Pierre Wooten
July 23, 2020
Aaron Olson
- Nationality: CAN/NZL
- Date of Birth: 11/05/78
- Place of Birth: Whitehorse, Yukon (Canada)
- Position: SG
- Height (CM): 195
- Weight (KG): 100
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: University of Victoria, Canada (1997-1999) / Eastern Washington (1999-2001)
- NBL DEBUT: 1/10/03
- AGE AT DEBUT: 25
- LAST NBL GAME: 11/02/07
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 28
- NBL History: New Zealand 2004-07
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Born in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada to a New Zealand mother and a Canadian father, Olson moved back and forth between the two countries as a youth, spending time living in Nelson and the Bay of Islands region. Olson attended college at the University of Victoria in Canada before switching to Eastern Washington University in 1999.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Aaron Olson made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 25 years of age. He scored 20 points in his first game.
In March 2003, Three Waikato businessmen, Michael Redman, Dallas Fisher and Keith Ward, acquired a NBL licence for a team based in New Zealand. The inaugural Breakers roster was built from the core playing group of New Zealand’s national team, which had finished in fourth place at the FIBA World Championships six months prior.
Phill Jones, who had been the Tall Blacks leading scorer (18.2 ppg) at the World Champs, Paul Henare, Dillon Boucher, Paora Winitana and Pero Cameron (who was named team captain) formed the Breakers’ local core. The roster was then filled out with up and coming New Zealand talent like Aaron Olsen and Lindsey Tait and some Australian NBL veterans like Ben Melmeth and Brad Williams to add leadership. Lastly, Casey Frank, a long-time import in the New Zealand national league, was signed as the team’s second import.
Jeff Green was implemented as the team’s first coach and, despite the Breakers being picked by many to finish dead last, they pulled out a win in their very first NBL game against Adelaide (111-110).
After initial success, the Breakers went on to lose ten of their next eleven games (proving the pundits right) to languish near the bottom of the NBL ladder for the remainder of the season.
Twelve games into the season (2-10), Green was fired and succeeded by the team’s assistant coach Frank Arsego, who had also headed up the basketball program at the Australian Institute of Sport for the past five years. Arsego would then bring in Mike Chappell (22.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists), who finished top five in the league in both points and three-point shooting while playing in Canberra the season before. Both Casey Frank and Brad Williams would be released to make way for Chappell, who went on to lead the team in scoring and named Breakers club MVP.
Chappell’s presence delivered a mid-season resurgence where a five game winning streak towards the end of the season gave the Breakers a realistic shot of qualifying for the playoffs. Needing to win both of their final games in the final round to claim a playoff berth, the Breakers instead went winless and finished in tenth place (12–21).
Olson averaged 10.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists alongside teammates Jones (13.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.1 steals) and Ben Melmeth (13.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists) who were the best among the team’s local talent.
2004/05
The Breakers entered their second NBL season looking to improve on their tenth-place finish in their first year during their debut season. The Breakers moved Frank Arsego, who had replaced Jeff Green mid-season, into a permanent position as the team’s head coach. The next move was locking in the Breakers’ leading scorer and MVP from the previous season, Mike Chappell, and replacing import Casey Frank with Shawn Redhage, who had been dominating the state league (SEABL).
Ben Melmeth would return to his hometown of Newcastle to play for the Hunter Pirates. He was replaced with fellow Aussie big man Ben Pepper, whose former team, the Victoria Giants, had vacated the league due to financial issues.
To begin the season, Paul Henare was made co-captain, alongside last year’s ‘skipper’ Pero Cameron, and despite falling short in their opening game (a re-match of the team’s first ever game against Adelaide, which they lost 94-106) they started the season by splitting the first games six games and sit within the middle of the were pack with a 3-3 record.
Although Redhage (12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists) made a impressive start to the season, a form slump in November, which saw the team lose six of its seven games, led to Redhage’s court time being reduced and eventually his release after 13 games.
While Redhage would go on to sign with Perth and become one of the NBL’s all-time greats, his replacement came in the form of Marcus Timmons (9.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.5 steals). A clear mistake had been made there, however, as shortly after taking the court, it was clear Timmons was no longer the player he was back when he joined the Melbourne Tigers mid-season in 1997 and led them to a championship.
Chappell (18 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists) would lead the team in scoring for a second consecutive season, while Aaron Olson would boost his scoring from 10.8 points per game to 15.5 points per game and win the club’s MVP award at the end of the season.
