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What went wrong for broken Breakers after promising start to season?
Finn James • February 7th, 2025 8:30 am
Photo: David Rowland/Photosport
The curtain has finally closed on the New Zealand Breakers season, an emotional rollercoaster to say the least. From the tip-top of the league, they crashed all the way to the bottom, narrowly avoiding the wooden spoon at the back end of the season.
It was all sunshine and rainbows to start the 2025 season with the re-signing of potentially one of the Breakers best imports in Parker Jackson-Cartwright. But it took a dark turn when pre-season rolled around to end up winless heading into the opening round of the year.
That resulted in NBL analysts all around the league, the ones based in Australia at least, having the Breakers finishing dead last in their early season predictions.
I don’t blame the pundits for thinking Petteri Koponen's side would place last. However, as the Breakers - once again heading to the US mid-season with a brand-new roster and head coach - something told me they would prove everyone wrong.
And heading into the FIBA break, the Auckland-based side were doing just that - top of the table and looking like the clear-cut best team in the league.
But the worst was yet to come.
Breakers head coach Petteri Koponen | Photo: David Rowland/Photosport
It would be rude to blame the downfall of the Breakers season all on Tacko Fall, but is it a coincidence that his signing would mark the beginning of the end?
The team managed only three wins following the signing of one of basketball's biggest names (in stature). Three measly wins. I’m still wrapping my head around it.
The Breakers' front office, I applaud you for putting together an excellent spectator package. The game day experience and what you do for the fans provides some of the best sports entertainment in this country.
But for die-hard Breakers basketball fans like myself, it’s hard to back this team year in and year out, with little to no success since the great days of a Kiwi-led championship team.
To borrow a phrase from another fanbase: maybe next year is our year.
Finn James is the assistant producer of Sport Nation's Beaver & Guy and executive producer of The Saturday Session.
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