BIO: Ethan Rusbatch was born in the Canterbury city of Christchurch and then grew up in Twizel (NZ). He began playing basketball at a young age thanks to family influence from his mother, aunt and uncle. His uncle is Kenny Perkins, a American who played in the New Zealand NBL for the Canterbury Rams during the 1980s. Rusbatch grew up idolising his uncle and dreamed of playing for the Rams himself.

As a junior he represented Canterbury, winning national titles in 2009 and 2011. A former captain of the New Zealand under 18 team.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Ethan Rusbatch made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 24 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

The Breakers underwent major changes after falling to Perth in the 2016 Grand Final, with Dean Vickerman and chief executive Richard Clarke departing and Paul Henare taking over as head coach. Cedric Jackson (to Melbourne) and Tai Wesley (to Melbourne) also left, while New Zealand retained Thomas Abercrombie, Corey Webster, Alex Pledger and Mika Vukona and brought in Kirk Penney (via Illawarra), Robert Loe (via Limburg United), Ben Woodside (via Türk Telekom) and Akil Mitchell (via Antibes).

Ethan Rusbatch joined the Breakers as a development player on August 24 alongside Derone Raukawa and Sam Waardenburg. Rusbatch had been playing for Canterbury and had joined Raukawa in the Tall Blacks squad for the Olympic qualifying campaign earlier that year. Henare said the previous development group had “set a new standard in terms of what it means to be part of the D-Unit,” with Rusbatch and Raukawa signed to full-time development contracts and available for selection throughout the NBL season.

Rusbatch did not appear in New Zealand’s opening games and made his first NBL appearance against Adelaide at Vector Arena on October 29. Rusbatch (0 points and 1 rebound) played 1:58 and missed his only three-point attempt as New Zealand defeated Adelaide 119-93. Penney (27 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal) and Webster (22 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block) led the Breakers, while Nathan Sobey (32 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals) was Adelaide’s best.

Rusbatch (0 points across 3 games) remained a development player and did not make a start. His Adelaide appearance is identified as his best game in the mandatory file because the rebound was the only recorded counting statistic of his NBL season. He made his second appearance against Illawarra on November 18, playing 1:03 without recording a statistic as New Zealand won 100-85.

Although his opportunities with the senior team were limited, Rusbatch remained active with the Breakers Development team. During the Mexicali Fresh Summer Jam he produced 36 points in a late-November game, demonstrating considerably more offensive responsibility at development level than was available to him in Henare’s NBL rotation. No injury has been found to explain his limited senior appearances; his three games were a product of his development-player status and New Zealand’s established wing rotation.

New Zealand’s injury problems nevertheless created repeated changes elsewhere on the roster. Woodside (8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.3 steals across 6 games) suffered a ruptured plantar fascia and was replaced by David Stockton (via Cedevita Zagreb), while Webster (11.7 points across 15 games) ultimately required season-ending hip surgery. Abercrombie (11.7 points and 5.2 rebounds across 21 games) also missed games with a broken hand, Paul Carter (via ALBA Berlin) joined as injury cover and Stockton (8.3 points and 4.2 assists across 10 games) was eventually released alongside Woodside before Kevin Dillard (via Pınar Karşıyaka) arrived.

Rusbatch’s final NBL appearance came against Sydney at Vector Arena on January 13, where he played the final 36 seconds and finished with 0 points. Carter (23 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) and Dillard (19 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals) led New Zealand, while Jason Cadee (18 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists) was Sydney’s leading scorer as the Breakers won 92-74.

Dillard (18.1 points, 4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.6 steals across 9 games) helped turn around a season which had reached 8-12, while Penney (17.4 points and 3.4 rebounds across 28 games) led the Breakers in scoring and was named club MVP. Mitchell (9.5 points and 7.2 rebounds across 25 games), Pledger (8.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks across 28 games), Loe (7.1 points and 3.4 rebounds across 26 games) and Vukona (6.5 points and 5.1 rebounds across 27 games) were the other major contributors.

Rusbatch was not part of the rotation when New Zealand completed its season against Melbourne at Vector Arena on February 10. Dillard (16 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) and Penney (15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block) led the Breakers, while Casper Ware (23 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal) was Melbourne’s best as New Zealand won 88-70 and finished fifth with a 14-14 record.

2019/20
After missing the playoffs with a 12-16 record the previous season, New Zealand replaced Kevin Braswell with Dan Shamir as coach and Director of Basketball. Shea Ili (to Melbourne), Shawn Long (to Melbourne) and Tai Wesley (to South East Melbourne) departed as Shamir rebuilt the roster, while Ethan Rusbatch (via Hawke’s Bay Hawks) returned for his third stint with the Breakers after previously spending time with the club as a development player.

