The Magic of Mody Maor

Mody Maor has taken to the head coaching position of the New Zealand Breakers like a duck to water. In fact, in just his debut campaign he’s taken his side from the depths of the ladder to one win away from an NBL Championship Series berth.

A nominee for NBL23’s Coach of the Year, Maor began his career at the Breakers as an assistant coach under countryman Dan Shamir in 2019, and his succession to the top of the coaching ranks has seen a drastic turnaround for previously embattled club.

Breakers owner Matt Walsh says Maor’s aura comes from his likeability.

“I think the magic of Mody is, one, he’s completely genuine,” Walsh said on The Mike Hosking Breakfast. “He’s 100 per cent genuine and the players can feel that. The players feel the work he puts in, and I think the players love him.

“He’s found a way to get these guys to come together in a relatively short amount of time with a lot of [turnover], and they really believe. He’s got them believing they can win a championship.

“He’s not a hard guy to like from his background and how genuine he is. It’s not supposed to be easy, and I think our whole team has taken that approach.”

Thursday night’s loss to the JackJumpers means the third and final game of the Playoff Series against Tasmania is locked in to be played in front of the Breakers’ faithful.

After handily dispatching Tasmania to the tune of 20 points in the opening contest of the best of three series, the JackJumpers rebounded to emerge with an 11-point win at MyState Bank Arena.

While the Breakers would have to play as many as six more games this season to finish the campaign holding the NBL championship trophy aloft, Walsh says if the season were to finish right now he’d see it as an overall success.

“I haven’t even let myself begin to thing what a championship would feel like,” he said.

“After the last two years of being on the road just being home this year felt like a win. Having this incredible team and how they’ve come together has felt like a win.

“I think we are one of the top two teams and I think we have a real chance to win a championship … after seven, eight months of work what more could you ask for than a home Playoff game that’s do-or-die? As a player this is what you dream of.

“If you look at last [game] we had 5,500 people show up in the middle of a cyclone. The New Zealanders have for behing us this year after a difficult two years.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what happens Sunday at Spark Arena.”

The Breakers clash with the JackJumpers on Sunday at 4pm AEDT, live & free on ESPN via Kayo Freebies.