BIO: Mika Vukona was born in Suva (FIJI) where he was adopted by his birth mother’s brother, a Fijian named Clem. Clem and his a wife, a New Zealander named Marion, moved their family to New Zealand in 1987 following the Fiji coup and settled in the coastal city of Tauranga, Marion’s hometown.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Mika Vukona made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 21 years of age. He scored two 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.

The Breakers finished in tenth place (12–21) with Vukona seeing minimal playing time, appearing in only three games and scoring a total of one point.

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.

Vukona appeared in 8 games and averaged 2.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.4 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. Vukona averaged 5.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.2 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). Vukona would play his first full season with the Breakers, appearing in all 32 games, and average 5.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.

2006/07
In Andrej Lemanis’ second season as head coach, New Zealand brought back most of their 2005/06 roster, retaining captain Paul Henare, Aaron Olson, Ben Pepper, Mika Vukona, Tim Behrendorff.

The offseason saw Dillon Boucher depart for Brisbane, while Rich Melzer was released after securing an NBA contract with San Antonio. To bolster the squad, Lemanis added Oscar Forman (via Adelaide) and brought in two imports: former NBL MVP Brian Wethers (via Hunter) and dynamic scorer Carlos Powell (via NBA D-League).

The season began in style on 2 November with a 118–97 home upset of defending champions Melbourne. Wethers led with 31 points, Powell added 28 points and 8 rebounds, Pepper chipped in 18 points and 7 rebounds, and Vukona contributed 8 points and 9 rebounds, impacting both ends of the floor. On 13 December, in the NBL’s first game between two non-Australian sides, the Breakers fell 111–94 to Singapore despite Powell’s 43 points. Vukona also provided 10 points and 7 rebounds in the historic game. Later in the season, Powell posted 50 points in a narrow loss to Melbourne, a game where Vukona (9 points and 8 rebounds) also made solid contributions.

A pivotal moment came on 1 January in Sydney when Wethers suffered a fractured tibial plateau early in a 100–89 loss. At the time, Wethers was averaging (19.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.2 steals) across 22 games. His absence triggered a ten-game losing streak. Import guard Pierre Wooten (8.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists over 9 games) was signed as cover but could not replicate Wethers’ scoring punch.

Mika Vukona (5.2 points and 6.2 rebounds across 33 games) was a constant contributor on the glass and chipped in timely scoring in key matchups. Carlos Powell (28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists) led the NBL in scoring, collecting two Player of the Month awards and winning the All-Star Slam Dunk Contest. Ben Pepper (15.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists) provided an interior anchor, Aaron Olson (12.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists) gave steady perimeter production in his final season, Oscar Forman (10.6 points and 5.2 rebounds) added shooting range, and Paul Henare (8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists) directed the offence.

The Breakers finished 10th with an 11–22 record, a modest improvement on the previous season’s 9–23. While Powell’s scoring feats headlined the campaign, Vukona’s rebounding presence and contributions in big games were vital in keeping New Zealand competitive through stretches of the season.

2007/08
the Breakers were able to convince multiple stars of New Zealand’s national team to join the roster in 2007, with Phill Jones (14.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists), Paora Winitana (3.0 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 0.5 assists) and Kirk Penney (24.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.3 steals) all signing on after spending the past few seasons playing overseas. After impressing in his first season with the Breakers, Oscar Forman (9.2 points and 4.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists) was re-signed to a three-year deal with the club, becoming one of their team’s primary scorers and imports Rick Rickert and Wayne Turner were added to round out the roster.

New Zealand fell short in their opening game of the season, a five point loss to Cairns (90-95) with Forman (20 points) delivering a season high and Rickert (19 and 12 rebounds) showcasing his ability to impact both ends. The next game saw the debut of Kirk Penney (23 points and 7 rebounds), who led the team in scoring in his first game, albeit in a loss to West Sydney (96-104).

Over the course of the season, New Zealand pushed through season-ending injuries to both imports Rick Rickert and Wayne Turner, but their replacements Derrick Alston and Orien Greene were able to add the required fire power to help the Breakers seal their maiden NBL playoff berth with a 16–14 record and Penney being named to the All-NBL First Team.

