Jack Bendat AM (6 May 1925 – 17 February 2022) was an American-born Australian businessman most known for his ownership of the Perth Wildcats basketball team between 2007 and 2021.
[1] He served as a private in the United States Army during World War II, including in Papua New Guinea.
[3] Bendat, along with business partners, Kerry Stokes and Kevin Merifield, were involved in the development of shopping centres in Perth and regional Western Australia.
[10][11] In his time as owner, the club won six NBL championships: 2009–10, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2018–19 and 2019–20, and expanded significantly, drawing larger crowds to their new home court at Perth Arena.
In April 2015, Bendat purchased the licence for the Perth WNBL team, the West Coast Waves and renamed them the Perth Lynx, and the following month, on his 90th Birthday, the WA Basketball Centre was renamed the Bendat Basketball Centre in his honour.