New Zealand Breakers | |||
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League | NBL | ||
Founded | 2003 | ||
History | New Zealand Breakers 2003–present | ||
Arena | Spark Arena | ||
Capacity | 9,740 | ||
Location | Auckland, New Zealand | ||
Team colours | Pink, blue, white, black | ||
Main sponsor | Bank of New Zealand | ||
CEO | Lisa Edser | ||
General manager | Simon Edwards | ||
Head coach | Petteri Koponen | ||
Team captain | TBD | ||
Ownership | Breakers Basketball Ltd | ||
Championships | 4 (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015) | ||
Retired numbers | 3 (23, 24, 32) | ||
Website | NZ Breakers | ||
The New Zealand Breakers (also known as the BNZ Breakers for sponsorship reasons) are a New Zealand professional basketball team based in Auckland. The Breakers are the only non-Australian side currently competing in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL), and one of only two non-Australian sides to have done so (the other being the now-absent Singapore Slingers). They play their home games at multiple venues, mainly Spark Arena in Auckland. In 2011, the Breakers won their first NBL championship and successfully defended it in 2012 and 2013, claiming the second three-peat in NBL history. They won their fourth title in 2015.
The Breakers were owned by Liz and Paul Blackwell from 2005 to 2018 when a consortium headed by former NBA player Matt Walsh became the majority shareholders via a newly formed company called Breakers Basketball Ltd. [1]
In March 2003, a New Zealand basketball team was confirmed to be entering the Australian National Basketball League in the 2003–04 season. [2] Three Waikato businessmen, Michael Redman, Dallas Fisher and Keith Ward, were persuaded to start the Breakers franchise. [3] [4]
A driving force behind establishing the Breakers was inaugural coach Jeff Green. [5] Green stepped down as coach two months into the season and was replaced by assistant coach Frank Arsego. [6] The Breakers finished their first season in tenth place with a 12–21 record.
After finishing the 2004–05 season in last place, the Breakers replaced Arsego with Andrej Lemanis for the 2005–06 season. [7] In 2005, Liz and Paul Blackwell took over ownership of the Breakers. [8] [9]
With the addition of Kirk Penney for the 2007–08 season, the Breakers made their first playoff appearance. [10] The Breakers returned to the playoffs in 2008–09 behind Penney and C. J. Bruton. [11] Penney was sidelined for nine games with a back injury in 2009–10, [12] with a mid-season slump leading to the Breakers missing the playoffs. [13]
The 2010–11 season saw the Breakers earn their first minor premiership with a first-place finish and a 22–6 record. [14] They went on to reach their inaugural NBL grand final with a 2–1 semi-final victory over the Perth Wildcats. [15] In the grand final series, the Breakers defeated the Cairns Taipans 2–1 to win their maiden NBL championship. They became the first New Zealand side to win a major Australian championship. [16] The team was led by Penney, Bruton, Mika Vukona, Gary Wilkinson, Paul Henare and grand final MVP Thomas Abercrombie. [16] [17]
The 2011–12 season saw the Breakers claim the minor premiership with a 21–7 record and reach the NBL grand final series, where they defeated the Perth Wildcats 2–1 to win their second championship. The team was led by Wilkinson, Abercrombie, Vukona, Daryl Corletto, Cedric Jackson and grand final MVP C. J. Bruton. [18]
The 2012 off-season saw the departure of Gary Wilkinson and the elevation of Alex Pledger to the starting line-up, [19] while guard Corey Webster returned to the squad after a 12-month suspension for the use of banned substances. [20] The 2012–13 season saw the Breakers win the minor premiership behind a 15-game winning streak. [21] [22] They went on to reach the NBL grand final series, where they defeated the Wildcats 2–0 to win their third straight championship behind grand final MVP Cedric Jackson. The Breakers became just the second team to win a three-peat of championships after the Sydney Kings in 2003, 2004 and 2005. [23] [24] [25]
The 2013 off-season saw the departure of long-time coach Andrej Lemanis. [26]
After missing the playoffs in 2013–14, [27] the Breakers brought back Cedric Jackson for the 2014–15 season. [28] They finished the regular season in second place with a 19–9 record and defeated the Adelaide 36ers 2–0 in the semi-finals to return to the NBL grand final. [29] [30] [31] In the grand final series, the Breakers defeated the Cairns Taipans 86–71 in game one [32] and 83–81 in game two. Ekene Ibekwe hit the game-winning buzzer beater in game two to lift the Breakers to their fourth championship in five seasons. Jackson was named grand final MVP for the second time. [33] [34]
The Breakers returned to the NBL grand final series for the fifth time in six years in 2015–16, where they lost 2–1 to the Perth Wildcats. [35] [36] Following the 2015–16 season, chief executive Richard Clarke and coach Dean Vickerman parted ways with the organisation, with Paul Henare becoming head coach and Dillon Boucher becoming general manager. [37]
After missing the playoffs in 2016–17, [38] [39] [40] [41] the Breakers had a 9–1 record early in the 2017–18 season, setting their best start in franchise history. [42] [43] [44] They went on to finish the regular season in fourth place with a 15–13 record [45] and lost to Melbourne United in the semi-finals. [46] Kirk Penney retired following the season. [47]
In 2018, a consortium headed by former NBA player Matt Walsh became the majority shareholders via a newly formed company called Breakers Basketball Ltd. [1] [48] [49] The Breakers missed the playoffs in 2018–19 with a sixth-place finish and a 12–16 record.
