Dear Mr Kestleman and Mr Slepoy,

Ever since the announcement to replace the Melbourne Tigers on May 20 2014, Tigers fans have been hoping to convince the both of you to overturn your decision and restore the Tigers name.

There is no doubt that you feel that doing so would not be good business sense but we strongly believe that the Tigers name and history deserve to live on in the NBL or in another competition and make its way back into the NBL from there in someone else’s hands.

Millionaires like yourselves are often said to be always doing what they think is right in terms of dollars and cents and not what is right to those whose lives are impacted by what you do, the Melbourne Tigers is considered by its fans to be way more than just a ‘brand’, the two names go together much like the partnership of Copeland and Gaze and for many the Melbourne Tigers was and is a team that brings joy to their lives.

Releasing the Tigers name to the Melbourne Tigers club that competes in the BigV and other competitions will undo in one swift movement most of the pain that was put into fans hearts and minds by the arrival of Melbourne United and it will show that you truly have in your hearts and minds the desire to secure the future of Basketball not only in Victoria but the rest of Australia, one important condition would be that the Tigers four NBL titles and historical records go to the team as well for we all know that without the local Melbourne Tigers team there would have been no Melbourne Tigers NBL team and therefore you would have no Melbourne United team to own.

Perhaps the two of you could spin off the Melbourne Tigers as a new group away from Melbourne United and the two of you own a minority share and let others like the BigV team and the Gaze family plus any Tigers supporter with financial clout or members who get to have a say to buy in and get the second NBL club in that way.

There is no doubt that if the both of you and your advisors put your brains together there will be a solution to please Melbourne Tigers fans and Melbourne United fans

Melbourne Tigers fans who have not joined United by now are most likely to never will and will be instead waiting for the opportunity to join a new Melbourne NBL team no matter if they are from the North, East, South or West and all the directions in between even if the team names are names like Magic, Titans, Giants, Supercats and Dragons.

We really hope that you will address this letter and give us an answer that is not automated or insincere, we really look forward to the both of you being open to the above suggestions and start the process that will end the Civil War that is tearing Basketball in Victoria apart.

Yours Sincerely,

Ryan Stevenson
On behalf of Melbourne Tigers fans