In their first playoff match, they defeated the Cairns at home (100–78) before suffering a brutal loss to the defending champions Brisbane in the qualifying finals. Vukona delivered his best season to date, averaging 7.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. Vukona’s best game of the season was a 18 point, 16 rebound, 4 assists effort in a win over Perth (98-92).

SOUTH DRAGONS
2008/09
The Dragons retained five players heading into their third season. Ingles, the blue-collar Matt Burston, wing Nathan Herbert, the naturalised Nick Horvath, and import Cortez Groves. The demise of the Sydney Kings saw legendary coach Brian Goorjian open to offers, and the Dragons quickly offered to bring him to Melbourne and replace Shane Heal. Talented point guard Adam Gibson also joined the roster after his team (Brisbane) also exited the league. Other new additions saw Tremmell Darden signed on as the team’s second import, Mika Vukona (via New Zealand) was brought in to add a new found physicality to the squad and Rhys Carter (via West Sydney), who due to having no NBL teams interested in signing him, asked Goorjian if he could train with the team to keep in shape and his efforts were enough for Goorjian to offer him the backup point guard spot.

The season began with a slow start, a loss to Cairns and then Townsville saw the Dragons start the year with a 2-2 record. Then came a eight game winning streak which ended with Groves suffering a season ending injury which led to his release. The Dragons were 16-4 when Donta Smith was axed from his Chinese team Shanxi Zhongyu (making room for NBA star Bonzi Wells) and Goorjian, who was aware of Smith from his time playing for the Atlanta Hawks, quickly signed him as Groves replacement. Smith had dropped 41 and 35 point games in his last few weeks playing in China, but started his NBL campaign much quieter in comparison. Seven games in and Smith was still coming off the bench and yet to score over 14 in a game. During this time however, his talent was never questioned, as he was able to always fill the stat sheet in almost every other area which ensured the Dragons finished the season on top of the ladder (22-8).

Mark Worthington led the team in both points and rebounds (16.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.3 steals) while Smith finished up second on the team in scoring and first in assists (15 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals), while Vukona added 5.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists this season. Adam Gibson and Joe Ingles would earn the NBL’s Best Defensive Player and Rookie of the Year awards before heading into the playoffs, where the Dragons received a first-round bye (due to finishing top of the ladder) and meeting Townsville in the semifinals.

The Dragons defeated Townsville at home in both game one (94-81) and game three (101-78), while on the other side of the bracket, the Melbourne Tigers defeated the NZ Breakers in two straight games, setting up a ‘All Melbourne’ Grand Final.

In game one, the Dragons defeated the Tigers by double digits (93–81) after holding Melbourne to 36 points in the second half. Mark Worthington (23 points) top scored for the Dragons, while Anstey (21 points and 9 rebounds) led the way for the Tigers.

After leading by 14 points midway through the final quarter of game two, the Tigers fought off a late comeback by the Dragons to win on the Tigers home court (88-83). David Barlow (26 points) and Anstey (21 points and 9 rebounds) finished as the Tigers’ best, and import Donta Smith (18 points and 6 rebounds) top scoring for the Dragons.

In game three, the series became front-page news after a clash between Anstey and Dragons backup point guard Rhys Carter. a incident that saw the Tigers star big man charged with ‘striking – with elbow’ after the altercation with Carter in the third quarter of the grand final series before being ejected from the match (along with Dragons forward Mika Vukona, who was involved in the subsequent on-court melee). The game was a bloodbath after Anstey’s ejection, with the Dragons hammering the defending champions 84-67 at Hisense Arena. The Dragons were led by Donta Smith (18 points), who scored 10 points in the final period.

After the NBL tribunal decided they wouldn’t suspend any players for the melee, game four saw Carter (17 points), who copped the brunt of Anstey’s anger In game three, came back with a big game but Anstey (31 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists) also erupted for his team in game four, propelling Melbourne to victory (108-95) and setting up a fifth and final game to decide the NBL championship.

