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.
Phillip Charles George Jones is a New Zealand former professional basketball player. He played in Finland, Italy and Australia, but is best known for his 22 seasons with the Nelson Giants in the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). He also played 14 years for the New Zealand national team.
The Christchurch Cougars were a New Zealand basketball team based in Christchurch. The Cougars competed in the National Basketball League (NBL) and played their home games at Cowles Stadium. The Cougars pulled out of the NBL in 2011 after just two seasons following the Christchurch earthquake.
Thomas Iain Abercrombie is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). A product of Westlake Boys High School in Auckland, Abercrombie had a short-lived college basketball stint with Washington State before debuting in the Australian NBL in 2008 with the Breakers. In 2011, he won his first NBL championship and earned Grand Final MVP honours. He went on to win three more championships in 2012, 2013 and 2015. Abercrombie is the Breakers' all-time leading scorer and has the most 3-pointers in club history.
The 2010 NBL season was the 29th season of the National Basketball League. Foundation member and nine-time NBL champions the Auckland Stars withdrew from the league in 2010, while the Otago Nuggets returned after a one-year absence and the Southland Sharks joined for the first time.
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 2008 NBL season was the 27th season of the National Basketball League. The Waikato Pistons won the championship in 2008 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.
Dion Anthony Prewster is an American-born New Zealand professional basketball player for Melbourne United of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for San Jacinto College and Stephen F. Austin State University.
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. In the final, Titans' forward Dillon Boucher made two free throws with 1.7 seconds to lift Waikato over the Nelson Giants 85–83.
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 1998 NBL season was the 17th season of the National Basketball League. Nelson won the championship in 1998 to claim their second league title. They defeated North Harbour 81–73 in the final on 12 September. A mid-season game between Canterbury and Northland produced the highest ever scoreline in league history, with Canterbury recording a 179–124 win. Northland also became the first team in league history to record a winless campaign.
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 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 2017 NBL season was the 36th season of the National Basketball League. For the second year in a row, the league fielded 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.
The 2021 NBL season was the 40th season of the National Basketball League.