Olson appeared in 32 games and averaged 15.5 points, 3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, while the Breakers finished in eleventh place (9-23), failing to improve on their debut season.
2005/06
With the Breakers still searching for their first winning season, they chose not to re-sign Mike Chappell, the Breakers’ leading scorer from the past two seasons and appointed a new head coach Andrej Lemanis. Lemanis had played in the NBL during the 1980s and 1990s and spent the previous five seasons as a assistant coach with the Townsville Crocodiles.
Lemanis inherited a Breakers squad who had seen both its national team players, Pero Cameron (Gold Coast) and Dillon Boucher (Perth), leave for better opportunities on other NBL team’s.
Lemanis looked to build around its young turning core group, which included Aaron Olsen, Ben Pepper, Lindsay Tait and Paul Henare, who was named team captain with the departure of co-captain Pero Cameron.
Rugged defender Ben Thompson and New Zealand born Adrian Majstrovich (both via Perth) were added to the roster, as was the import duo of Rich Melzer and Brant Bailey.
The Breakers started the season poorly (1-5) and quickly made the decision to replace Bailey (18.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists) with Brian Green (18.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.5 steals).
Melzer (18.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists) would lead New Zealand in scoring while the Breakers continued to see strong development from young gun Aaron Olson (17.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) and Ben Pepper (14.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks) was a force inside the paint. Olson averaged 17.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists, appearing in 32 of the Breakers’ games.
Lemanis’ first season in charge was not particularly memorable. During the season, the Breakers endured a team-worst eleven straight losses, but after making the personnel changes, the team split their final twelve games of the season and finished the regular season tenth out of eleven team’s (9-23).
2006/07
In their second year under head coach Andrej Lemanis, the Breakers retained most of their core group from the 2005/06 season, with captain Paul Henare, Aaron Olson, Ben Pepper, Mika Vukona, Tim Behrendorff, and Adam Darragh all returning.
The offseason saw the departure of foundation forward Dillon Boucher to Brisbane, while marquee forward Rich Melzer was released after signing an NBA deal with San Antonio. To strengthen the roster, Lemanis signed Australian forward Oscar Forman (via Adelaide) and added two high-profile imports — 2004 NBL MVP Brian Wethers (via Hunter) and Carlos Powell (via NBA D-League) — to provide offensive firepower alongside Olson’s perimeter shooting.
The season began in style with a 118–97 home upset of defending champions Melbourne on 2 November. Wethers top-scored with 31 points, Powell added 28 points and 8 rebounds, and Olson chipped in with 21 points and 7 rebounds, hitting from outside to stretch the Tigers’ defence. On 13 December, New Zealand faced Singapore in the first-ever NBL game between two non-Australian clubs, going down 111–94 despite Powell’s 43 points; Olson contributed 14 points and 5 assists. Later in the season, when Powell set a franchise record with 50 points in a narrow loss to Melbourne, Olson supported with 16 points, hitting key shots to keep the Breakers in the contest.
A turning point came on 1 January in Sydney when Wethers suffered a fractured tibial plateau in his right knee during the first quarter of a 100–89 defeat. At that time, Wethers was averaging (19.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.2 steals) across 22 games, providing a critical scoring option alongside Powell. His absence left a void that was difficult to fill, even with the arrival of import guard Pierre Wooten (8.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists across 9 games), and the team endured a ten-game losing streak through January.
Aaron Olson (12.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists across 33 games) remained a consistent offensive contributor throughout the season, providing perimeter scoring and veteran leadership in what would be his final NBL campaign. Powell (28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists) led the league in scoring, collected two NBL Player of the Month awards, and won the Slam Dunk Contest at the All-Star Weekend. Ben Pepper (15.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists) was a steady force inside, while Forman (10.6 points and 5.2 rebounds) added spacing and rebounding. Henare (8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists) directed the offence, and Vukona (5.2 points and 6.2 rebounds) brought intensity and defensive presence off the bench.
The Breakers closed the year with an 11–22 record, finishing 10th and showing slight improvement on their previous 9–23 finish. Olson’s outside shooting, experience, and ability to deliver in key moments were central to keeping New Zealand competitive in games against the league’s top sides.
