2020 New Zealand NBL season

2020 New Zealand NBL season
LeagueNew Zealand NBL
SportBasketball
Duration23 June – 1 August
Number of games14
Number of teams7
Regular season
  Minor premiersOtago Nuggets
Season MVPTom Vodanovich (Manawatu Jets)
Top scorerDerone Raukawa (Taranaki Mountainairs)
Finals
ChampionsOtago Nuggets
  Runners-upManawatu Jets
Grand Final MVPJordan Hunt
New Zealand NBL seasons

The 2020 NBL season (officially known as the 2020 NBL Showdown[1]) was the 39th season of the National Basketball League.

The regular season was set to commence on Thursday 9 April and end on Sunday 12 July, with the finals then taking place between 16–24 July.[2][3][4] However, following the coronavirus outbreak in early to mid March 2020, the season was suspended indefinitely.[5][6] After two months of deliberation and in the wake of easing coronavirus restrictions, the league announced a revised competition format for 2020 beginning on Tuesday 23 June and ending with the grand final on Saturday 1 August.[7][8]

The 2020 season was initially set to feature eight teams following the withdrawal of the Southern Huskies and Super City Rangers[9] and the inclusion of the Franklin Bulls for the first time. However, three of the top four teams in 2019 (Wellington Saints, Hawke's Bay Hawks and Southland Sharks) decided not to enter the modified competition.[10] This left the door open for the inclusion of the Otago Nuggets, a team who were looking to re-enter the league in 2021 for the first time since 2014,[11][12][13] and the Huskies. Coinciding with the announcement of a revised 2020 competition, the Huskies franchise relocated from Tasmania to Auckland and became the Auckland Huskies.[14][15]

The 2020 season began on 23 June, with all seven teams playing up to three games per week over six weeks. The season concluded on 1 August with the Otago Nuggets defeating the Manawatu Jets in the grand final to win their maiden NBL championship.[16] All teams were based in Auckland,[7] with all games played out of The Trusts Arena.[17]

  1. ^ "2020 SEASON TO BE KNOWN AS SAL'S NBL SHOWDOWN". nznbl.basketball. 9 June 2020. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  2. ^ "FINALS TO BE PLAYED ON HOME COURT IN 2020". nznbl.basketball. 30 November 2019. Archived from the original on 23 September 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  3. ^ "SAL'S NBL SEASON 2020 SCHEDULE RELEASED". nznbl.basketball. 8 December 2019. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  4. ^ "SAL'S NBL SET 2020 GRAND FINAL DATE". nznbl.basketball. 11 December 2019. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  5. ^ "Coronavirus: NZ NBL considers options ahead of planned season start". Stuff.co.nz. 17 March 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  6. ^ "SAL'S NBL MEN POSTPONE 2020 SEASON, NOW LOOKING AT A MODIFIED COMPETITION TO COMMENCE IN MAY OR JUNE". nznbl.basketball. 20 March 2020. Archived from the original on 21 March 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  7. ^ a b "AUCKLAND TO HOST 2020 SAL'S NBL, TIPPING OFF 23 JUNE". nznbl.basketball. 19 May 2020. Archived from the original on 19 May 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  8. ^ "SAL'S NBL 2020 FIXTURE ANNOUNCED". nznbl.basketball. 21 May 2020. Archived from the original on 24 May 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  9. ^ "NBL ALIGNS GROWTH STRATEGY WITH RECENT CHANGES". nznbl.basketball. 14 August 2019. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  10. ^ "@BasketballNZ GM Justin Nelson has confirmed the..." twitter.com/newstalkzbsport. 16 May 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  11. ^ Seconi, Adrian (16 May 2020). "Nuggets could return soon to rejigged national league". odt.co.nz. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  12. ^ "Seven teams confirmed for NBL basketball competition in June". Stuff.co.nz. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  13. ^ Hinton, Marc (10 June 2020). "Otago Nuggets to pick first as Kiwi NBL gets the ball rolling with historic draft". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ "AUCKLAND HUSKIES – AUSTRALIAN OWNERS LAUNCH NEW SAL'S NBL TEAM". nznbl.basketball. 15 May 2020. Archived from the original on 15 May 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  16. ^ "NUGGETS STRIKE GOLD IN SAL'S NBL SHOWDOWN". nznbl.basketball. 1 August 2020. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  17. ^ "2020 SAL'S NBL WILL BE PLAYED AT THE TRUSTS ARENA IN AUCKLAND". nznbl.basketball. 27 May 2020. Archived from the original on 27 May 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.