The 2019–20 season saw the appointment of new coach Dan Shamir [50] and the acquisition of R. J. Hampton as part of the NBL Next Stars program. [51] The Breakers subsequently had record home crowds and engagement. [52] [53] Despite winning 11 of their last 14 games to finish the season, the team missed the playoffs on points differential. [54] [55] [56]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–21 season start date was delayed until January 2021. As a result of the pandemic, the Breakers were forced to commit to being based in Australia for the majority of the season. [57] [58] [59] They hosted a number of games as the 'home' team in Tasmania and only returned to play their last seven games in New Zealand in late May. [60] A number of players missed large portions of the season due to injury and personal issues, including Robert Loe (20 games), Thomas Abercrombie (9), Corey Webster (8) and Tai Webster (7). The team also had a mid-season import change, with Lamar Patterson being replaced by Levi Randolph. They finished the season in eighth place with a 12–24 record. [60]
As a result of the pandemic, the Breakers played their entire 2021–22 season in Australia, basing themselves in Tasmania. [61] [62] The team faced a COVID outbreak on the eve of the season, which they had to play through en route to a 0–6 start. [62] [63] With a 5–23 record, the Breakers had their worst season in their 19-year history. [64] [65]
With the departure of Dan Shamir, assistant coach Mody Maor was elevated to head coach for the 2022–23 season and helped the Breakers become championship contenders. [66] The Breakers finished the regular season in second place with an 18–10 record, as they clinched their first playoff appearance in five years. [67] [68] They went on to reach their first grand final series since 2016. [69] [70] [71] [72] In game one against the Sydney Kings, the Breakers won 95–87. [73] [74] After losing games two and three, [75] [76] the Breakers tied the series with an 80–70 win at home in game four in front of their biggest ever crowd of 9,742. [77] [78] They went on to lose the deciding game five 77–69, as the Kings claimed the championship. [79] [80]
The Breakers started the 2023–24 season with a 3–7 record. [81] [82] They went on to finish sixth with a 13–15 record [83] and lost in the play-in game. [84]
Thomas Abercrombie retired following the 2023–24 season, ending his NBL career with 429 games and finishing as the Breakers' most-capped player. [85] Head coach Mody Maor parted ways with the Breakers during the off-season to pursue a coaching opportunity in Asia. [86] [87]
NBL champions | League champions | Runners-up | Finals berth |
Season | Tier | League | Regular season | Post-season | Head coach | Captain | Club MVP | ||||
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Finish | Played | Wins | Losses | Win % | |||||||
New Zealand Breakers | |||||||||||
2003–04 | 1 | NBL | 10th | 33 | 12 | 21 | .364 | Did not qualify | Jeff Green Frank Arsego | Pero Cameron | Mike Chappell |
2004–05 | 1 | NBL | 11th | 32 | 9 | 23 | .281 | Did not qualify | Frank Arsego | Pero Cameron Paul Henare | Aaron Olson |
2005–06 | 1 | NBL | 9th | 32 | 9 | 23 | .281 | Did not qualify | Andrej Lemanis | Paul Henare | Ben Pepper |
2006–07 | 1 | NBL | 10th | 33 | 11 | 22 | .333 | Did not qualify | Andrej Lemanis | Paul Henare | Carlos Powell |
2007–08 | 1 | NBL | 7th | 30 | 16 | 14 | .533 | Won elimination final (Cairns) 100–78 Lost quarterfinal (Brisbane) 89–106 | Andrej Lemanis | Paul Henare | Kirk Penney |
2008–09 | 1 | NBL | 3rd | 30 | 18 | 12 | .600 | Won elimination final (Adelaide) 131–101 Lost semifinals (Melbourne) 0–2 | Andrej Lemanis | Paul Henare | Kirk Penney |
2009–10 | 1 | NBL | 5th | 28 | 15 | 13 | .536 | Did not qualify | Andrej Lemanis | Paul Henare | Kirk Penney |
