Kye Savage shares his view on Thunder's rejected NBL1 South bid

"Everyone in the community is deeply hurt" by the rejection of the North West Thunder's bid for an NBL1 South license.

That's the view of mainstay Kye Savage, after Basketball Tasmania confirmed the formation of a newly established entity proposed by the Launceston Tornadoes ahead of the 2026 season.

"There's obviously been a lot of people hurt by the decision," Savage said.

"Our club has done a great job [throughout the process], our chairman, James Leslie, handled it super professionally.

"Everyone in the community is deeply hurt by it, especially our playing group. We had a special group this year, and bonded very well together."

Savage is not the only player to speak out about the decision, with recently signed Cairns recruit Reyne Smith weighing in on social media: "The pathway