Auckland Stars
The Auckland Stars were a New Zealand basketball team based in Auckland. The Stars competed in the National Basketball League (NBL) and played their home games at ASB Stadium.
| Auckland Stars | |
|---|---|
 | |
| League | National Basketball League |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Folded | February 2010 |
| History | Auckland 1982–1989 Auckland Cannons 1990–1991 Auckland Stars 1992–1996 Auckland Rebels 1997–2000 Auckland Stars 2001–2009 |
| Arena | ASB Stadium |
| Location | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Team colours | Blue & white |
| Ownership | Tab Baldwin |
| Championships | 9 (1982, 1983, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005) |
| Website | AucklandStars.co.nz |
Team history
The Auckland Stars, then known as Auckland Metro,[1][2] were a foundation member of the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1982. They were champions of the league in the first two seasons, before finishing as runners-up to the Wellington Saints in both 1984 and 1985. They returned to the NBL final in 1989, where they lost to the Canterbury Rams.[3]
Between 1995 and 2006, Auckland reached the championship round eight times. They won three straight championships between 1995 and 1997, with four more titles coming in 1999, 2000, 2004 and 2005. Despite their success, the Stars struggled to capture a sizeable fanbase.[4]
In February 2010, the team was suspended from competing in the 2010 NBL season after falling into financial strife and failing to pay some players and coaching staff.[5][6][7]
References
- "OVER THE YEARS – NBL CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS". nznbl.basketball. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- Long, David (2 January 2020). "Forgotten sporting teams; a brief history of Kiwi teams that went bust". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
- Egan, Brendon (4 April 2014). "Keith Mair reflects on Rams' halcyon days". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
- Hinton, Marc (15 May 2020). "Auckland Huskies unveiled as the latest new addition to New Zealand's NBL". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
The Auckland Stars (1982-2009) were mainstays of the league and won seven of their nine championships between 1995 and 2005. But they struggled to capture a sizeable fanbase to reflect their success.
- Hinton, Marc (17 February 2010). "Auckland Stars bounced out of NBL". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
- "Basketball: Auckland Stars booted from NBL". NZHerald.co.nz. 17 February 2010. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
- Deane, Steve (4 March 2010). "Basketball: Falling Stars hit rock bottom NBL licence void". NZHerald.co.nz. Retrieved 24 January 2017.