2010–11 | 1 | NBL | 1st | 28 | 22 | 6 | .786 | Won semifinals (Perth) 2–1 Won NBL finals (Cairns) 2–1 | Andrej Lemanis | Mika Vukona | Kirk Penney |
2011–12 | 1 | NBL | 1st | 28 | 21 | 7 | .750 | Won semifinals (Townsville) 2–1 Won NBL finals (Perth) 2–1 | Andrej Lemanis | Mika Vukona | Cedric Jackson |
2012–13 | 1 | NBL | 1st | 28 | 24 | 4 | .923 | Won semifinals (Sydney) 2–0 Won NBL finals (Perth) 2–0 | Andrej Lemanis | Mika Vukona | Cedric Jackson |
2013–14 | 1 | NBL | 7th | 28 | 11 | 17 | .393 | Did not qualify | Dean Vickerman | Mika Vukona | Thomas Abercrombie |
2014–15 | 1 | NBL | 2nd | 28 | 19 | 9 | .679 | Won semifinals (Adelaide) 2–0 Won NBL finals (Cairns) 2–0 | Dean Vickerman | Mika Vukona | Cedric Jackson |
2015–16 | 1 | NBL | 4th | 28 | 16 | 12 | .571 | Won semifinals (Melbourne) 2–0 Lost NBL finals (Perth) 1–2 | Dean Vickerman | Mika Vukona | Corey Webster |
2016–17 | 1 | NBL | 5th | 28 | 14 | 14 | .500 | Did not qualify | Paul Henare | Mika Vukona | Kirk Penney |
2017–18 | 1 | NBL | 4th | 28 | 15 | 13 | .536 | Lost semifinals (Melbourne) 0–2 | Paul Henare | Mika Vukona | Édgar Sosa |
2018–19 | 1 | NBL | 6th | 28 | 12 | 16 | .429 | Did not qualify | Kevin Braswell | Thomas Abercrombie | Shawn Long |
2019–20 | 1 | NBL | 6th | 28 | 15 | 13 | .536 | Did not qualify | Dan Shamir | Thomas Abercrombie | Thomas Abercrombie |
2020–21 | 1 | NBL | 8th | 36 | 12 | 24 | .333 | Did not qualify | Dan Shamir | Thomas Abercrombie | Finn Delany |
2021–22 | 1 | NBL | 10th | 28 | 5 | 23 | .179 | Did not qualify | Dan Shamir | Thomas Abercrombie | Yanni Wetzell |
2022–23 | 1 | NBL | 2nd | 28 | 18 | 10 | .643 | Won semifinals (Tasmania) 2–1 Lost NBL finals (Sydney) 2–3 | Mody Maor | Thomas Abercrombie | Jarrell Brantley |
2023–24 | 1 | NBL | 6th | 28 | 13 | 15 | .464 | Won play-in qualifier (Sydney) 83–76 Lost play-in game (Illawarra) 85–88 | Mody Maor | Thomas Abercrombie | Parker Jackson-Cartwright |
Regular season record | 618 | 307 | 311 | .497 | 3 regular season champions | ||||||
Finals record | 42 | 26 | 16 | .619 | 4 NBL championships |
As of the end of the 2023–24 season
NBL Championships: | 4 (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015) |
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Regular Season Champions: | 3 (2011, 2012, 2013) |
NBL Finals Appearances: | 10 (2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2023, 2024) |
NBL Grand Final appearances: | 6 (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2023) |
NBL Most Valuable Player: | Kirk Penney (2009), Cedric Jackson (2013) |
NBL Grand Final MVPs: | Thomas Abercrombie (2011), C. J. Bruton (2012), Cedric Jackson (2013, 2015) |
All-NBL First Team: | Carlos Powell (2007), Kirk Penney (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011), C. J. Bruton (2009), Gary Wilkinson (2011), Cedric Jackson (2012, 2013, 2015), Thomas Abercrombie (2012), Anthony Lamb (2024), Parker Jackson-Cartwright (2024) |
All-NBL Second Team: | C. J. Bruton (2010), Gary Wilkinson (2012), Mika Vukona (2013, 2014), Ekene Ibekwe (2015), Corey Webster (2016), Édgar Sosa (2018), Shawn Long (2019), Scotty Hopson (2020), Finn Delany (2021), Barry Brown Jr. (2023), Dererk Pardon (2023) |
All-NBL Third Team: | Mike Chappell (2004), Thomas Abercrombie (2013) |
Leading NBL scorer: | Carlos Powell (2007), Kirk Penney (2009, 2010, 2011) |
NBL Best Sixth Man: | Phill Jones (2009), Kevin Braswell (2011), Barry Brown Jr. (2023) |
NBL Most Improved Player: | Shea Ili (2018) |
NBL Defensive Player of the Year: | Dillon Boucher (2010) |
NBL Coach of the Year: | Andrej Lemanis (2012, 2013) |
Retired numbers: | #23 C. J. Bruton, #24 Dillon Boucher, #32 Paul Henare |
Lifetime members of the club | Andrej Lemanis, Jeff Green, Dillon Boucher, Paul Henare |
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.
