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Taranaki Airs

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Taranaki Airs
Taranaki Airs logo
LeagueNZNBL
Founded1981
HistoryNew Plymouth Bulls
1985–1991
New Plymouth Bears
1992–1993
Taranaki Bears
1994–1997
Taranaki Oilers
1998–1999
Taranaki Mountainairs
2003–2007
Taranaki Dynamos
2008–2009
Taranaki Mountainairs
2010–2021
Taranaki Airs
2022–present
ArenaTSB Stadium
LocationNew Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand
Team coloursYellow & black
Main sponsorSteelformers
ChairmanLaine Hopkinson
General managerCole Brown
Head coachSam Mackinnon
OwnershipMedia8 Sports
Championships0
Websitetaranakiairs.basketball

The Taranaki Airs are a New Zealand professional basketball team based in New Plymouth. The Airs compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at TSB Stadium. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the Steelformers Airs.

Team history

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A New Plymouth team played in the inaugural season of the Conference Basketball League (CBL) in 1981 and earned runners-up honours. The team went on to finish as runners-up in the CBL Northern Conference in 1983, before winning the CBL championship in 1984.[1]

The team was promoted to the National Basketball League (NBL) for the 1985 season.[2] The team was originally known as the Bulls.[3] The team became known as the New Plymouth Bears in 1992,[4] the same year they were crowned regular season winners for the first time.[2] The team was rebranded as Taranaki in 1994 and then became the Oilers in 1998.[4] Following the 1999 season, the franchise withdrew from the NBL.[5][6]

In 2001, a Taranaki team known as the Stormers were the winners of the CBL Central Conference.[7] The following year, the Stormers were once again winners of the CBL Central Conference,[8] earning an 18–0 season record before going on to win the CBL championship with an 85–81 victory over the Kaikoura Whale Riders in the final led by point guard Willie Banks and import forward Link Abrams.[9][10]

In 2003, Taranaki returned to the NBL as the Mountainairs.[11][12] In 2009 and 2015, the team had winless seasons. In 2016, they won eight games for the first time since 2008.[13] The Mountainairs subsequently won just 10 of 54 games between 2017 and 2019.[14]

In September 2019, it was revealed that the team had significant debt that could cause them to withdraw from the 2020 NBL season.[15][16] The following month, naming rights partner Steelformers stepped in to save the team from collapse.[17]

In December 2021, the team name was changed from Mountainairs to Airs.[18] In 2022, the Airs finished on top of the regular-season standings with a 12–6 record to be crowned minor premiers for just the second time in franchise history and first since 1992.[19][20][21]

In September 2023, the team was acquired by Media8 Sports, an Australian sports media company.[22][23]

Current roster

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Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

Taranaki Airs roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht.
G 12 New Zealand Davison, Carlin 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
F New Zealand Kelman-Poto, Dominique 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • New Zealand Andrew Green
  • New Zealand Aled Jones
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Development player
  • (I) Import player
  • Injured Injured
Updated: 24 December 2024

References

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  1. ^ "2010 Conference Basketball League" (PDF). Basketball.org.nz. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 January 2015.
  2. ^ a b "2015 Bartercard National Basketball League Handbook" (PDF). nz.basketball. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 August 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  3. ^ "REMEMBERING COACH MCKEAN". nz.basketball. 3 May 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Taranaki Mountainairs". Australiabasket.com. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  5. ^ "Basketball: Celebrations muted by off-court tension". nzherald.co.nz. 1999. Retrieved 14 August 2019. The 2000 league will be missing the Taranaki Oilers, who quit on financial grounds this month...
  6. ^ "New Zealand Basketball League". plug.co.nz. Archived from the original on 11 April 2000.
  7. ^ "2001 Conference Basketball League". Basketball.org.nz. Archived from the original on 21 January 2015.
  8. ^ "2002 Conference Basketball League". Basketball.org.nz. Archived from the original on 21 January 2015.
  9. ^ Bird, Tony (18 April 2008). "Abrams set to chalk up century". Taranaki Daily News. Retrieved 12 July 2019. Abrams led the Stormers to a perfect 18-0 season and the Conference Basketball League title in 2002...
  10. ^ "Taranaki Take Out CBL Title". bbnz.org.nz. 25 August 2002. Archived from the original on 12 October 2002.
  11. ^ "2002 National Basketball League". Basketball.org.nz. Archived from the original on 14 January 2015.
  12. ^ "2003 National Basketball League". Basketball.org.nz. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012.
  13. ^ Reive, Christopher (26 May 2016). "Taranaki Mountain Airs look to finish NBL season strong". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  14. ^ Egan, Brendon (3 July 2022). "Taranaki Airs becoming the feel-good story of NBL after brilliant weekend wins". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  15. ^ Hanne, Ilona (26 September 2019). "Future of Taranaki's Mountain Airs basketball team is up in the air". nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  16. ^ Harvey, Helen (30 September 2019). "Mountainairs need help to get them on court in 2020". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  17. ^ "SPONSOR HELPS MOUNTAINAIRS TO RISE UP". nznbl.basketball. 24 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  18. ^ "OFFICIAL NAME CHANGE". facebook.com/TaranakiBasketball. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  19. ^ "GAME RECAP: AIRS CLAIM NO. 1 SPOT WITH WIN OVER GIANTS". nznbl.basketball. 4 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  20. ^ Hill, Elijah (5 August 2022). "Giant leap takes Taranaki Airs to the top after 30 years". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  21. ^ Harvey, Helen (15 August 2022). "Taranaki Airs 2022 season one to remember even without fairytale ending". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  22. ^ "MEDIA8 SPORTS TO ACQUIRE TARANAKI AIRS". nznbl.basketball. 18 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  23. ^ McLean, Glenn (21 September 2023). "Taranaki Airs NBL side sold to Australian media company". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
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