South East Melbourne Phoenix – often abbreviated simply to S.E. Melbourne Phoenix – are a professional basketball team based in Melbourne, Australia who compete in the National Basketball League (NBL).
They primarily play their home games at the John Cain Arena in Melbourne Park, which they share with local rivals Melbourne United, as well as playing some fixtures at the State Basketball Centre.
📜 S.E. Melbourne Phoenix History
The Phoenix were founded in 2018 and joined the NBL as an expansion team the following year. They made their debut against local rivals Melbourne United, triumphing 91-88.
They quickly proved popular with fans; their first home game drew a crowd of 6,019 – a record for an NBL franchise's home debut – and with an average of 5,369 supporters attending their home games that season they boasted the highest average attendance of any Australian basketball team in their inaugural campaign.
In their 2nd season they reached the playoffs for the first time, but the Phoenix were defeated by their cross-town rivals in the semifinals.