New Zealand Breakers roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Updated: 11 August 2024 |
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.
Criteria |
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To appear in this section a player must have either:
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New Zealand Breakers retired numbers | ||||
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No. | Nat. | Player | Position | Tenure |
23 | ![]() | C. J. Bruton [88] [89] | PG/SG | 2008–2014 |
24 | ![]() | Dillon Boucher | SF/PF | 2003–2005, 2008–2013 |
32 | ![]() | Paul Henare | PG | 2003–2011 (player) 2013–2018 (coach) |
In February 2019, former owners Paul and Liz Blackwell were honoured by the Breakers with a banner in the rafters at Spark Arena. [90]
3 October 2018 19:00 |
![]() | 86–91 | ![]() |
Scoring by quarter: 20–28, 22–24, 20–25, 24–14 | ||
Pts: Webster 27 Rebs: Long 10 Asts: Webster 7 | Pts: Ayton 21 Rebs: Ayton 16 Asts: Ariza 6 |
Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, United States Attendance: 7,183 Referees: Bill Kennedy, CJ Washington, Scott Twardoski |
8 October 2019 19:00 |
![]() | 94–108 | ![]() |
Scoring by quarter: 14–27, 22–28, 29–22, 29–31 | ||
Pts: Webster 19 Rebs: Hopson 8 Asts: Webster 8 | Pts: Jackson Jr., Allen 18 Rebs: Clarke 12 Asts: Morant 10 |
FedExForum, Memphis, United States Attendance: 10,259 Referees: Derrick Collins, Michael Smith, CJ Washington |
10 October 2019 19:00 |
![]() | 84–110 | ![]() |
Scoring by quarter: 15–29, 20–33, 22–28, 27–20 | ||
Pts: Loe 19 Rebs: Hopson, Majok 6 Asts: Hampton, Henry 5 | Pts: Adams 19 Rebs: Adams 10 Asts: Schroder 6 |
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, United States Attendance: not available Referees: Derrick Collins, Brett Nansel, Michael Smith |
Dillon Matthew Boucher is a New Zealand former professional basketball player. His 13 combined career championships is the most in ANBL/NZNBL history.
Thomas Iain Abercrombie is a New Zealand former professional basketball player who played 16 seasons in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) for the New Zealand Breakers. 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. He ended his NBL career in 2024 as the Breakers' most-capped player with 429 games.
Alex John Pledger is a New Zealand former professional basketball player. He played college basketball in the United States for Kansas City and Belmont Abbey before playing eleven seasons in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) between 2009 and 2020. In nine seasons with the New Zealand Breakers, he won four NBL championships. In the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL), he won championships with the Auckland Pirates (2012) and Southland Sharks (2018). He was also a regular member of the New Zealand national team.
Robert Loe is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Auckland Tuatara of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). He is also contracted with Melbourne United of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for Saint Louis University and represents the New Zealand national team. He also holds a British passport.
Corey Webster is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Auckland Tuatara of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). He joined the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) for the first time in 2008 after a season of college basketball in the United States for Lambuth University, and won championships with the club in 2011, 2013 and 2015.
