It will be a unique start to the season for the NZ Breakers, with the first game of Australian National Basketball League (ANBL) campaign against the Brisbane Bullets in Perth on September 21.
In a first-of-its-kind initiative from the ANBL, all 10 teams will play in Western Australia for the inaugural HoopsFest, timed to coincide with Perth's school holidays.
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That means there will be one extra regular season game this season, with 29 games played over six months from September to February.
"HoopsFest is the first of its kind and is the biggest and best weekend in the sport's history, and we are thrilled to bring it to life for the first time in Perth," said ANBL chief executive David Stevenson.
The Breakers will then jet back from Perth for their first home game in Auckland against the South East Melbourne Phoenix at Spark Arena on Sunday, September 29, at the special time of 7.30 pm.
It promises to be an action-packed October for the Breakers. The schedule has a two-week gap, which is historically filled by a trip to the United States, where the club plays two NBA games.
The tradition stretches back to 2019 when the Breakers first took on the Phoenix Suns.
Last October, the NBA game against the Portland Trail Blazers caught the eye of free agent Anthony Lamb, who had come off a season playing 62 games for the Golden State Warriors.
The fixture against the Trail Blazers and the subsequent encounter against the Utah Jazz prompted the gifted small forward, with three-years’ experience in the NBA, to sign a one-year deal with the Breakers for the remainder of the ANBL season.
It proved to be a masterstroke, with Lamb showcasing himself as a genuine superstar of the
ANBL before his season was cruelly cut short when he ruptured his Achilles tendon at the back end of the season.
Despite playing just 22 of the 28 regular-season games and being ruled out of playoffs, Lamb still made Breakers history by being named to the All-ANBL First Team, alongside teammate Parker Jackson-Cartwright.
"There's no bigger environment than an NBA arena," said Lamb. "So being able to go and play a couple of exhibition games is priceless to a player and a big opportunity to anyone looking to play in the ANBL but also looking for a path to the NBA."
The second home game at Spark Arena on Saturday October 19, at 7.30 pm comes against the Breakers’ biggest rivals, who have former Breakers guard Tai Webster and the league’s MVP Bryce Cotton on their roster.
The Breakers then travel south for the first of three games in the Garden City throughout the season, on Thursday, October 24 at Wolfbrook Arena against the Phoenix.
Christchurch also hosts games on Thursday, December 5 against the Dean Vickerman-coached Melbourne United and Friday, January 24, against the Brisbane Bullets.
Two days after that first Christchurch game, the Breakers make a long-awaited return to Wellington for the first Breakers game in the capital since 2019.
The Saturday, December 7 game at TSB Arena will be extra special because it renews the rivalry against the Sydney Kings, who beat the Breakers in the historic five-game ANBL Final series in 2023.
The traditional Taranaki fixture is also in the Breakers’ schedule with a return to New Plymouth on January 13 against Melbourne United.
There are eight games in total at Spark Arena, and if the regular season goes down to the wire like it did last season, then the Breakers' schedule puts them in the best position possible to get into the six-team postseason.
"Our final two games of the regular season are at Spark Arena," said Breakers chief executive Lisa Edser.
“Our fans will back us to win those games against the Taipans and Hawks, giving us incredible momentum into the post season.
"We have seen over the last couple of seasons that we are virtually impossible to beat when we go into games with momentum.
"With a new coach and a new look team lead by Parker Jackson-Cartwright, this season is shaping up as the most exciting we've ever had."
Memberships go on sale on Wednesday and are available from the Breakers' website, while tickets to all the games will go on sale next month.
NZ BREAKERS 2024-25 ANBL SCHEDULE
| DATE | OPPONENT | VENUE | NZ TIME |
1 | Saturday, 21 September | Brisbane Bullets | HBF Stadium, Perth | 8:00pm |
2 | Sunday, 29 September | SEM Phoenix | Spark Arena | 7:30pm |
3 | Thursday, 17 October | Brisbane Bullets | Brisbane Entertainment Centre | 9:30pm |
4 | Saturday, 19 October | Perth Wildcats | Spark Arena | 7:30pm |
5 | Thursday, 24 October | SEM Phoenix | Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch | 7:30pm |
6 | Sunday, 27 October | Sydney Kings | Qudos Bank Arena | 4:30pm |
7 | Saturday, 2 November | Adelaide 36ers | Spark Arena | 7:30pm |
8 | Monday, 4 November | Melbourne United | John Cain Arena | 9:30pm |
9 | Saturday, 9 November | Tasmania Jackjumpers | MyState Bank Arena | 7:30pm |
10 | Saturday, 16 November | Cairns Taipans | Cairns Convention Centre | 7:30pm |
11 | Thursday, 28 November | Illawarra Hawks | WIN Entertainment Centre | 9:30pm |
12 | Sunday, 1 December | Perth Wildcats | RAC Arena | 6:30pm |
13 | Thursday, 5 December | Melbourne United | Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch | 7:30pm |
14 | Saturday, 7 December | Sydney Kings | TSB Arena, Wellington | 7:30pm |
15 | Thursday, 12 December | Tasmania Jackjumpers | Eventfinda Stadium | 7:30pm |
16 | Saturday, 14 December | Adelaide 36ers | Adelaide Entertainment Centre | 7:30pm |
17 | Friday, 20 December | Sydney Kings | Spark Arena | 7:30pm |
18 | Wednesday, 25 December | Tasmania Jackjumpers | MyState Bank Arena | TBC |
19 | Tuesday, 31 December | Cairns Taipans | Cairns Convention Centre | 9:30pm |
20 | Sunday, 5 January | Perth Wildcats | Spark Arena | 4:30pm |
21 | Wednesday, 8 January | Brisbane Bullets | Brisbane Entertainment Centre | 9:30pm |
22 | Saturday, 11 January | Illawarra Hawks | WIN Entertainment Centre | 7:30pm |
23 | Monday, 13 January | Melbourne United | TSB Stadium, New Plymouth | 7:30pm |
24 | Thursday, 16 January | Tasmania JackJumpers | Spark Arena | 7.30pm |
25 | Saturday, 18 January | SEM Phoenix | State Basketball Centre | 7.30pm |
26 | Friday, 24 January | Brisbane Bullets | Wolfbrook Arena | 7.30pm |
27 | Sunday, 26 January | Adelaide 36ers | Adelaide Entertainment Centre | 6.30pm |
28 | Saturday, 1 February | Cairns Taipans | Spark Arena | 7.30pm |
29 | Wednesday, 5 February | Illawarra Hawks | Spark Arena | 7.30pm |