already proving a powerful recruiting tool, revealing he had fired off photos to prospective signings on his way into Monday’s event.
Having the entire basketball operation in one building, rather than split across sites with a 30-minute drive between them, would transform the club’s culture, he said.
The facility is generating equal buzz on the women’s side.
Jewels assistant general manager Kayla Steindl said Olympic legend Lauren Jackson recently toured the site and compared it to WNBA facilities in the US.
“We want the Tasmania Jewels to raise the bar and set a new standard for women’s basketball in Australia and this facility is a huge part of that,” Steindl said.
She said the Jewels expected to announce their first player signing within weeks.
New coach Claudia Brassard described it as the best facility in the country after her first visit.
Rockliff said the project was on time and on budget, with completion expected mid-year ahead of the 2026-27 season.
