The 2020 NBL season (officially known as the 2020 NBL Showdown) 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. However, following the coronavirus outbreak in early to mid March 2020, the season was suspended indefinitely. 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. The 2020 season was initially set to feature eight teams following the withdrawal of the Southern Huskies and Super City Rangers and the inclusion of the

Franklin Bulls The Franklin Bulls are a New Zealand basketball team based in Pukekohe, Auckland. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at the Franklin Pool and Leisure Centre. For sponsorship reasons, they are k ...

for the first time. However, three of the top four teams in 2019 (

Wellington Saints The Wellington Saints are a New Zealand basketball team based in Wellington. The Saints compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at TSB Bank Arena. Team history The Wellington Saints were founded in 1981. In ...

Hawke's Bay Hawks The Hawke's Bay Hawks are a New Zealand basketball team based in Napier. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at Pettigrew Green Arena. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the Taylor Hawks ...

and

Southland Sharks The Southland Sharks are a New Zealand basketball team based in Invercargill. The Sharks compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at Stadium Southland. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the SBS Bank So ...

) decided not to enter the modified competition. This left the door open for the inclusion of the

Otago Nuggets The Otago Nuggets are a New Zealand basketball team based in Dunedin. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at the Edgar Centre. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the Night 'n Day Otago ...

, a team who were looking to re-enter the league in 2021 for the first time since 2014, and the Huskies. Coinciding with the announcement of a revised 2020 competition, the Huskies franchise relocated from

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...

and became the Auckland Huskies. 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

defeating the

Manawatu Jets The Manawatu Jets are a New Zealand basketball team based in Palmerston North. The Jets compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at Central Energy Trust Arena. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the Pr ...

in the grand final to win their maiden NBL championship. All teams were based in Auckland, with all games played out of

The Trusts Arena The Trusts Arena is an indoor arena located in Henderson, Auckland, New Zealand. It is a multi-purpose stadium that primarily holds sports events and music concerts. The Arena was opened by then Prime Minister of New Zealand Helen Clark on 11 ...

Team information

Summary

Regular season standings

Finals

Tuesday 28 July
*Elimination Final 1 – 6th vs 7th *Qualifying Final – 1st vs 2nd Wednesday 29 July
*Elimination Final 2 – 3rd vs Winner EF1 *Elimination Final 3 – 4th vs 5th Thursday 30 July
*Semi Final 1 – Winner QF vs Lowest EF Winner *Semi Final 2 – Loser QF vs Highest EF Winner Saturday 1 August
*Grand Final – Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2

Awards

Statistics leaders

''Stats as of the end of the regular season''

Regular season

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

Tom Vodanovich Thomas James Vodanovich (born 28 July 1994) is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Wellington Saints of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). He is also contracted with the New Zealand Breakers of the National B ...

(Manawatu Jets) *

Defensive Player of the Year Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY or DPOTY) is the name of an award given in sports for outstanding defensive play by a single player over the course of a season. Many sports leagues award this type of award. League awards for Defensive Player o ...

: Jarrod Kenny (Otago Nuggets) and Izayah Mauriohooho-Le'afa (Auckland Huskies) * Youth Player of the Year: Taane Samuel (Manawatu Jets) *

Coach of the Year Many sports leagues, sportswriting associations, and other organizations confer "Coach of the Year" awards. In some sports — including baseball and association football — the award is called the "Manager of the Year" award. Some of the ...

Brent Matehaere Brent Matehaere (born 1969) is a New Zealand basketball coach who currently serves as head coach of the Otago Nuggets in the National Basketball League (NBL). Early life Matehaere grew up in Hamilton and attended St John's College, graduatin ...

(Otago Nuggets) * All-Star Five: ** G:

Derone Raukawa Derone Jordan Raukawa (born 24 July 1994) is a New Zealand basketball player for the Taranaki Airs of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). Early life Raukawa was born in Levin, New Zealand, but left as a 5-year-old. He lived ...

(Taranaki Mountainairs) ** G: Izayah Mauriohooho-Le'afa (Auckland Huskies) ** F: Jordan Ngatai (Otago Nuggets) ** F:

Marcel Jones Marcel Jones (born September 4, 1988) is a former American football offensive tackle. He was selected in the seventh round, 234th overall, by the Saints in the 2012 NFL Draft and On July 2, 2012, Jones signed a four-year deal with the Saints. He ...

(Taranaki Mountainairs) ** C:

(Manawatu Jets)

Finals

* Grand Final MVP:

Jordan Hunt Jordan Hunt (born 12 September 1997) is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Hawke's Bay Hawks of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). He debuted in the NZNBL in 2015 with the Wellington Saints and won a champi ...

(Otago Nuggets)

References

External links

NBL Draft player pool

NBL Draft recap and rosters

Team-by-team guide"Saints, Southland Sharks non-starters as innovative Kiwi NBL battles to achieve liftoff"
at stuff.co.nz

at newshub.co.nz
"Nelson coach hoping to avoid Giant headaches ahead of shortened NBL"
at stuff.co.nz
"Otago Nuggets select Jordan Ngatai first in NBL Showdown draft"
at stuff.co.nz
"Opportunity, welfare, representation: Will NZNBL's Showdown thrive despite challenges?"
at pickandroll.com.au
"New Zealand NBL boss Justin Nelson defends revamped competition"
at stuff.co.nz
"Meet Justin Nelson, the workaholic Aussie who might have saved New Zealand basketball"
at stuff.co.nz {{DEFAULTSORT:2020 New Zealand Nbl season National Basketball League (New Zealand) seasons NBL