2003 New Zealand NBL season

2003 New Zealand NBL season
League National Basketball League
Sport Basketball
Duration 23 April – 16 August
Number of games 18
Number of teams 10
Regular season
Minor premiers Waikato Titans
Season MVP David Cooper (Manawatu Jets)
Top scorer John Whorton (Canterbury Rams)
Playoffs
Champions Wellington Saints
  Runners-up Waikato Titans

The 2003 New Zealand National Basketball League season was the 22nd running of the competition. New Zealand basketball legends, Pero Cameron and Phill Jones, dominated through the 1990s, with one or the other steering their teams to a championship every year from 1994 to 2002.[1] That string ended in 2003 with the Wellington Saints' championship win over the Waikato Titans, as the Saints claimed their fifth league title.[2]

2003 marked the first year a league-wide MVP award winner was named, allowing imports the opportunity to be recognised; in all previous seasons, only a Kiwi MVP was named, an award given to the best New Zealand player. Australian import David Cooper of the Manawatu Jets was subsequently awarded the first league MVP. 2003 also marked the return of a Taranaki side to the NBL, with the team having pulled out of the league in 2000 due to a lack of funding. After winning the 2002 Conference Basketball League championship, the Taranaki Stormers re-entered the NBL as the Mountainairs.

Standings

# Regular Season Standings
Team W L PCT PTS
1 Waikato Titans1628932
2 Wellington Saints1266724
3 Manawatu Jets1266724
4 Auckland Stars1266724
5 Nelson Giants1176122
6 Hawke's Bay Hawks8104416
7 Otago Nuggets7113914
8 Taranaki Mountainairs5132810
9 Canterbury Rams414228
10 Harbour Heat315176

Playoffs

Semifinals Final
      
1 Waikato Titans 98
4 Auckland Stars 77
  Waikato Titans 88
Wellington Saints 97
2 Wellington Saints 89
3 Manawatu Jets 70

Awards

Player of the Week

RoundPlayerTeamRef
1Issiah EppsOtago Nuggets[3]
2Dillon BoucherWaikato Titans[3]
Mike PeguesCanterbury Rams[3]
3Issiah EppsOtago Nuggets[3]
4Dillon BoucherWaikato Titans[3]
5Ed BookNelson Giants[3]
Dillon BoucherWaikato Titans[3]
6Lindsay TaitAuckland Stars[3]
7John WhortonCanterbury Rams[3]
8John WhortonCanterbury Rams[3]
9David CooperManawatu Jets[3][4]
10Paul HenareHawke's Bay Hawks[3][5]
11Casey FrankAuckland Stars[3][6]
12Willie BanksTaranaki Mountainairs[3][7]
13John WhortonCanterbury Rams[3][8]
14Mark DickelOtago Nuggets[3]
15Michael TompsonWellington Saints[3][9]
SFIona EnosaWaikato Titans[3]
FBen KnightWellington Saints[3][10]

Statistics leaders

Stats as of the end of the regular season[11]

CategoryPlayerTeamStat
Points per gameJohn WhortonCanterbury Rams29.3
Rebounds per gameJohn WhortonCanterbury Rams16.5
Assists per gameGeorge Le'afaWellington Saints6.2
Steals per gameDillon BoucherWaikato Titans4.5
Blocks per gameDavid CooperManawatu Jets2.8

Regular season

  • Most Valuable Player: David Cooper (Manawatu Jets)
  • NZ Most Valuable Player: Dillon Boucher (Waikato Titans)
  • Regular Season Winners: Waikato Titans (16–2)
  • Keith Carr Trophy – Most Outstanding Guard: Lindsay Tait (Auckland Stars)
  • John Macdonald Trophy – Most Outstanding NZ Guard: Lindsay Tait (Auckland Stars)
  • Commissioners Cup – Most Outstanding Forward: David Cooper (Manawatu Jets)
  • Stan Hill Trophy – Most Outstanding NZ Forward/Centre: Dillon Boucher (Waikato Titans)
  • Alan Bland Memorial Trophy – Scoring Champion: John Whorton (29.3) (Canterbury Rams)
  • Garry Pettis Memorial Trophy – Rebounding Champion: John Whorton (16.5) (Canterbury Rams)
  • Dave Taylor Trophy – Assist Champion: George Le'afa (6.2) (Wellington Saints)
  • Nial Forsyth Trophy – Best Team Free Throws: Auckland Stars
  • Rookie of the Year: Adrian Majstrovich (Hawke's Bay Hawks)
  • Coach of the Year: Mike McHugh (Wellington Saints)
  • Administrator of the Year: Janie Granger (Nelson Giants)
  • All-Star Five:

References

  1. ↑ Long live the Kingpin
  2. ↑ "2003 National Basketball League". Basketball.org.nz. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "Players of the Week". Basketball.org.nz. Archived from the original on 24 August 2006.
  4. ↑ Player Of The Week IX
  5. ↑ Player Of The Week X
  6. ↑ Player Of The Week XI
  7. ↑ Player Of The Week XII
  8. ↑ Player Of The Week XIII
  9. ↑ Player Of The Week XV
  10. ↑ Player Of The Week (Final)
  11. ↑ "2003 Burger King League – League Leaders". Basketball.org.nz. Archived from the original on 19 November 2004.
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