Game five saw 9,000 fans packed Hisense Arena to witness the Dragons beat the Tigers by 21 points (102-81) and become NBL champions. Tremmell Darden (31 points) was the key for the Dragons in this game, scoring 21 points in the final quarter, and Donta Smith (21 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists) did the rest, almost notching up a triple-double. Worthington and Mika Vukona were able to limit the impact of limit Anstey (12 points and 3 rebounds) yet again, with Ebi Ere and David Barlow (16 points each) the only Tigers’ players able to make a impact.

Donta Smith was named MVP of the Finals after averaging 18.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists over the five-game series.

Although initial reports had the Dragons regrouping for a run at back to back titles, in a surprise move, the club announced it would withdraw from the NBL less than two months after hoisting the trophy. Although in a positive financial position, Dragons ownership felt that due to the league’s instability and focus on stablising itself conflicted with their goals of continuing to grow.

“The Dragons’ board of directors believe that more time is required to develop the league as a commercially viable entity,” said co-owner Mark Cowan at the time. “The Dragons aspire to play at the highest level, to the highest standards, in a fully professional league. This is a sad day for our club, but in many ways, it’s the only way forward for a sport which needs some time to reinvent itself.”

Cowan further addressed the club’s decision in a letter to Dragons members, outlining the testing time that it was for everyone involved across the league.

“The NBL is a mess,” stated Cowan. “In the last two years, team’s in Brisbane and Sydney have collapsed. Singapore pulled out of the league. Cairns and the Sydney Spirit had major financial crises. Fox Sports severely cut its telecasts, and mainstream media interest has waned. Crowds fall every year. Basketball Australia and the NBL owners decided something had to be done, so we handed in our licences on the condition that a reform process would be undertaken.”

GOLD COAST BLAZE
2009/10
In 2009/10, Vukona averaged 6.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists as the Blaze finished in third place (16-12).

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS
2010/11
A key to the Breakers’ success this season were the return of both Vukona and Kevin Braswell. Braswell initially decided to play the 2010/11 season with Turkish team Aliağa Belediyesi SK but before the season could start, left the team to play a second season with the New Zealand Breakers. Vukona returned to the club after stints with South and Gold Coast and chosen to replace Paul Henare as team captain. Another key move saw declining import Rick Rickert replaced with former Utah State University standout Gary Wilkinson.

The season began with Kirk Penney missing the start of the season while he attempted to earn a NBA contract. Failing to do that, he re-joined the Breakers after the season’s first month. Despite missing Penney, the Breakers won their first five games of the season before losing to the Wildcat’s in Perth (114–74).

Kirk Penney (20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists) would finish as the team’s leading scorer, with the Breakers finishing the regular season on top of the ladder (22–6). Wilkinson (15.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists), CJ Bruton (11.0 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists), Thomas Abercrombie (10.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) and Vukona (8.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists) rounded out New Zealand’s starting lineup, while Braswell (10.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists) add a spark from the bench, a role that would see him selected the NBL’s Best Sixth Man at the end of the year.

This season was also notable for the impact of 22-year-old Corey Webster (4.0 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.9 assists), who was elevated into the Breakers’ full-time roster this season and started to steal time away from legendary point guard CJ Bruton this season. Bruton played seven minutes less than the season prior, a testament to New Zealand much improved, much deeper roster.

New Zealand met fourth seed Perth in the semifinals and lost the opening game to the Wildcat’s at home. The Breakers returned to New Zealand for games two and three and recovered by winning both games, qualifying for their first-ever NBL Grand Final.

There, the Breakers met Cairns in the championship series and coasting to a easy win in game one (85–67) after leading by as much as 31 in the third quarter. The team’s then fought out a gripping game two in Cairns, which saw the game tied at the end of regulation (60-60) and at the end of the first overtime (73–73), before Cairns prevailed (85–81), sending the series to a third and deciding game.

With the final game played back on New Zealand soil, the Breakers recorded a comfortable win (71–53) and became the first team non-Australian team to win a NBL championship.