His first appearance of the season came against Illawarra at Spark Arena on October 24, where the returning guard (6 points and 1 rebound) made both of his three-point attempts in 11 minutes as New Zealand recorded its first victory with a 103-72 win. Sek Henry (21 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) and Scotty Hopson (17 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assists) led the Breakers, while Aaron Brooks (19 points) led Illawarra.

Rusbatch (1.6 points across 17 games) remained at the end of the rotation for most of the season and no injury was reported as the reason for the games he did not appear in. His other season-high six-point performance came against South East Melbourne on January 5, where the Breakers won 97-92.

Rusbatch’s best game came against Melbourne on November 7, where Rusbatch (5 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist) played nine minutes as New Zealand recovered from 21 points down before losing 104-101 at Spark Arena. Glen Rice Jr (26 points) and Corey Webster (20 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) led the Breakers, while Chris Goulding (24 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) was Melbourne’s leading scorer.

When Webster (19.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists across 11 games) left New Zealand in December (to China), Rusbatch was elevated to a full-time roster position. “It’s kind of bittersweet for me. We lose someone like Corey [Webster] but I get the chance to get bumped up,” he said.

Rice Jr (25 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.3 steals across 3 games), Hopson (18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists across 21 games), Henry (13.2 points and 3.4 assists across 26 games), Thomas Abercrombie (11.8 points and 4.3 rebounds across 28 games), Finn Delany (11.8 points and 5.7 rebounds across 20 games), Brandon Ashley (10.5 points and 6.3 rebounds across 28 games), Robert Loe (9.3 points and 4 rebounds across 20 games), RJ Hampton (8.8 points and 3.8 rebounds across 15 games) and Jarrad Weeks (5.6 points across 25 games) were the Breakers’ other major contributors. After falling to 4-10, New Zealand won 11 of its final 14 games.

Rusbatch did not appear in the final game against South East Melbourne in Christchurch, where Hopson (23 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals), Abercrombie (18 points and 5 rebounds) and Loe (18 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) led New Zealand to a 92-83 victory. The Breakers finished sixth with a 15-13 record and missed the playoffs on points percentage.

2019/20
After missing the playoffs with a 12-16 record the previous season, New Zealand replaced Kevin Braswell with Dan Shamir as coach and Director of Basketball. Shea Ili (to Melbourne), Shawn Long (to Melbourne) and Tai Wesley (to South East Melbourne) departed as Shamir rebuilt the roster, while Ethan Rusbatch (via Hawke’s Bay Hawks) returned for his third stint with the Breakers after previously spending time with the club as a development player.

His first appearance of the season came against Illawarra at Spark Arena on October 24, where the returning guard (6 points and 1 rebound) made both of his three-point attempts in 11 minutes as New Zealand recorded its first victory with a 103-72 win. Sek Henry (21 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) and Scotty Hopson (17 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assists) led the Breakers, while Aaron Brooks (19 points) led Illawarra.

Rusbatch (1.6 points across 17 games) remained at the end of the rotation for most of the season and no injury was reported as the reason for the games he did not appear in. His other season-high six-point performance came against South East Melbourne on January 5, where the Breakers won 97-92.

Rusbatch’s best game came against Melbourne on November 7, where Rusbatch (5 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist) played nine minutes as New Zealand recovered from 21 points down before losing 104-101 at Spark Arena. Glen Rice Jr (26 points) and Corey Webster (20 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) led the Breakers, while Chris Goulding (24 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) was Melbourne’s leading scorer.

When Webster (19.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists across 11 games) left New Zealand in December (to China), Rusbatch was elevated to a full-time roster position. “It’s kind of bittersweet for me. We lose someone like Corey [Webster] but I get the chance to get bumped up,” he said.

Rice Jr (25 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.3 steals across 3 games), Hopson (18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists across 21 games), Henry (13.2 points and 3.4 assists across 26 games), Thomas Abercrombie (11.8 points and 4.3 rebounds across 28 games), Finn Delany (11.8 points and 5.7 rebounds across 20 games), Brandon Ashley (10.5 points and 6.3 rebounds across 28 games), Robert Loe (9.3 points and 4 rebounds across 20 games), RJ Hampton (8.8 points and 3.8 rebounds across 15 games) and Jarrad Weeks (5.6 points across 25 games) were the Breakers’ other major contributors. After falling to 4-10, New Zealand won 11 of its final 14 games.

Rusbatch did not appear in the final game against South East Melbourne in Christchurch, where Hopson (23 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals), Abercrombie (18 points and 5 rebounds) and Loe (18 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) led New Zealand to a 92-83 victory. The Breakers finished sixth with a 15-13 record and missed the playoffs on points percentage.

Ethan Rusbatch played two seasons with the New Zealand Breakers. He averaged 1.3 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.1 assists in 20 NBL games.