Glen Rice Jr
June 8, 2023
Michael Fitchett
- Nationality: NZL
- Date of Birth: 20/09/82
- Place of Birth: Nelson (New Zealand)
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 183
- Weight (KG): #N/A
- Junior Assoc: NZ - Nelson
- College: None
- NBL DEBUT: 2/01/09
- AGE AT DEBUT: 26
- LAST NBL GAME: 2/01/09
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 26
- NBL History: New Zealand 2009
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Michael Fitchett was born in Nelson (New Zealand).
NBL EXPERIENCE
Michael Fitchett made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 26 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.
After the Brisbane Bullets fell into financial hardship and withdrew from the league, head coach Andrej Lemanis recruited free agent pair CJ Bruton (two-year deal) and former Breaker Dillon Boucher (three-year deal) to play for the Breakers with the explicit intentions to win a championship that season.
The duo joined the existing roster of Paul Henare, Kirk Penney, Phill Jones, Oscar Forman, Tony Ronaldson and Tim Behrendorff. The Breakers later signed import Rick Rickert to finalise their roster and Fitchett as a development player.
Bruton’s signing gave the Breakers’ stability and direction at the point guard position, something the Breakers had always been missing. New Zealand would play with only one import this season, being led by Bruton (16.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.7 steals ) and sharp-shooting Penney (24.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists) who would be selected to the All-NBL First Team. Penney would also make history by becoming the first New Zealand born player to win NBL MVP, and Phill Jones was voted the league’s Sixth Man of the Year.
With 14 games left in the season and the Breakers on top of the ladder (15-4), Bruton suffered a high-ankle sprain in late December, which saw the team stumble through January, losing eight of their next nine games.
Heading into the playoffs with a win in their last game regular season game, the Breakers finished with a 18–12 record, setting the team up with their first ever home playoff game. New Zealand went on to win their elimination playoff, routing Adelaide (131–101) to set up a best-of-three semi final series with the defending champions Melbourne. In their first-ever semi finals appearance, the Breakers were beaten 2–0.
Fitchett would see limited playing opportunities with the Breakers, appearing in only one game and failing to score.
The following season Fitchett would miss out on making the full roster, the Breakers choosing to sign Adam Darragh instead.
Michael Fitchett played in one NBL game during the 2008-09 season, scoring 0 points, 1 rebounds, and 1 assists.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09 | 26 | New Zealand | 18-12 (3) | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0 | Totals | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.0% | 0 | 1 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0% | 0% | 0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09 | 26 | New Zealand | 18-12 (3) | 1 | 7.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0% | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0 | Total | 1 | 7.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1.0 | 0.0% | 0% | 0% | 0 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
FIBA EXPERIENCE
In 2010, Fitchett was a part of the Tall Blacks squad that competed at the FIBA World Championships. With Kirk Penney leading the team in scoring (24.7 ppg), New Zealand finished in 12th 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% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 28 | 6 | 79 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 16 | 25.0% | 4 | 16 | 25.0% | 3 | 4 | 75.0% | Total | 6 | 79 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 16 | 25% | 4 | 16 | 25% | 3 | 4 | 75% |
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% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 28 | 6 | 13.2 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 2.7 | 25.0% | 0.7 | 2.7 | 25.0% | 0.5 | 0.7 | 75.0% | Total | 6 | 13.2 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 2.7 | 25% | 0.7 | 2.7 | 25% | 0.5 | 0.7 | 75% |
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- New Zealand - Waikato Pistons (2010–2011)
Michael Fitchett joined Waikato Pistons for the 2010 New Zealand NBL season, playing his first season with the club in New Zealand.
In the 2010 New Zealand NBL season, Waikato finished second in the regular season at 13–5 and reached the league finals, where they lost the championship series 2–1 to the Wellington Saints, with Fitchett part of a Pistons group that season featuring Thomas Abercrombie, Hayden Allen, Alex Pledger, and Rashad Tucker.
During the 2011 New Zealand NBL season, Fitchett recorded a 14-point performance for Waikato in a 27 April 2011 game against the Nelson Giants, playing 31 minutes and adding 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 steals, while sharing the floor for the Pistons with imports Rod Grizzard and Darryl Dora alongside guard Sam Dempster.
COACHING HISTORY
In October 2018, Fitchett was appointed head coach of the Nelson Giants for the 2019 New Zealand NBL season, beginning a coaching tenure that later expanded in 2021 when he was elevated to a dual general manager and head coach role, and in 2022 he was named the New Zealand NBL Coach of the Year.
Related
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