The South East Melbourne Phoenix are an Australian professional basketball team based in Melbourne, Victoria. The Phoenix entered the National Basketball League (NBL) in the 2019–20 season. The team play the majority of their home games at John Cain Arena, which they share with fellow NBL team Melbourne United, with some games being played at the State Basketball Centre.

History

With plans to expand the National Basketball League (NBL) beginning with the 2019–20 season, the league sold a franchise licence to Swansea City co-owner Romie Chaudhari in July 2018. In August 2018, former Melbourne Tigers player Tommy Greer was appointed general manager of the new franchise, with this appointment at the time indicating the franchise would likely be Melbourne-based. On 2 September 2018, the NBL announced that the league's ninth franchise for the 2019–20 season will be based in south-eastern Melbourne. On 18 October 2018, Simon Mitchell was appointed as the inaugural head coach of the team. On 17 November 2018, the team's name was announced as South East Melbourne Phoenix. The team logo and colours were also revealed. On 4 December 2018, former Adelaide 36ers forward Mitch Creek was announced as the team's first marquee signing.

First Season (2019–20)

The Phoenix debuted in the 2019–20 season opener on 3 October 2019, when they were hosted by cross-town rivals Melbourne United at Melbourne Arena. In front of a sold-out crowd of 10,300, the Phoenix won 91–88. The Phoenix played their first home game at Melbourne Arena on 13 October 2019 against the Brisbane Bullets, winning 113–93. The crowd of 6,019 was the highest recorded for an expansion franchise's first home game in league history.[] Despite losing import forward Tai Wesley to injury on opening night, the Phoenix sat in second place with a 5–2 record after the season's first six rounds. From that point, however, they won just four more games to finish their inaugural season in eighth place with a 9–19 record. The Phoenix averaged the highest crowd figures ever for a first-year start-up club in Australian Basketball, with a total of 75,179 fans attending their fourteen home games at an average of 5,369 fans per game.

사우스 이스트 멜번 피닉스(South East Melbourne Phoenix)는 호주 멜버른을 연고로 하는 프로 농구 팀입니다. 내셔널 농구 리그(NBL)에 참가하고 있으며, 홈 경기는 존 케인 아레나에서 치릅니다.

피닉스는 2018년에 창단되었으며, NBL에 참가한 첫 번째 멜버른 팀입니다. 창단 첫 시즌에는 플레이오프에 진출하지 못했지만, 다음 시즌에는 준결승까지 진출했습니다. 2021-22 시즌에는 팀 역사상 첫 우승을 차지했습니다.

피닉스의 주요 선수로는 아담 포이트레스, 미첼 크리치, 케이시 프라더가 있습니다. 팀의 감독은 사이먼 미첼입니다.

피닉스는 팬들의 열렬한 지지를 받고 있으며, 홈 경기는 항상 만원을 이룹니다. 팀의 상징은 불사조이며, 팀 컬러는 빨간색, 파란색, 금색입니다.