How Breakers plan to return to glory days

Incoming New Zealand Breakers owner, Marc Mitchell, is promising fans that the club will go back to their roots and foundations that led them to four championships in five years.

“We’re going to do this the right way. We’re going to represent New Zealand the right way,” Mitchell told the Star-Times.

“We are going to be a presence in our community and we are going to do things, quite frankly, the right way. We’re going to bring in people who are respected, who are honest and who people have history with and know their character. That’s important.”

The Breakers recently announced their new structure and have already followed through on their initial promise, with the hiring of club legend, Dillon Boucher, as president of basketball operations.

“The club means everything to me. I poured everything out on the court for the club and then after finishing playing going into the office and doing the same thing,” Boucher told MSN.NZ.

“I have a passion for the club and I want to see the club successful.”

47-year-old Mitchell believes that the answers in re-building the Breakers can be found from 2010 to 2015, where they were the epitome of success in the NBL.

“We have a model to follow based on the success in the past,” he said.

“We know what that is and we will execute on that. We want to get back to this team representing this country, being leaders in the community, and representing basketball, from the grassroots all the way up to professional. That has not been done in recent times.”

Marc Mitchell. Photo: Lawrence Smith / Stuff

One common theme amongst New Zealand fans in recent years has been the lack of local talent that's filled their roster, something that Mitchell has been vocal on changing.

“Our fans will be pleasantly surprised about the focus on Kiwi players, and, more importantly, Kiwi development,” he said.

“We’re in Auckland, we represent New Zealand, and we’re not going anywhere. We will always be the one team representing this country in that competition.”

With Boucher returning to the club, where his jersey hangs proudly in the rafters, he understands the task at hand going forward.

“We want to ensure the history remains it's important that those have been part of the organisation, feel like it's in their bloodline and that they still feel a part of it,” he said.

“But at the same time, we need to ensure with the new group that there's a direction that we're taking this thing that people want to be a part of.”

Mitchell is partnering with local figures Leon Grice (Deputy Chairman), Stephen Grice, and Sean Colgan as part of the new ownership group. Former owners Paul and Liz Blackwell re-join as shareholders, with Paul serving as a Director.

New Zealand champion Tom Abercrombie will join the ownership group as a special advisor. 

Read more >> Meet the new owner of the NZ Breakers: Why Marc Mitchell wants to turn back the clock