The Auckland Pirates were a New Zealand

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

team based in

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 ...

. The Pirates competed in the National Basketball League (NBL) and played their home games at ASB Stadium.

Team history

In March 2011, the franchise was unveiled by Basketball Auckland ahead of the 2011 NBL season, marking the return of an Auckland presence to the NBL, a year after the Auckland Stars folded. The inaugural squad included imports Raheim Brown and Kevin Mickens alongside Dillon Boucher,

Luke Martin Luke Martin (born 22 January 1981) is an Australian former professional basketball player who spent the majority of his career playing in the National Basketball League (NBL). In 2004 and 2005, he represented the Australian national team. Ea ...

and Brook Ruscoe. The Pirates finished their first season in seventh place with a 5–11 record. For the 2012 season, the Pirates retained Boucher and Ruscoe, and acquired

Lindsay Tait Lindsay Michael Tait (born 8 January 1982) is a New Zealand former professional basketball player. Early life Born in Sydney, New South Wales, Tait moved to Auckland as a four-year-old and later attended Avondale College where he was a member o ...

Alex Pledger Alex John Pledger (born 27 March 1987) is a New Zealand professional basketball player who last played for the Southland Sharks of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). He played college basketball in the United States before play ...

, Hayden Allen, Duane Bailey and Ron Dorsey. They subsequently helped the Pirates finish the regular season in second place with a 13–3 record. After defeating the Manawatu Jets in the semi-finals, they faced the

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 1 ...

in the final, where they won 89–83 to claim the NBL championship. Pledger was named Finals MVP, while Tait was named Most Outstanding Guard, Most Outstanding Kiwi Guard and All-Star Five for the 2012 season. On 2 November 2012, the Pirates withdrew from the NBL, with Basketball Auckland revealing their financial model was unsustainable.

References

External links

Official team website
{{National Basketball League (New Zealand) 2011 establishments in New Zealand Basketball teams established in 2011 Basketball teams in Auckland Basketball teams in New Zealand National Basketball League (New Zealand) teams Sport in Auckland