The lead sponsorship deal will see the team re-branded the ‘Crazy John’s South Dragons’ ahead of its second assault on the national league.

Crazy John’s Dragons chairman Mark Cowan said the lucrative deal would secure the club’s future standing as a frontrunner in the NBL.

“A sporting team relies on more than its players to be a success, and obviously the financial support that we’ve been able to secure through this new partnership really helps underpin our future success,” he said.

“One of the really important aspects of this new sponsorship is the fact that Crazy John’s is a very high-profile consumer brand with a good presence on the marketplace.

“We’re very much looking forward to working with Crazy John’s to help increase and expand the profile of the Dragons, which will allow us to become more available and accessible to current and future patrons and members.”

The partnership sees the alliance of two of Australia’s foremost brands, with shared aims for success.

“There are a lot of similarities between the two brands,” Cowan said.

“Crazy John’s have always been an entrepreneurial brand that have gone out and engaged the marketplace and been happy to do things a little bit differently in their efforts to become number one, and that’s very much our philosophy; we’re happy to do things a little bit differently in order to achieve success.

“They’re both energetic and imaginative brands that go out there and grab the bull by the horns.”

Crazy John’s chief executive John Ilhan agreed the sponsorship deal was a logical move.

“Like Crazy John’s, the Dragons are young, dynamic and passionate, all values that are held highly within my company,” Ilhan said.

“I know that the team will be incredibly successful, with their desire to be the best at what they do, and the commitment to the winning culture that is upheld at Crazy John’s and at the Crazy John’s Dragons.

“My vision for the future of the club is to see season after season of victories and Championships. There is absolutely no reason why the Crazy John’s Dragons will not be the best team in the competition in the future, and see many of their players in the Australian team.

“Crazy John’s simply wants the Crazy John’s Dragons to be the best basketball team in the league, and secure all the success that they can.”

Following a hugely successful debut, the Crazy John’s South Dragons will launch their 2007-’08 campaign on Saturday, September 22, against the West Sydney Razorbacks at Vodafone Arena.

The club’s new-look line-up features a who’s who of Australian and international basketball talent, set to take the national league by storm.

The Crazy John’s South Dragons will again be led by basketball legend Shane Heal, who joins 2006-’07 Rookie of the Year Joe Ingles, Australian representative Jacob Holmes, gun imports Cortez Groves and Nick Horvath and a host of fellow stars on one of the most fancied rosters in the NBL.

The Crazy John’s Dragons’ pre-season campaign tips off on Monday, July 2. Further details of the club’s second season will be made public from next week.

Check out photos of the sponsorship launch HERE.