National Basketball League (New Zealand)

The New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL) is a men's semi-professional basketball league in New Zealand.[1]

For other organizations with a similar name, see National Basketball League (disambiguation) and NBL (disambiguation).

New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL)
Most recent season or competition:
2023 New Zealand NBL season
SportBasketball
Founded1981
Inaugural season1982
DirectorMaree Taylor (general manager)
No. of teams11
CountriesNew Zealand
ContinentFIBA Oceania (Oceania)
Most recent
champion(s)		Canterbury Rams (5th title)
Most titlesWellington Saints (12 titles)
TV partner(s)Sky Sport
Level on pyramid1
Official websiteNZNBL.Basketball

In 1981, a group of club and provincial teams came together to create a men's national basketball league. The following year, the league was brought under the management of the New Zealand Basketball Federation. The league quickly grew in size and popularity due to the influx of sponsors and American import players. The early 1990s held dwindling fortunes for New Zealand basketball, with reduced TV coverage, sponsorships, and crowd numbers. The sport's popularity increased in the 2000s with the success of the Tall Blacks and the introduction of the New Zealand Breakers in the Australian NBL.

In the early days, Auckland, Canterbury and Wellington were the benchmark teams of the league. During the 1990s, Auckland and Nelson were the teams to beat, before Waikato joined Auckland as the dominant sides during the 2000s. During the 2010s, Wellington and Southland became the league's premier teams.

History

The 1980s ushered in a period of exceptional growth and popularity for basketball in New Zealand. Late in 1981, six men's teams – a mixture of club and provincial representative sides – went out alone and created an inaugural national league. It was enough of a success to come under the control of the New Zealand Basketball Federation the following year, when it grew in size and secured a naming sponsor. An allowance of two imported players (invariably Americans with college basketball experience) per team, and the fact that games were played in the evening indoors, helped turn the league into a new family entertainment option. Spectators filled gymnasiums and media coverage reached unprecedented levels.[2] The early 1990s held dwindling fortunes for New Zealand basketball and many teams in the NZNBL, with reduced TV coverage, sponsorships, and crowd numbers.[3] With the success of the Tall Blacks at the 2002 FIBA World Championship and the introduction of the New Zealand Breakers in the Australian NBL in 2003, basketball in New Zealand rose in popularity again.[2]

The number of teams each season has constantly changed since the league's inception, with many promotions and relegations between the first division and second division during the 1980s and 1990s, as well as many withdrawals due to financial reasons. The league began with 8 teams in 1982, then peaked at 13 teams in 1995, before dropping to a low of 7 in 2016. In 2019, the Southern Huskies from Tasmania became the first ever Australian team to join a New Zealand competition. The league returned to 7 teams in 2020 following a revised small-scale format due to the coronavirus pandemic.[4] In 2022, the league was hailed for reaching competitive balance after years of unbalanced competition, with evenly spread talent and resources across the ten teams.[5]

Current teams
See also: List of current New Zealand NBL team rosters
Team City Region Arena Capacity Colours Debut Head Coach
Auckland Tuatara Auckland Auckland Region Eventfinda Stadium 4,179     2019 New Zealand Aaron Young
Canterbury Rams Christchurch Canterbury Cowles Stadium 2,300[6]     1982 New Zealand Judd Flavell
Franklin Bulls Pukekohe Auckland Region Franklin Pool and Leisure Centre 1,100     2020 United States Daniel Sokolovsky
Hawke's Bay Hawks Napier Hawke's Bay Pettigrew Green Arena 2,500       1983 New Zealand Everard Bartlett
Manawatu Jets Palmerston North Manawatū-Whanganui Central Energy Trust Arena 2,000       1982 New Zealand Natu Taufale
Nelson Giants Nelson Nelson Trafalgar Centre 2,460     1982 New Zealand Michael Fitchett
Otago Nuggets Dunedin Otago Edgar Centre 2,880       1990 New Zealand Brent Matehaere
Southland Sharks Invercargill Southland Stadium Southland 4,019       2010 Australia Guy Molloy
Taranaki Airs New Plymouth Taranaki TSB Stadium 4,560     1985 New Zealand Trent Adam
Wellington Saints Wellington Wellington Region TSB Bank Arena 4,002     1983 New Zealand Troy McLean
Whai Tauranga Bay of Plenty Mercury Baypark       2024 New Zealand Matt Lacey
Location of teams within New Zealand