Aaron Olson played four seasons the New Zealand Breakers. He averaged 13.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 130 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07 | 28 | New Zealand | 11-22 (10) | 33 | 1,162.0 | 399 | 99 | 82 | 41 | 58 | 25 | 8 | 67 | 109 | 138 | 358 | 39% | 68 | 206 | 33% | 55 | 67 | 82% | 51% | 48% | 30 |
| 2005-06 | 27 | New Zealand | 9-23 (10) | 32 | 1,281.0 | 549 | 103 | 99 | 31 | 72 | 29 | 1 | 71 | 112 | 185 | 466 | 40% | 103 | 269 | 38% | 76 | 95 | 80% | 54% | 51% | 30 |
| 2004-05 | 26 | New Zealand | 9-23 (11) | 32 | 985.0 | 497 | 96 | 58 | 39 | 57 | 36 | 1 | 46 | 80 | 178 | 403 | 44% | 72 | 191 | 38% | 69 | 82 | 84% | 56% | 53% | 40 |
| 2003-04 | 25 | New Zealand | 12-21 (10) | 33 | 857.0 | 355 | 86 | 43 | 28 | 58 | 28 | 1 | 61 | 67 | 120 | 293 | 41% | 55 | 151 | 36% | 60 | 68 | 88% | 55% | 50% | 27 | Totals | 130 | 4285 | 1800 | 384 | 282 | 139 | 245 | 118 | 11 | 245 | 368 | 621 | 1520 | 40.9% | 298 | 817 | 36.5% | 260 | 312 | 83.3% | 54% | 51% | 40 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07 | 28 | New Zealand | 11-22 (10) | 33 | 35.2 | 12.1 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 10.8 | 39% | 2.1 | 6.2 | 33% | 1.7 | 2.0 | 82% | 51% | 48% | 30 |
| 2005-06 | 27 | New Zealand | 9-23 (10) | 32 | 40.0 | 17.2 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 5.8 | 14.6 | 40% | 3.2 | 8.4 | 38% | 2.4 | 3.0 | 80% | 54% | 51% | 30 |
| 2004-05 | 26 | New Zealand | 9-23 (11) | 32 | 30.8 | 15.5 | 3.0 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 2.5 | 5.6 | 12.6 | 44% | 2.3 | 6.0 | 38% | 2.2 | 2.6 | 84% | 56% | 53% | 40 |
| 2003-04 | 25 | New Zealand | 12-21 (10) | 33 | 26.0 | 10.8 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 3.6 | 8.9 | 41% | 1.7 | 4.6 | 36% | 1.8 | 2.1 | 88% | 55% | 50% | 27 | Total | 130 | 33.0 | 13.8 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 4.8 | 11.7 | 40.9% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 36.5% | 2.3 | 6.3 | 83.3% | 54% | 51% | 40 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 40 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
|---|
FIBA EXPERIENCE
Olsen Bradshaw made his Tall Blacks debut as part squad for the 2004 Olympic games. There, Tall Blacks failed to win a game in their opening pool, resulting in them facing Australia in a crossover game to determine FIBA rankings. New Zealand then lost to Australia, 98-80, in the classification matches to finish in tenth place.
He was also a part of the Tall Blacks squad that competed at the 2006 FIBA World Championships (Japan). There, New Zealand (2–4) made it to the second round before being eliminated by Argentina (62-79). They finished the tournament tied for ninth place.
FIBA TOTAL STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 28 | 4 | 44 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 18.2% | 1 | 6 | 16.7% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 2004 | 26 | 3 | 20 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 28.6% | 2 | 5 | 40.0% | 2 | 2 | 100.0% | Total | 7 | 64 | 13 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 18 | 22% | 3 | 11 | 27% | 2 | 2 | 100% |
FIBA PER GAME STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 28 | 4 | 11.0 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 2.8 | 18.2% | 0.3 | 1.5 | 16.7% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 2004 | 26 | 3 | 6.7 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 28.6% | 0.7 | 1.7 | 40.0% | 0.7 | 0.7 | 100.0% | Total | 7 | 9.1 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 2.6 | 22% | 0.4 | 1.6 | 27% | 0.3 | 0.3 | 100% |
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- New Zealand - Auckland Pirates (2001), North Harbour (2002), Auckland Pirates (2003–2005) | Finland - Aanekosken Huima (2002–2003)
Olson joined the Auckland Pirates for the 2001 New Zealand National Basketball League season, beginning a professional career in New Zealand that would account for the majority of his club basketball.
Olson averaged 12.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists across 33 games in New Zealand in 2001.