Thomas Abercrombie collected Grand Final MVP honours and while Bruton etched his name into Breakers folklore after he nailed two three-pointers in the fourth quarter to seal the game against the Cairns Taipans, winning his fourth NBL title.

2011/12
After winning their first NBL championship, the Breakers suffered two major losses, the first being leading scorer Kirk Penney’s decision to play in Europe and a off-seasonAchilles injury to Kevin Braswell that saw him still unable to play at the beginning of the 2011/12 season. Coach Andrej Lemanis would replace him with Cedric Jackson and then finalised their roster by adding Daryl Corletto, who the Melbourne Tigers had just released to make room for NBA star Patty Mills.

Jackson (12.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 2.2 steals) would lead the league in both assists and steals and ensure the Breakers didn’t skip a beat as the defending champs. Gary Wilkinson (16.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists) and Thomas Abercrombie (15.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) both boosting their offensive output in the absence of Penney, propelling New Zealand to a first-place finish (21-7) for the second consecutive season.

New Zealand would meet Townsville in the semifinals where they would lose the opening contest (82-99) behind big games from Crocodiles stars Peter Crawford (26 points) and Eddie Gill (21 points and 4 steals).

The Breakers re-grouped with CJ Bruton (18 points) top scoring in a game two win (94-83) that saw five New Zealand players all score in double figures. Bruton (20 points) continued to lead the way offensively in game three (97-80), winning the series for New Zealand and propelling them into the Grand Final.

New Zealand would go on to face Perth, winning the opening game in a overtime victory at home (104–98). Bruton (20 points and 3 assists) and Jackson (25 points and 8 assists) led the way in scoring, while Vukona added 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Despite Wilkinson (28 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists) delivering his best game of the season, the Wildcats would rebound from the loss and claim a narrow victory in their second meeting (87-86). Jesse Wagstaff (15 points) and Kevin Lisch (15 points and 5 rebounds) led the way for Perth, while six other Wildcats players also scored in double figures. This set up a third game back in Auckland, where the Wildcat’s built up a slight lead in the second quarter through some brilliant play from Matthew Knight (17 points and 6 rebounds), who had 11 points in the quarter. With centre Luke Nevill (4 points and 3 rebounds in 9 mins) getting into foul trouble and the Breakers defence all but neutralising Shawn Redhage (18 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists), the Breakers clinched back-to-back titles with a six-point victory (79–73) in front of 9,000 fans.

After Perth levelled the score with seven minutes to go, Abercrombie (12 points and 4 rebounds) pulled in a offensive rebound and set up Bruton (16 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals), who nailed a three-point dagger to extend the lead to seven with less than two minutes to play. Gary Wilkinson (23 points) led all scorers, while Alex Pledger (13 points on 4-of-6 shooting) made huge contributions from the bench. The Breakers became the first side to win consecutive titles since Sydney in 2002-2005, a championship team that Bruton was also a part of. Bruton finished 4-of-7 from downtown and was awarded the Larry Sengstock Medal for the Most Valuable Player of the series.

This season, Lemanis was recognised as Coach of the Year, Jackson and Abercrombie were selected to the All-NBL First Team, and Wilkinson gained All-NBL Second Team recognition as well. Vukona would appear in all 34 games for the Breakers, averaging 8.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 steals.

2012/13
In 2012, the Breakers looked to become the second team in league history to record a three-peat. While Vukona, Cedric Jackson, Leon Henry, Thomas Abercrombie, Dillon Boucher, CJ Bruton, and Daryl Corletto all re-signed, a major decision made this off-season was to not re-sign leading scorer Gary Wilkinson (to Europe) in favour of elevating promising Kiwi centre Alex Pledger into the starting lineup. Import forward Will Hudson (via Gold Coast) signed as his replacement, while Corey Webster, who had sat out the previous season due to a 12-month suspension for the use of banned substances.

