The 2012–13 NBL season is the 31st season for the Adelaide 36ers in the NBL. In 2011–12, the 36ers missed out on the playoffs for the 5th time in the past 6 seasons, finishing the season with the club's second ever wooden spoon (the club's second in three years) with a worst ever 8-20 record. The 36ers, have won the NBL Championship four times (1986, 1998, 1998–99 and 2001–02), earning Adelaide the nickname of "Title Town", and with some astute off-season recruiting (helped by the demise of the Gold Coast Blaze), will be looking to get back to a position of power in the league.
The 36ers have played their home games at the 8,000 seat Adelaide Arena since 1992. The arena is the largest purpose built basketball venue in Australia and the fifth largest venue currently used in the NBL behind the Perth Arena (14,846 - set at 12,000 for NBL games), the Sydney Entertainment Centre (10,517), Hisense Arena in Melbourne (10,500) and the Vector Arena (9,300) in Auckland.
The season is the last of a 3-year contract for head coach Marty Clarke. As a player, Tasmanian born Clarke was a guard with the NBL championship winning North Melbourne Giants in 1989. Prior to joining the 36ers in 2010–11 he spent 12 years as first an assistant, and later head coach, at the Australian Institute of Sport (1998–2010). As well as being the 36ers Head Coach, Clarke is also an assistant coach of the Australian Boomers.
Off-season
Additions
(From the squad at the end of the 2011–12 NBL season)
* C. J. Massingale was released by the 36ers on 5 December 2012.* Scott Christopherson signed following the season ending Achilles tendon injury to Mitch Creek, though officially he is the replacement for Massingale.
Subtractions
(From the squad at the end of the 2011–12 NBL season)
Current roster
Depth chart
2012–13 NBL clubs
* State Sports Centre used by the Sydney Kings for one game only due to a clash of dates at their usual home, the Sydney Entertainment Centre.* The Melbourne Tigers and New Zealand Breakers use two home venues each during the season, with finals games (if they qualify) to be played at the larger Hisense and Vector Arena's respectively.* The Perth Wildcats are the only team with an entirely new venue in 2012-13, with the 14,846 seat Perth Arena replacing their previous home, the 4,500 seat Challenge Stadium.
Regular season
Ladder
Game log
Regular season
Games with a * are televised on One HD. Games with ** are on Network Ten. Games with *** shown on Sky Sport NZ
|- style="background-color:#bbffbb;" | 1** | 7 October | Tigers | W 84-61 | Daniel Johnson, Stephen Weigh (21) | Daniel Johnson, Luke Schenscher (9) | Adam Gibson (7) | Adelaide Arena3,988 | 1-0 |- style="background-color:#ffcccc;" | 2*** | 12 October | @ Breakers | L 59-73 | Daniel Johnson (15) | Luke Schenscher (9) | Nathan Crosswell (3) | Vector Arena6,625 | 1-1 |- style="background-color:#bbffbb;" | 3 | 20 October | Taipans | W 85-81 | Adam Gibson (21) | Luke Schenscher (10) | Jason Cadee (7) | Adelaide Arena4,331 | 2-1 |- style="background-color:#ffcccc;" | 4** | 28 October | Hawks | L 63-77 | Anthony Petrie (16) | Daniel Johnson (7) | Adam Gibson (7) | Adelaide Arena4,720 | 2-2
|- style="background-color:#bbffbb;" | 5** | 4 November | @ Kings | W 88-81 | Luke Schenscher (18) | Anthony Petrie (11) | Daniel Johnson (7) | Sydney Entertainment Centre4,660 | 3-2 |- style="background-color:#ffcccc;" | 6 | 9 November | @ Tigers | L 66-96 | Anthony Petrie (15) | Daniel Johnson (8) | Adam Gibson, Jason Cadee, Nathan Crosswell (2) | Hisense Arena5,283 | 3-3 |- style="background-color:#bbffbb;" | 7** | 11 November | Wildcats | W 77-65 | C. J. Massingale (18) | Stephen Weigh (11) | Nathan Crosswell (6) | Adelaide Arena3,696 | 4-3 |- style="background-color:#bbffbb;" | 8* | 16 November | @ Wildcats | W 69-65 | Daniel Johnson (21) | Daniel Johnson (15) | Adam Gibson (6) | Perth Arena11,562 | 5-3 |- style="background-color:#ffcccc;" | 9 | 30 November | @ Crocodiles | L 73-75 | Adam Gibson (17) | Stephen Weigh (9) | Adam Gibson (7) | Townsville Entertainment Centre3,255 | 5-4