Hutt_Valley_Lakers

Hutt Valley Lakers

Hutt Valley Lakers

Basketball team in Wellington, New Zealand

The Hutt Valley Lakers were a New Zealand basketball team based in Hutt Valley, Wellington. The Lakers competed in the National Basketball League (NBL).

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Team history

The Hutt Valley Lakers started in the second-tiered Conference Basketball League (CBL). After winning the CBL championship in 1989,[1] the team was promoted to the National Basketball League (NBL) for the 1990 season.[2] In 1991, the Lakers were regular season winners and won the NBL championship with a 103–92 win over the Wellington Saints in the final.[3] In 1993, the Lakers made it back to the NBL final, where they defeated the Canterbury Rams 68–66 to win their second championship.[4][5][6] The 1993 final saw Peter Pokai hit the game-winning jump shot to lift the Lakers over the Rams.[7] It was a special triumph for head coach Jeff Green, who was sensationally sacked early in the season, but brought back with seven games to go.[7]

At the end of the 1996 season, both the Lakers and the Saints were struggling to survive. As a result, the two teams amalgamated, with the Lakers merging into the Saints.[8]

References

  1. [1]
    "2010 Conference Basketball League" (PDF). Basketball.org.nz. p. 4–5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 January 2015.
  2. [2]
    "2005 League Handbook" (PDF). Basketball.org.nz. pp. 32–36. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 August 2006.
  3. [3]
    "1991 NBL CHAMPIONS: HUTT VALLEY LAKERS". nznbl.basketball. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  4. [4]
    "1993 NBL CHAMPIONS: HUTT VALLEY LAKERS". nznbl.basketball. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  5. [5]
    Jessup, Peter (26 July 2002). "Basketball: Coach Smurf's winning ways attract the stars". NZHerald.co.nz. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  6. [6]
    Egan, Brendon (10 October 2009). "Jeff Green eyes Southland NBL team". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  7. [7]
    Egan, Brendon (22 April 2016). "Coach Jeff Green loves nothing better than beating Canterbury Rams at basketball". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  8. [8]
    "Locations – Exodus Saints". Wotzon.com. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013.
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