| 1981 NBL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball League |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | 14 February – 21 June 1981 (Regular season) 27–28 June 1981 (Finals) |
| Games | 22 |
| Teams | 12 |
| TV partner | ABC |
| Regular season | |
| Season champions | St. Kilda Saints |
| Season MVP | Mike Jones (Illawarra) |
| Top scorer | Mike Jones (Illawarra) |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Launceston Casino City (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Nunawading Spectres |
The 1981 NBL season was the third season of the National Basketball League (NBL).
The regular season took place over 18 rounds between 14 February 1981 and 21 June 1981. Each team played 22 games, against every opponent twice.
| Pos | 1981 NBL season | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Pld | W | L | PCT | Last 5 | Streak | Home | Away | PF | PA | PP | |
| 1 | St. Kilda Saints 1 | 22 | 17 | 5 | 77.27% | 5–0 | W6 | 10–1 | 7–4 | 2134 | 1927 | 110.74% |
| 2 | Launceston Casino City | 22 | 14 | 8 | 63.64% | 4–1 | W3 | 7–4 | 7–4 | 1895 | 1810 | 104.70% |
| 3 | West Adelaide Bearcats 2 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 59.09% | 3–2 | W1 | 10–1 | 3–8 | 1848 | 1823 | 101.37% |
| 4 | Nunawading Spectres 2 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 59.09% | 3–2 | L1 | 8–3 | 5–6 | 1706 | 1566 | 108.94% |
| 5 | Brisbane Bullets 1 2 3 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 59.09% | 3–2 | W1 | 6–5 | 7–4 | 1712 | 1592 | 107.54% |
| 6 | Newcastle Falcons 2 3 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 59.09% | 0–5 | L6 | 9–2 | 4–7 | 1779 | 1714 | 103.79% |
| 7 | Canberra Cannons | 22 | 12 | 10 | 54.55% | 3–2 | W3 | 10–1 | 2–9 | 1700 | 1719 | 98.89% |
| 8 | Illawarra Hawks | 22 | 9 | 13 | 40.91% | 3–2 | L1 | 8–3 | 1–10 | 1889 | 1949 | 96.92% |
| 9 | City of Sydney Astronauts | 22 | 8 | 14 | 36.36% | 4–1 | W2 | 5–6 | 3–8 | 1711 | 1898 | 90.15% |
| 10 | Coburg Giants 4 | 22 | 7 | 15 | 31.82% | 0–5 | L5 | 6–5 | 1–10 | 1690 | 1746 | 96.79% |
| 11 | Bankstown Bruins 4 | 22 | 7 | 15 | 31.82% | 1–4 | L1 | 5–6 | 2–9 | 1746 | 1897 | 92.04% |
| 12 | Forestville Eagles | 22 | 6 | 16 | 27.27% | 1–4 | L3 | 5–6 | 1–10 | 1719 | 1888 | 91.05% |
Updated to match(es) played on 21 June 1981. Source: NBL.com.au
The NBL tie-breaker system as outlined in the NBL Rules and Regulations states that in the case of an identical win–loss record, the results in games played between the teams will determine order of seeding.
1St. Kilda Saints chose to participate in the 1981 FIBA Club World Cup in Brazil, instead of the 1981 NBL Finals. They were replaced by the Brisbane Bullets.
24-way Head-to-Head between West Adelaide Bearcats (5-1), Nunawading Spectres (3-3), Brisbane Bullets (2-4) and Newcastle Falcons (2-4).
3Head-to-Head between Brisbane Bullets and Newcastle Falcons (1-1). Brisbane Bullets won For and Against (+15).
4Head-to-Head between Coburg Giants and Bankstown Bruins (1-1). Coburg Giants won For and Against (+24).
The NBL finals series in 1981 consisted of two semifinal games, and one championship-deciding grand final. All three of these finals games were sudden death.
| Semifinals | Grand Final | ||||||||
| 1 | Launceston Casino City | 71 | |||||||
| 4 | Brisbane Bullets | 69 | |||||||
| 1 | Launceston Casino City | 75 | |||||||
| 2 | Nunawading Spectres | 54 | |||||||
| 2 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 71 | |||||||
| 3 | Nunawading Spectres | 74 | |||||||
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Mike Jones | Illawarra Hawks | 671 pts / 22 games [1] |
| Free throw percentage | Mike Jones | Illawarra Hawks | 87.6% (113/129) [1] |