New Zealand NBL
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Poster
Established
1981 (45 years old)
First Recorded Event
2010-03-04
Current Season
2026
Current Round
9
Sport
BasketballLocation
New Zealand
Gender
Male
TV Rights
US - ESPN [2020-2021]
03 Jun 
Description
The National Basketball League (NBL) is a men's semi-professional basketball league in New Zealand.
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.
Seasons
2026
2025
2024
Teams
 Auckland Tuatar  |  Canterbury Rams |  Franklin Bulls | |||
 Hawkes Bay Hawk |  Manawatu Jets |  Nelson Giants | |||
 Otago Nuggets |  Southland Shark |  Taranaki Airs | |||
 Tauranga Whai |  Wellington Sain |
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