New Zealand Breakers
| New Zealand Breakers | |||
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| League | NBL | ||
| Founded | 2003 | ||
| History |
New Zealand Breakers 2003–present |
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| Arena |
North Shore Events Centre (The Breakerdome) Vector Arena |
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| Capacity | 4,400 (NSEC) 9,300 (Vector Arena) |
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| Location | Auckland, New Zealand | ||
| Team colours | Black, Light Blue and White | ||
| Main sponsor | SkyCity Auckland | ||
| General manager | Dillon Boucher | ||
| Head coach | Paul Henare | ||
| Team captain | Mika Vukona | ||
| Ownership | Liz and Paul Blackwell | ||
| Championships | 4 (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015) | ||
| Retired numbers | 2 (24, 32) | ||
| Website | NZ Breakers | ||
| Uniforms | |||
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The New Zealand Breakers are a New Zealand professional men's basketball team competing in the National Basketball League (NBL). The Breakers joined the NBL for the 2003–04 season (along with the now-defunct Hunter Pirates) as one of two expansion clubs. The club is based in the city of Auckland, New Zealand and split their home games between the 4,400 capacity North Shore Events Centre (NSEC), known as "The Breakerdome" within the NBL, and the 9,300 seat Vector Arena where they play select games against higher drawing teams as well as all finals games due to the higher capacity. They are currently owned by Liz and Paul Blackwell, owners of a local Pak'n Save supermarket.
They are one of two teams (the other being the now-absent Singapore Slingers) from outside of Australia to have competed in the National Basketball League. In 2011, the Breakers won their first NBL championship and successfully defended it in 2012 and 2013. They reclaimed the title in 2015 after missing the playoffs in 2014. In 2016, they lost their first Grand Final series at the hand of arch rivals the Perth Wildcats.
After a 111-110 victory over the Adelaide 36ers in the first ever regular season match, the Breakers went on to lose ten of their next eleven games to languish near the bottom of the NBL ladder. The inaugural coach, Jeff Green, was subsequently fired and succeeded by Frank Arsego, who was initially an assistant coach.
The addition of former MSU star Mike Chappell breathed new life into the Breakers season. After languishing with a 2-10 record, the Breakers experienced a mid-season resurgence, capped off by a five-match winning streak towards the end of the season which gave them a realistic shot of qualifying for the playoffs. Needing to win both of their final games in the final week of the regular season to claim a playoff berth, the Breakers lost both and finished equal ninth (officially tenth).
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