The Breakers recorded a number of historic moments this season, beginning with Jackson recording his first career triple-double with 28 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against the Melbourne Tigers (November 30, 2012). It was only the second triple-double recorded since the NBL went to 40-minute games at the start of the 2009/10 season.

By February, the Breakers extended their longest winning streak record to 11, a record that by mid-March had been extended to fifteen straight games.

New Zealand (24-4) finished on top of the ladder for a second consecutive season with Jackson (14.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 2.8 steals) leading the league in assists and steals for the second straight season. Jackson was a obvious choice for the league’s Most Valuable Player and was also selected to the All-NBL First Team for the second consecutive season. Mika Vukona and Thomas Abercrombie were selected to the All-NBL Second and Third team’s, respectively, and Andrej Lemanis was voted the Coach of the Year.

New Zealand faced Sydney in the semifinals and swiftly eliminated them in two games. Abercrombie (15 points and 3 rebounds) and Jackson (11 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals) leading the Breakers in game one (81-64) and Bruton (21 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Pledger (18 points and 12 rebounds) taking charge in game two (99-88).

New Zealand progressed to the Grand Final series, where they would face off against Perth in a Grand Final re-match of the previous year. The Wildcats entered the series shorthanded, having lost starting guard Damian Martin to a Achilles injury prior to the playoffs. Brad Robbins came out of retirement to cover the loss, but with the team missing Martin, the Breakers defeated Perth easily in two straight games. Game one (79-67) saw Corletto (19 points on 7-10 shooting) catch fire and in game two (70-66), the Breakers were led by Bruton (16 points) and Jackson (14 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals). Jackson was subsequently named Grand Final MVP as the team delivered a historic three-peat win.

Vukona would again play every game for the Breakers, averaging 8.5 points, 6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists over 32 games.

2013/14
After winning three consecutive championships with New Zealand, Lemanis was named head coach of the Australian men’s national basketball team. His departure saw assistant Dean Vickerman elevated to head coach and tasked with extending the Breakers championship streak.

Vickerman was taking over a Breakers squad that had lost star import Cedric Jackson (Europe) and Dillon Boucher through retirement and, as a result, started the season poorly, losing three out of their first four games. The poor start led to Vickerman sending out a SOS to former Breakers favourite and two-time champion Gary Wilkinson (15.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists), who joined the team in late October. Then in December, perhaps motivated by the team’s sluggish start, veteran CJ Bruton (6.1 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists) let it be known he would retire at the end of the season just prior to playing the 500th game of his career. By January, the Breakers made a second move and brought in Casey Frank (5.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) to replace the injured Alex Pledger (10.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks), who had multiple stints on the sidelines and only managed to appear in 13 games.

American guard Kerron Johnson (12.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.1 steals), who had signed as a replacement for Jackson, struggled to fill the large void left at the point guard spot, and Thomas Abercrombie (15.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists) had to shoulder the load for much of the season, finding himself with a lack of space due to Johnson’s lacklustre range. After not being able to put more than two consecutive wins together all year, they ended their season in seventh place (11–17).

The positives for the season came in the form of career-high scoring efforts from young guard duo Corey Webster (8.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists) and Reuben Te Rangi (5.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.6 assists) whose improving play showed promise for the Breakers future.

Vukona delivered the best offensive season of his career, averaging 11.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists across 28 games.

2014/15
After winning three consecutive NBL championships between 2011 and 2013, New Zealand finished seventh with an 11-17 record in 2013/14, missing the playoffs for the first time in four years. Dean Vickerman returned for his second season as head coach, with imports Kerron Johnson and Gary Wilkinson departing alongside CJ Bruton (retired) and Daryl Corletto (to Melbourne). The Breakers retained captain Mika Vukona, Thomas Abercrombie, Corey Webster and Alex Pledger, while adding two-time championship winner Cedric Jackson (via Slovenia), Ekene Ibekwe (via Puerto Rico), Rhys Carter (via Adelaide) and Tai Wesley, who qualified as a local player under the NBL’s Asian player rule due to being born in Guam.

