NZ Breakers to head to Japan ahead of ANBL
- NZ Sports Wire
- Aug 15
- 2 min read
The NZ Breakers are heading to the Land of the Rising Sun for a pre-season tour that promises to be a true test of skill and a celebration of international basketball.
The team will face off against two formidable Japanese B.League teams - Nagasaki Velca and Kumamoto Volters - as they ramp up preparations for the Australian National Basketball League (ANBL) season.
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“This will be a great opportunity for our team to test themselves against a different style of play and to see where we're at in our pre-season preparations.” said Breakers president of basketball operations Dillon Boucher.
“Nagasaki and Kumamoto are both highly competitive teams with passionate fanbases, and we're looking forward to the challenge.”
The Breakers will play two exhibition games during their trip, against Nagasaki Velca, a team from Japan's top-tier B1 league on September 12, and Kumamoto Volters, who compete in the B2 league, the following day.
They will see two familiar faces on the opposing bench for Nagasaki Velca, with former head coach Mody Maor, who stepped down ahead of last season, in charge, while Breakers legend Paul Henare, who has his No 32 retired, joining him this season as an associate coach.
“Breakers alumni are everywhere in the basketball world, and this trip is a great example of that,” said Breakers chairman Marc Mitchell.
“We are excited to take the NZ Breakers to Japan and showcase our brand of basketball to new audiences. This will be a about cultural exchange and building friendships in the world of basketball.”
The Japanese B.League is Japan’s top professional men’s basketball league which as launched in 2016 when Japan’s previous basketball leagues merged under a single national competition.
Run by the Japan Professional Basketball League (JPBL) under the Japan Basketball Association, the B.League has been steadily growing in quality, crowds and is now one of Asia’s strongest domestic leagues.
The Breakers open their ANBL season against the Brisbane Bullets at Auckland's Spark Arena on September 19, playing five of their first seven at home. Before then they will be in action at the ANBL Blitz in Canberra, playing the South East Melbourne Phoenix on August 29 and Cairns Taipans on August 31.
