| 2002 New Zealand NBL season | |
|---|---|
| League | New Zealand NBL |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Number of games | 16 |
| Number of teams | 9 |
| Regular season | |
| Minor premiers | Nelson Giants |
| Top scorer | Ron Grady (Otago Nuggets) |
| Playoffs | |
| Champions | Waikato Titans |
| Runners-up | Nelson Giants |
The 2002 NBL season was the 21st season of the National Basketball League. Two name changes occurred heading into the 2002 season, with Palmerston North now called Manawatu, and North Harbour now called Harbour. The Waikato Titans won the championship in 2002 to claim their second league title. [1] In the final, Titans' forward Dillon Boucher made two free throws with 1.7 seconds to lift Waikato over the Nelson Giants 85–83. [2]
| Pos | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | |
| 1 | Nelson Giants | 11 | 5 |
| 2 | Waikato Titans | 11 | 5 |
| 3 | Canterbury Rams | 11 | 5 |
| 4 | Manawatu Jets | 9 | 7 |
| 5 | Wellington Saints | 7 | 9 |
| 6 | Auckland Stars | 7 | 9 |
| 7 | Harbour Kings | 6 | 10 |
| 8 | Hawke's Bay Hawks | 5 | 11 |
| 9 | Otago Nuggets | 5 | 11 |
| Semi Finals | Final | ||||||||
| 1 | Nelson Giants | 83 | |||||||
| 4 | Manawatu Jets | 64 | |||||||
| Nelson Giants | 83 | ||||||||
 | Waikato Titans | 85 | |||||||
| 2 | Waikato Titans | 91 | |||||||
| 3 | Canterbury Rams | 81 | |||||||
Stats as of the end of the regular season [3]
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points per game | Ron Grady | Otago Nuggets | 25.1 |
| Rebounds per game | John Whorton | Canterbury Rams | 13.4 |
| Assists per game | Carlo Varricchio | Canterbury Rams | 5.3 |
| Steals per game | Prem Krishna | Waikato Titans | 2.4 |
| Blocks per game | Kenny Stone | Auckland Stars | 2.1 |
The National Basketball League (NBL) is a men's semi-professional basketball league in New Zealand.
The Waikato Pistons were a New Zealand basketball team based in Hamilton. The Pistons competed in the National Basketball League (NBL) and played their home games at Hamilton Boys' High School.
The 2011 NBL season was the 30th season of the National Basketball League. In 2011, the Auckland Pirates debuted in the league but the Christchurch Cougars did not take part due to the effects of the 2011 Canterbury earthquake. The Harbour Heat also did not compete in the 2011 season, leaving the total number of teams at nine.
The 2012 NBL season was the 31st season of the National Basketball League. While the Harbour Heat returned for the 2012 season, the Waikato Pistons dropped out of the league. It marked the first time the league had no Waikato presence since 1983.
The 2009 NBL season was the 28th season of the National Basketball League. Two changes occurred for the 2009 season, with the Christchurch Cougars replacing the Canterbury Rams, and the Otago Nuggets also withdrawing. The Waikato Pistons won the championship in 2009 to claim their fourth league title.
The 2007 NBL season was the 26th season of the National Basketball League. The Nelson Giants won the championship in 2007 to claim their third league title.
The 2006 NBL season was the 25th season of the National Basketball League. The Hawke's Bay Hawks won the championship in 2006 to claim their first league title.
The 2013 NBL season was the 32nd season of the National Basketball League. The 2013 season saw the withdrawal of the Auckland Pirates and Harbour Heat, but saw the return of the Waikato Pistons after a one-year hiatus as well as the Super City Rangers, who returned to the league for the first time since 1995.
The 2014 NBL season was the 33rd season of the National Basketball League. The Canterbury Rams returned to the league in 2014 after a five-year hiatus.
The 2015 NBL season was the 34th season of the National Basketball League. The season draw was supposed to be released in December 2014, but the withdrawal of Otago and Waikato prompted a rethink for the 2015 competition format. In the past, each team played each other twice in a 10-team competition, meaning each franchise had nine home games. However, with two fewer teams in 2015, it was decided the new format would be played over two and half rounds to keep incomes at a similar rate for the remaining sides. Each team was scheduled to play each other twice and play three of the sides in a third game.
The 2005 NBL season was the 24th season of the National Basketball League. The Auckland Stars won the championship in 2005 to claim their ninth league title.
The 2004 NBL season was the 23rd season of the National Basketball League. The Auckland Stars won the championship in 2004 to claim their eighth league title.
The 2003 NBL season was the 22nd season of the National Basketball League. 2003 marked the first year a league-wide MVP award winner was named, allowing imports the opportunity to be recognised; in all previous seasons, only a Kiwi MVP was named, an award given to the best New Zealand player. Australian import David Cooper of the Manawatu Jets was subsequently awarded the first league MVP. 2003 also marked the return of Taranaki after a three-year hiatus. The Wellington Saints won the championship over the Waikato Titans in overtime, as the Saints claimed their fifth league title.
The 2001 NBL season was the 20th season of the National Basketball League. The Waikato Titans won the championship in 2001 to claim their first league title. The Titans set an NBL record with a 15-game winning streak during the season, a streak that was not broken until the 2015 Southland Sharks squad recorded a 16-game winning streak.
The 2000 NBL season was the 19th season of the National Basketball League. Only one change occurred heading into the 2000 season, with the Hawke's Bay Hawks returning to the league after a one-year hiatus to replace the outgoing Taranaki, who withdrew due to financial concerns. Palmerston North were also on the brink of collapse, but they secured a sponsorship deal at the last minute to ensure their participation. The Auckland Rebels won the championship in 2000 to claim their seventh league title.
The 1997 NBL season was the 16th season of the National Basketball League. Basketball in New Zealand began to dwindle during the 1990s, with TV coverage reduced, sponsorships scarce, and crowd numbers on the decline. At the end of the 1996 season, with both Wellington and Hutt Valley struggling to survive, the two teams amalgamated for the 1997 season.
The 1994 NBL season was the 13th season of the National Basketball League. Only one change occurred heading into the 1994 season, with New Plymouth now called Taranaki. Nelson won the championship in 1994 to claim their first league title.
The 1993 NBL season was the 12th season of the National Basketball League. Hutt Valley won the championship in 1993 to claim their second league title. Head coach Jeff Green guided Hutt Valley over Canterbury in the final with Peter Pokai hitting the game-winning jumper. It was a special triumph for Green, who was sensationally sacked by the team early in the season, but brought back with seven games to go.
The 2016 NBL season was the 35th season of the National Basketball League. The league's team total dropped to an all-time low for the 2016 season, with the departure of the Manawatu Jets leaving the competition with seven teams.
The 2018 NBL season was the 37th season of the National Basketball League. In 2018, the league welcomed back the Manawatu Jets after a two-season hiatus.