New Zealand opened the season against defending champions Perth at Perth Arena on October 10, where Vukona (7 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 steals) controlled the boards as the Breakers established an early advantage. Jackson (22 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Carter (14 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists) led New Zealand’s scoring, while Shawn Redhage (20 points) and DeAndre Daniels (19 points and 6 rebounds) led Perth. The Breakers built a 49-26 halftime advantage before holding off a Wildcats comeback to win 80-70 in front of 12,903 fans.

Vukona (8.3 points and 6.7 rebounds across 32 games) remained New Zealand’s captain and defensive leader, providing physical defence, rebounding and passing from the frontcourt. After producing the highest-scoring season of his career the previous year, when he averaged 11.3 points and 7.8 rebounds, his offensive production declined as the additions of Jackson and Ibekwe gave the Breakers more scoring options. He continued to play an important role as a facilitator and offensive rebounder, starting every game and appearing in all 28 regular-season contests and all four postseason games. New Zealand followed its opening victory with a win over Adelaide before suffering consecutive losses to Melbourne and Cairns, but quickly recovered to establish itself among the competition’s leading teams.

One of Vukona’s strongest all-around performances came against Adelaide at the Adelaide Arena on November 2, where he finished with 6 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 steals, setting season highs in both assists and steals. Abercrombie (25 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 blocks) scored 22 of his points during the second half, while Jackson (20 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals) provided the other main scoring support. Adam Gibson (34 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, and 6 steals) delivered one of the finest performances of his career for Adelaide, making nine of his 13 field-goal attempts and 15 of 19 free throws. Despite a late New Zealand comeback which reduced a 14-point deficit to just two points, the 36ers held on to win 93-86.

Vukona played his 250th game for the Breakers against Perth at Vector Arena on December 11, finishing with 2 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal as New Zealand recovered from a 12-point halftime deficit. Ibekwe (18 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal) made all eight of his field-goal attempts, while Jackson (15 points) provided support. Redhage (19 points) and Daniels (16 points and 9 rebounds) led Perth, which established a 44-32 halftime lead before the Breakers outscored the Wildcats 22-8 during the third quarter. New Zealand went on to win 77-66, moving into first place with a 10-4 record and continuing its strong mid-season form.

Vukona’s highest-scoring game came against Cairns at the Cairns Convention Centre on December 21, where he finished with 18 points and 6 rebounds, making five of his seven field-goal attempts and eight of ten free throws. Jackson (8 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals) and Wesley (8 points and 4 rebounds) provided the other main contributions, but Cameron Gliddon (18 points and 9 rebounds) and Scottie Wilbekin (15 points) led Cairns to an 83-59 victory. The Taipans dominated the rebounding battle 44-31 and held New Zealand to just seven points during the final quarter, with the Breakers failing to make any of their 17 three-point attempts. The loss ended New Zealand’s three-game winning streak and reduced its record to 12-5, although the Breakers remained on top of the ladder.

Vukona produced his best overall performance of the regular season against Wollongong at Vector Arena on January 8, finishing with 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists while making five of his nine field-goal attempts. Jackson (18 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, and 6 steals) controlled the backcourt, while Abercrombie (16 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) provided important perimeter scoring. Gary Ervin (21 points) led Wollongong, which held the advantage throughout the first half and forced overtime after Rhys Martin made a three-pointer at the end of regulation. New Zealand regained control during the extra period, with Abercrombie hitting a crucial three-pointer before finishing an alley-oop from Jackson as the Breakers won 98-91 and maintained their position at the top of the standings.

New Zealand continued battling Perth and Cairns for top position throughout the season, putting together multiple five-game winning streaks as its improved backcourt and frontcourt depth transformed the team into a championship contender. Webster (15.3 points across 32 games) emerged as New Zealand’s leading scorer after moving into the starting lineup, producing the highest-scoring season of his career to that point. Jackson (14.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2.2 steals across 32 games) led the NBL in assists and earned All-NBL First Team honours, while Ibekwe (11.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks across 32 games) provided athleticism and rim protection. Ibekwe finished with a Breakers single-season record of 62 blocked shots and earned All-NBL Second Team selection. Abercrombie (11.2 points and 4.3 rebounds across 29 games) remained an important perimeter contributor despite battling injuries, while Wesley (8 points and 4.8 rebounds across 32 games), Carter (6.6 points across 32 games) and Pledger (5.5 points and 3.7 rebounds across 30 games) provided the other main contributions. The Breakers finished second with a 19-9 record, completing a major turnaround from their seventh-place finish the previous season and securing home-court advantage for the semifinals.