Olson moved to North Harbour for the 2002 New Zealand National Basketball League season, where contemporaneous coverage from the year noted him as a key perimeter defender for the Harbour side in “battle of the bridge” matchups, alongside teammates including Dylan Chase, with Auckland featuring import Casey Frank in the same fixture.
Olson then joined Äänekosken Huima for the 2002–03 Finnish top-division season, adding a stint in Finland before returning to New Zealand competition.
Back in New Zealand, Olson rejoined the Auckland Pirates from 2003 to 2005 and helped the franchise win back-to-back New Zealand NBL championships in 2004 and 2005, earning New Zealand NBL Finals MVP honours in 2004 during Auckland’s title run.Finland - Aanekosken Huima (2003) | New Zealand - Auckland Pirates, North Harbour
Olson rejoined Auckland for the 2003 New Zealand National Basketball League season and scored 25 points in an 86–78 win over Hawke’s Bay in May 2003.
Olson helped Auckland win the 2004 New Zealand NBL championship, which was the club’s eighth title, and he received the Finals MVP award in that title season.
Olson helped Auckland win the 2005 New Zealand NBL championship as well, with the title decided by a 69–68 win over Hawke’s Bay in the final for the club’s ninth league crown.
COLLEGE
Olson attended college at the University of Victoria in Canada before switching to Eastern Washington University in 1999, with University of Victoria records listing him on the program’s 1996-97 championship roster under head coach Guy Vetrie and recognizing him as the 1996-97 CIAU Rookie of the Year.
Across his University of Victoria career, league-game record listings credit Olson with a 47.9% three-point percentage (68-for-142) from 1996-98, and the school’s single-season lists include a 1996-97 mark of 36-for-65 from three (55.4%).
Olson moved to NCAA Division I at Eastern Washington and suited up for the Eagles in 1999-00, when the team finished 15-12 overall and 12-4 in Big Sky play.
In that 1999-00 season at Eastern Washington, Olson played 26 games and made 23 starts, totaling 268 points (10.3 points per game) while shooting 92-for-197 from the field (46.7%), going 51-for-116 on three-pointers (44.0%), and making 33-of-42 free throws (78.6%).
Across those 26 games, he recorded 66 total rebounds (2.5 per game) with 32 offensive rebounds and 34 defensive rebounds, along with 54 assists (2.1 per game), 13 steals, 2 blocks, 27 turnovers, 45 fouls, and 626 total minutes played (24.1 minutes per game).
Olson’s top scoring night of the 1999-00 campaign was 36 points against Cascade College on December 29, 1999, and he also appeared as the high-point scorer in conference wins including 17 points at Portland State on February 11, 2000 and 18 points in a home win over Idaho State on February 17, 2000.
Eastern Washington’s 1999-00 team totals were 2,002 points across 27 games (74.1 per game) while allowing 1,934 points (71.6 per game), and as a team the Eagles shot 714-for-1,629 from the field (43.8%), 216-for-584 from three (37.0%), and 358-for-526 at the line (68.1%).
As a senior in 2000-01, Olson played 20 games and started 19 as Eastern Washington went 17-11 overall and 11-5 in conference games, and he earned All-Big Sky recognition that season while ranking among the team’s scoring leaders.
In that 2000-01 season, Olson totaled 275 points (13.8 per game) on 81-for-171 shooting from the field (47.4%), hit 44-of-96 three-pointers (45.8%), and went 69-of-80 at the free-throw line (86.3%), with his 2000-01 three-point percentage later appearing on Eastern Washington statistical lists as one of the program’s top single-season marks (minimum one attempt per game).
Across those 20 games in 2000-01, he added 58 rebounds (2.9 per game) with 14 offensive rebounds and 44 defensive rebounds, plus 42 assists (2.1 per game), 13 steals, 44 turnovers, 48 fouls, and 618 minutes (30.9 minutes per game).
Game-by-game season leader notes for Eastern Washington’s 2000-01 schedule show Olson posting team-high point totals in multiple Big Sky wins, including 23 points against Portland State on January 12, 2001, 28 points at Cal State Northridge on January 20, 2001, and 24 points against Montana on February 3, 2001, as the Eagles finished as Big Sky tournament runners-up that season.
Over his two-season Eastern Washington career, Olson played in 46 games and combined for 543 points (11.8 per game), 124 rebounds (2.7 per game), and 96 assists (2.1 per game).
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