Owners of the 1981 NBL championship pennant are calling for the Launceston Casino City Tigers prize to be returned back to its original Dowling Street home.
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The NTABA had formed a sub-committee to run the club during its brief 1980-82 stint that included helping partially finance expenses.
The pennant won 75-54 in the grand final win over Nunawading Spectres had been missing for more than three decades until it was found last month inside a Hobart shed of a private residence.
NTABA president Heath Butt feared a rare piece of the ex-NBL side's memorabilia could instead be retained by Basketball Tasmania.
The association set aside funds to prop up the pennant on the wall of Elphin court 3.
"We were made redundant by the new basketball governing body," he said, "but we've got enough money put aside on purpose for this."
The plan was put in place in 2009 when the NTABA had made a public plea for the return of the lost keepsake that includes the winning trophy.
The silverware has been missing sometime after it was brought out at the Tigers' 20-year club reunion in 2001.
ELSEWHERE IN SPORT
"I just remember seeing the pennant hanging up on the wall when I was a little tacker," Butt said. "But it just went, it disappeared, over Christmas one year - it wasn't there. The trophy used to be up in the other courts and the hunt's still on for that."
Butt was hoping action on restoring the historical banner in only the NBL's third season would even anonymously flush out the trophy.
"I like the fact that we can put it up there permanently now and we'll build a display case," Hunt said, "so whoever does have the cup may consider bringing it back."
The 38-year-old pennant would be exhibited under lock and key behind a glass perplex and under 24-hour security should it return back into the hands of the NTABA.
Former Tigers player Dean Draper told The Examiner this month that he would be willing to donate his playing and training gear should an acceptable gallery be built.
"We have quite a rich basketball history, as individuals and Tassie itself bats well above its weight," Butt said.
"However, we haven't had the ability to put the history out on display because it got knocked off."
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