New Zealand faced third-placed Adelaide in the semifinals, with the 36ers entering the playoffs on a 10-game winning streak. Game one was played at Vector Arena on February 26, where Vukona (12 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) produced a double-double and controlled the glass as the Breakers established an early advantage. Webster (24 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) led New Zealand’s scoring, while Jackson (13 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 steals) provided another double-double. Jamar Wilson (21 points) and Daniel Johnson (14 points and 8 rebounds) led Adelaide, but the Breakers dominated the third quarter 33-15 and went on to win 111-82, ending the 36ers’ winning streak and taking a 1-0 series lead. Vukona’s rebounding and defensive pressure were particularly important as New Zealand forced Adelaide into difficult shots and established a 33-point lead by the final break.

Vukona’s performance in the opening semifinal demonstrated why he remained such an important part of the Breakers despite his reduced scoring numbers. Having already won four NBL championships, including the 2009 title with the South Dragons, he brought considerable postseason experience to a team which had missed the playoffs the previous season. Vickerman praised his ability to increase his impact during important games, particularly through his rebounding, physical defence and willingness to compete for loose balls. “Offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds and then the hustle on the floor – we need it,” Vickerman said.

Game two moved to the Adelaide Arena on February 28, where Vukona (12 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist) made five of his seven field-goal attempts as New Zealand maintained control of the contest. Jackson (18 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals) produced another outstanding all-around performance, while Ibekwe (18 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks) dominated inside. Wilson (23 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals) and Johnson (16 points and 7 rebounds) led Adelaide, but the Breakers shot 53 percent from the field and won 94-83, completing the semifinal sweep and advancing to their fourth Grand Final in five seasons.

New Zealand faced minor premiers Cairns in the Grand Final, with the Taipans becoming the first regional team to finish on top of the NBL ladder since the Geelong Cats in 1984. Game one was played at the Cairns Convention Centre on March 6, where Vukona (8 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists) provided his usual physical presence as the Breakers established an early advantage. Jackson (22 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists) led New Zealand’s scoring, while Ibekwe (19 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks) dominated inside. Wilbekin (16 points) and Gliddon (13 points and 9 rebounds) led Cairns, which recovered from a 16-point halftime deficit to cut the margin to one point at the final break. New Zealand responded during the fourth quarter, with Carter making two crucial three-pointers as the Breakers pulled away to win 86-71 and move within one victory of the championship.

Game two returned to Auckland’s North Shore Events Centre on March 8, where Vukona (9 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block) played an important role in one of the most memorable championship finishes in NBL history. Abercrombie (19 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals) led New Zealand’s scoring, while Jackson (15 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals) controlled the backcourt. Cameron Tragardh (17 points and 5 rebounds), Gliddon (16 points and 4 rebounds) and Torrey Craig (16 points and 5 rebounds) led Cairns, which overcame a five-point halftime deficit and moved six points ahead during the final three minutes. With New Zealand trailing late, Vukona grabbed an offensive rebound and scored a put-back with 40 seconds remaining to tie the scores at 78-78, keeping the Breakers’ championship hopes alive. Both teams then exchanged free throws, with Jackson giving New Zealand an 81-79 lead before Wilbekin made two free throws with 1.2 seconds remaining to level the scores and seemingly force overtime. Coming out of a timeout, Jackson inbounded the ball to Ibekwe (14 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks), who caught the pass near the free-throw line, turned and made a fadeaway jumper as the buzzer sounded. New Zealand defeated Cairns 83-81 to complete a 2-0 Grand Final sweep and claim its fourth NBL championship in five seasons, giving Vukona his fifth NBL title and fourth with the Breakers. Jackson was awarded the Larry Sengstock Medal as Grand Final MVP for the second time, becoming the first player in NBL history to win three championships during his first three seasons.

