| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 January 1980 |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Listed height | 195 cm (6 ft 5 in) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Napier Boys' (Napier, New Zealand) |
| Playing career | 1998–2015 |
| Position | Shooting guard / small forward |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1998 | Hawke's Bay Hawks |
| 1999 | Auckland Rebels |
| 2000–2002 | Hawke's Bay Hawks |
| 2003–2011 | Waikato Titans/Pistons |
| 2014 | Southland Sharks |
| 2015 | Super City Rangers |
| As coach: | |
| 2013 | Waikato Wizards |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Puke Lenden (born 4 January 1980) is a New Zealand former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball League (NBL). He attended Napier Boys' High School in Napier, New Zealand.[1]
After debuting in the NBL in 1998 with the Hawke's Bay Hawks, Lenden joined the Auckland Rebels in 1999 and won his first championship.[2] He returned to the Hawks in 2000 and played there until the end of the 2002 season. Lenden moved to Waikato in 2003 and played for the Titans/Pistons until the end of the 2011 season. He won championships with the Pistons in 2008 and 2009, and was named Finals MVP in 2008.[3][4] Following Waikato's withdrawal from the league in 2012, Lenden retired from the NBL.[5]
In 2013, Lenden coached the Waikato Wizards women's side[6] and played for the NZ Maori team that won gold at the FIBA Oceania Pacific Championship.[7]
Lenden came out of retirement in June 2014 to help the Southland Sharks, after the team lost four players to suspension.[8] He continued on in the NBL in 2015, playing his final season with the Super City Rangers.[9]
The squad is being developed with an eye to the future following the retirement of a number of experienced, long-serving players such as Puke Lenden, Ray Cameron and Mike Homik.