Expansion teams
Team City Region Arena Capacity Colours Debut Head Coach
Queenstown Yeti[7][8] Queenstown Otago TBD TBD TBD TBD

Former and defunct teams

League eligibility rules

There are two categories of players in the NZNBL:

  • Non-Restricted Player – players eligible to play for New Zealand in FIBA competitions
  • Restricted Player – a player who is not eligible to play for New Zealand[12][13]

Broadcasting details

In 2016 and 2017, the NZNBL began to more freely livestream and broadcast their games.[14][15] In 2020, the league had all 75 games broadcast by Sky Sport, marking the first time in the league's four-decade history that every game would be made available to viewers across the nation.[16] That same year, the league secured a deal to broadcast live in the United States through ESPN.[17]

In 2022, the NZNBL and Sky Sport signed a five-year commercial deal estimated to be worth $7.5 million for the teams.[18]

Honours

List of Champions
Main article: List of New Zealand NBL champions
Team Wins Losses Total Year(s) won Year(s) lost
Wellington Saints128201984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 20211983, 1986, 1991, 2001, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2018
Auckland Stars94131982, 1983, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2004, 20051984, 1985, 1989, 2006
Canterbury Rams5491986, 1989, 1990, 1992, 20231987, 1993, 1994, 1999
Waikato Pistons4262001, 2002, 2008, 20092003, 2010
Nelson Giants38111994, 1998, 20071990, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2013
Southland Sharks3142013, 2015, 20182017
Hutt Valley Lakers2021991, 1993
Otago Nuggets2022020, 2022
Hawke's Bay Hawks17820061995, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2014, 2019, 2021
Auckland Pirates1012012
Harbour Heat0221988, 1998
Manawatu Jets0221992, 2020
Auckland Tuatara0222022, 2023
Waitemata Dolphins0111982
Super City Rangers0112016

Awards
Main article: List of National Basketball League (New Zealand) awards
Current
Past

See also

References
  1. "NBL OPENS OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW FRANCHISES". nznbl.basketball. 16 September 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2023. The Sal's NBL is the pre-eminent semi-professional men's basketball league in New Zealand.
  2. Saker, John (5 September 2013). "Basketball". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  3. "Locations – Exodus Saints". Wotzon.com. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013.
  4. "AUCKLAND TO HOST 2020 SAL'S NBL, TIPPING OFF 23 JUNE". nznbl.basketball. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  5. Nelson, Justin (3 August 2022). "Taranaki Airs shake up the NBL as they head to playoffs". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 5 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  6. Cowles Stadium – Christchurch City Council
  7. "QUEENSTOWN SET TO JOIN SAL'S NBL IN 2024". nznbl.basketball. 23 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022.
  8. "WHAI NAME MATT LACEY HEAD COACH FOR INAUGURAL SEASON". nznbl.basketball. 20 October 2023. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. The Queenstown Yeti were initially tapped to join the league in 2024 as a 12th franchise, but that entry for has been delayed for at least two years while awaiting developments on upgrades required for the franchise's planned home venue.
  9. Pirates out of 2013 NBL
  10. Waikato Pistons out of 2012 national league
  11. Waikato Pistons pull out of NBL competition
  12. NZ NBL AGREE TO THE RETURN OF MANAWATU JETS IN 2018
  13. NZ NBL MEDIA STATEMENT: THE RULING OF JOSHUA DUINKER’S ELIGIBILITY AND PLAYING STATUS IN THE NZ NBL
  14. THE NEW ZEALAND NBL TO BE BROADCAST LIVE AND FREE ON NZHERALD.CO.NZ
  15. Basketball: NZ Herald to live stream NZ NBL in 2017
  16. SKY TO BROADCAST EVERY SAL'S NBL GAME IN 2020
  17. "NZNBL: New Zealand National Basketball League". NZNBL. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  18. New Zealand's soaring National Basketball League proving ratings hit for partners
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