Mark Arena on the Perth Bears Podcast

Perth Wildcats owner Mark Arena joined Oly Peterson on the Perth Bears Podcast to discuss his first two seasons, the NBL26 campaign and the direction of the Wildcats moving forward, with a clear focus on building sustained success.

“You’ve got to be at the pointy end of the table at the end of the season and if you’re up there long enough, you will have success."

In the episode below, Arena discussed the difference between chasing short-term results and building something that lasts.

“We could just blow all our money for one season and go boom or bust to win a championship for one year, but building a legacy is a lot harder.”

At the same time, the standard at the Wildcats remains unchanged.

"I expect nothing less and what we should expect of ourselves is a championship and we’re certainly working for that every year. If you’re up there long enough, you will have success.”

Arena emphasised that consistency is built on culture, outlining four key pillars that guide the organisation.

“Accountable, committed, selfless, courageous. Those are the four pillars of the Wildcats,” he said.

Now two seasons into ownership, Arena described the experience of professional sport as unlike anything else he has encountered.

“It’s emotional extremes. It’s so good when you win. It’s so bad when you lose. It’s a bit like that. It’s a bit different to any other job,” he said.

“You have passionate supporters. They tell you what they think, whether you like to hear it or not. I believe in what we’re doing and I’m sure we’ll get long-term success out of it.”

That level of passion is what sets the Wildcats apart, especially in The Jungle on game day.

“It’s kind of unmatched. I remember even before I took over, one of the coaches who’s coached all over the world said this is pretty unique, the passionate support and the supporters that really care. It’s pretty unique in professional sport globally,” he said.

Arena believes the connection the Red Army has with the Wildcats is built on years of engagement within the community, something he experienced firsthand growing up in Western Australia.

“I remember the Wildcats visiting schools, I did Ricky Grace basketball camps down in Busselton multiple years over the Christmas holidays,” he said.

“I don’t remember ever having Perth Glory or an Eagles player coming to my school, but I certainly remember a Wildcats player coming.”

He believes those experiences have helped create a supporter base that spans generations.

“I actually think it’s from that community that we talk about, how they visit your schools and we all remember that. I think that’s what’s unique… multi-generational supporters and fans,” Arena said.

That community focus continues to be a priority for the club.

“We did a telethon game, we did a mental health game aligned with Lifeline, we did multicultural round. We want to continue things like that,” he said.

“We can really push positive messages in the community with the Wildcats.”

Arena also outlined the cultural standards being set across the organisation, with four key pillars guiding the club.

“Accountable, committed, selfless, courageous. Those are kind of the four pillars of what the Wildcats are going to be going for,” he said.

Beyond the court, Arena highlighted the importance of the Wildcats as both a sporting and entertainment product.

“Basketball as it is, you’re in and out within two hours. It’s a very unique sporting and entertainment product,” he said.

“We know our market, which is families, and we do really well in that market.”

He also pointed to the continued growth of basketball across Western Australia, noting both the opportunity and the challenges around infrastructure.

“It’s the number two most participated sport after soccer, but basketball is all done indoors and it takes a long time to build those facilities so it takes time,” Arena said.

“We’re all in this together about making basketball more popular and accessible to everybody.”

The conversation also extended beyond basketball, with Arena discussing Perth’s incoming Perth Bears and the importance of building culture and community from the ground up.

“It may not give you the results immediately, but in the long term, it’s definitely the right thing to do,” he said.

Arena is confident the foundations being built now will deliver long-term success for both organisations.