Michael Robert Elmslie Fitchett is a New Zealand former professional basketball player. He attended Nelson College from 1996 to 2000, where he excelled as a sportsman. He was the school's junior athletics champion in 1996 and 1997, played for the 'A' basketball team from 1996 to 2000, and was a member of the 1st XI cricket team from 1996 to 2000. He played in the New Zealand NBL every year between 1999 and 2012. He also played one game in the Australian NBL with the New Zealand Breakers in January 2009. He also represented the Tall Blacks multiple times between 2008 and 2011.
Cedric Lamar Jackson is an American former professional basketball player. He played two years of college basketball for Cleveland State University, where he made a notable game-winning full-court shot against Syracuse and helped the Vikings past Wake Forest in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament.
Tai William Evans Wesley is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Utah State Aggies, where he was named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2011. After beginning his career with successful stints in Europe, he made a name for himself in Australia and New Zealand, winning two Australian NBL championships and three New Zealand NBL championships. Wesley also represented the Guam national team on numerous occasions.
Duane Benjamin Bailey is a New Zealand former professional basketball player who played in the New Zealand NBL and the Australian NBL.
Tai Hikuroa Wynyard is a New Zealand professional basketball player who last played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association. He began his career playing in his home country for the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian NBL and the Super City Rangers of the New Zealand NBL. After a two-year stint in the United States playing college basketball for Kentucky, Wynyard returned to the Australian and New Zealand NBL.
Shane McDonald is an Australian former professional basketball player. He had four stints in the National Basketball League (NBL) with the Singapore Slingers, Perth Wildcats, Melbourne Tigers and New Zealand Breakers. The majority of his career was spent in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) for the Nunawading Spectres, winning a championship in 2011 and league MVP honours in 2013. In his final season, he helped the Spectres win the 2019 NBL1 championship.
James Paton Hunter is an Australian-New Zealand basketball player for the Maitland Mustangs of the NBL1 East.
Derone Jordan Raukawa is a New Zealand basketball player for the Taranaki Airs of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL).
Ethan Rusbatch is a New Zealand basketball player for the Franklin Bulls of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). He began his New Zealand NBL career in 2012 with the Southland Sharks after spending one season in the United States playing college basketball for Lincoln Trail College. After playing for the Taranaki Mountainairs in 2013, he spent the next four seasons with the Canterbury Rams. He joined the Hawke's Bay Hawks in 2018 and won the NZNBL's Most Improved Player in 2019. He also played two seasons with the New Zealand Breakers in the Australian NBL.
Shea Ili is a New Zealand professional basketball player for Melbourne United of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He is also contracted with the Sandringham Sabres of the NBL1 South. He debuted in the Australian NBL in 2014 with the New Zealand Breakers. He was a member of the Breakers' championship-winning team in 2015 and in 2018 he named the NBL Most Improved Player. He joined United in 2019 and in 2021 he won his second NBL championship. He was named NBL Best Sixth Man in 2022 and NBL Best Defensive Player in 2024.
The 2019–20 NBL season was the 17th season for the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL.
Reuben Te Rangi is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Auckland Tuatara of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). He is also contracted with the Tasmania JackJumpers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He is a regular New Zealand Tall Black.
Thomas James Vodanovich is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Auckland Tuatara of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). He is also contracted with the South East Melbourne Phoenix of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball in the United States for the James Madison Dukes between 2013 and 2017 before having a two-year stint with the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian NBL. He joined the Sydney Kings in 2021 and won an NBL championship in 2022. He won a second NBL championship with the Tasmania JackJumpers in 2024. In 2020, he was named the New Zealand NBL MVP playing for the Manawatu Jets.
Izayah Mauriohooho-Le'afa is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Wellington Saints of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). He is also contracted with the Sydney Kings of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He began his career in the New Zealand NBL, playing three seasons for the Wellington Saints before moving to the United States in 2016 to play college basketball for the Sacramento State Hornets. After graduating in 2020, he played a season for the Auckland Huskies and earned NZNBL Defensive Player of the Year and NZNBL All-Star Five. He subsequently joined the South East Melbourne Phoenix in the Australian NBL and played two seasons before joining the New Zealand Breakers in 2022.
Mody Maor is an Israeli-American professional basketball coach who most recently served as head coach for the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League.
Paul and Liz Blackwell have owned the club since 2005...
As if another season away from home and following an 0-6 start to the season wasn't bad enough, New Zealand Breakers coach Dan Shamir seemed to have his coaching undermined by his owner in their drought-breaking win on Sunday.