Northland Suns
| Northland Suns | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball League |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Folded | 1998 |
| History |
Northland Suns 1995–1998 |
| Location |
Whangarei, Northland, New Zealand |
| Team colours | Orange & navy blue |
| Championships | 0 |
The Northland Suns were a New Zealand basketball team based in Whangarei. The Suns were a National Basketball League (NBL) franchise for four seasons after being promoted to the NBL in 1995 following their Conference Basketball League (CBL) title in 1994.
Northland basketball began in the 1980s when a team played in the Conference Basketball League (CBL) under the names of Cable Price Whangarei, Abbey Mazda Northland and Mobil Marters Northland. Northland won CBL titles in 1991 and 1994. New Zealand basketball legend Pero Cameron played for Mobil Marters before starting his NBL career in 1992.
A team called the Northland Suns entered the NBL in 1995, but they did not last long in the top flight league as the Suns failed to make the playoffs in four seasons. After going winless in 1998, the Suns left the NBL and ceased operations until being resurrected in 2010.
After a 12-year hiatus, Whangarei-based NBL player Travis McIlroy, who played for the Auckland Stars in 2009, began working alongside Tai Tokerau Basketball to resurrect the regional team. McIlroy was appointed chief executive and operations manager of the Northland Suns after Tai Tokerau agreed to the move. They subsequently re-joined the Conference Basketball League, now a Zone 1 league called the Supercity Basketball Competition, with a squad containing local talent such as Corey Te Tai and Ethan Penney. However, they finished the 2010 season in last place out of nine teams. The Suns continued to play in the Zone 1 league in 2011 and 2012, with their best season coming in 2012 when they finished runners-up after losing to Waitakere West in the grand final. Their 2012 squad contained local NBL players B. J. Anthony and Ray Cameron.
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