New Zealand Breakers

New Zealand Breakers
2024–25 New Zealand Breakers season
New Zealand Breakers logo
LeagueNBL
Founded2003; 21 years ago (2003)
HistoryNew Zealand Breakers
2003–present
ArenaSpark Arena
Capacity9,740
LocationAuckland, New Zealand
Team coloursPink, blue, white, black
       
Main sponsorBank of New Zealand
CEOLisa Edser
General managerSimon Edwards
Head coachPetteri Koponen
Team captainParker Jackson-Cartwright
Mitch McCarron
OwnershipBreakers Basketball Ltd
Championships4 (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015)
Retired numbers3 (23, 24, 32)
WebsiteNZ 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]

History

[edit]

Early years

[edit]

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]

Championship era (2010–2016)

[edit]
Breakers' Gary Wilkinson makes a pass against Wildcats' Cameron Tovey

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]

Breakers playing against the Perth Wildcats in 2014

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]

Post championship era and new ownership (2016–2020)

[edit]

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]

COVID-affected years (2020–2022)

[edit]

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]

Return to the grand final (2022–present)

[edit]

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]

The Breakers started the 2024–25 season with a 6–2 record following a 34-point win over Melbourne United on the road.[88]

Season by season

[edit]
NBL champions League champions Runners-up Finals berth
Season Tier League Regular season Post-season Head coach Captain Club MVP
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

Source: New Zealand Breakers Year by Year

Honour roll

[edit]
NBL Championships: 4 (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015)
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

Current roster

[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

New Zealand Breakers roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht. Wt.
G 0 New Zealand McNaught, Alex (DP) 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) 90 kg (198 lb)
G/F 1 Mexico López, Karim (NS) 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in)
G/F 2 Australia Bairstow, Sean 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 93 kg (205 lb)
F 3 New Zealand Mennenga, Sam 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) 109 kg (240 lb)
G 5 New Zealand Isaac, Kaia (DP) 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
G 6 United States Jackson-Cartwright, Parker (I & C) 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) 74 kg (163 lb)
G 7 New Zealand King, Mojave Injured 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 88 kg (194 lb)
G 8 Australia McCarron, Mitch (C) 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) 97 kg (214 lb)
F 11 Australia Anticevich, Grant 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) 104 kg (229 lb)
F 12 New Zealand Darling, Max Injured 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 118 kg (260 lb)
G 13 United States Mooney, Matt (I) 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 90 kg (198 lb)
F 21 New Zealand Davison, Carlin (DP) 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 95 kg (209 lb)
C 22 Australia Pineau, Dane 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) 103 kg (227 lb)
F 43 Australia Bolden, Jonah Injured 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 106 kg (234 lb)
C 99 Senegal Fall, Tacko (TP) 2.29 m (7 ft 6 in) 141 kg (311 lb)
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • Croatia Mario Dugandzic
  • Lithuania Laimonas Eglinskas
  • United States Daniel Sokolovsky
Strength & conditioning coach(es)
  • United States Shane Connolly
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Development player
  • (I) Import player
  • (SRP) Special restricted player
  • (NS) Next Star player
  • Injured Injured
Updated: 18 November 2024

All-time roster

[edit]
Main article: New Zealand Breakers all-time roster

Notable past players

[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time
  • Played at least one official NBA match at any time.

Retired jerseys

[edit]
New Zealand Breakers retired numbers
No. Nat. Player Position Tenure
23 Australia C. J. Bruton[89][90] PG/SG 2008–2014
24 New Zealand Dillon Boucher SF/PF 2003–2005, 2008–2013
32 New Zealand 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.[91]

Arena history

[edit]
Spark Arena, 2017

References

[edit]
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