2015/16
After winning the 2015 NBL Championship and claiming their fourth title in five years, New Zealand retained Dean Vickerman as coach and almost all of its championship-winning roster, with Rhys Carter (to Sydney) and Ekene Ibekwe (to Melbourne) departing. Ibekwe signed with Melbourne before being released on compassionate grounds prior to the season so he could return to Europe to be with his pregnant partner, subsequently joining Gießen. Australian point guard Shane McDonald (via Nunawading – SEABL) and rookie American big man Charles Jackson (via Tennessee Tech) were added, while Duane Bailey remained from the championship roster. New Zealand’s preseason was disrupted by Alex Pledger recovering from off-season foot surgery, Thomas Abercrombie dealing with a nagging hamstring strain and Corey Webster leaving for the United States to trial with the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans. Shea Ili and Tai Wynyard were elevated as development players, Finn Delany joined the development group and Everard Bartlett (via Ballarat – SEABL) was brought in as temporary cover for Webster.

New Zealand opened the season in Adelaide on October 7, where Vukona (2 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 block) started alongside Cedric Jackson (14 points and 6 assists) and Bartlett (13 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals). Matthew Hodgson (18 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks) led Adelaide to a 90-71 victory, with New Zealand trailing 51-26 at halftime as the Breakers recorded their second-lowest first-half score and second-largest halftime deficit in club history at the time.

Vukona (6.2 points and 7.4 rebounds across 29 games) entered the season after signing a new three-year deal with New Zealand in May, extending his time as Breakers captain. “This is not my last contract or my last deal. I have so much more I want to achieve and do in the game,” he said. Vukona started all 29 of his appearances, playing 24 regular-season games and all five playoff games. A hamstring injury ended his long run of consecutive NBL appearances and cost him games against Townsville and Illawarra during October before the problem resurfaced and kept him out against Adelaide and Melbourne in November. Cedric Jackson (12.8 points, 6 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.3 steals across 33 games) took on additional leadership during his captain’s absences, with Vukona returning against Perth on November 13 and not missing another game for the remainder of the season.

With New Zealand sitting 1-3, Webster (19.8 points across 28 games) returned after failing to secure a roster position with New Orleans. Bailey (0.7 points across 3 games; to Plymouth) was removed from the full-time roster to create room for Webster and was offered the opportunity to remain as a training player and provide injury cover, but subsequently signed with the Plymouth Raiders in November. Bartlett (4.7 points across 32 games), who had initially joined only as Webster’s temporary replacement, was instead retained for the remainder of the season, with Vickerman saying, “the group has decided that Everard deserves a full-time spot on the roster.” New Zealand responded to Webster’s return by winning nine of its next eleven games to improve to 10-5.

Vukona’s best game came against Sydney at Vector Arena on December 11, where Vukona (18 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) made all six of his field-goal attempts and moved beyond 2,500 career NBL points as New Zealand recovered from an eight-point halftime deficit to defeat the Kings 96-84. Cedric Jackson (17 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists) and Webster (12 points and 4 assists) provided support, while Jason Cadee (19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) was Sydney’s best as the Breakers outscored the Kings 59-39 during the second half.

Vukona reached another milestone against Adelaide on January 8 when he became the first New Zealander to play 350 NBL games. Vukona (13 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists) scored New Zealand’s opening six points, while Cedric Jackson (16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks) and Tai Wesley (14 points and 4 rebounds) provided support, but Daniel Johnson (25 points and 12 rebounds) led Adelaide to an 87-81 victory at Vector Arena. The loss was New Zealand’s third from four games and left the defending champions fourth on the ladder.

The Breakers’ midseason struggles eventually developed into a six-game losing streak before a 77-74 win over Townsville on January 29 began their late-season recovery. Abercrombie (14 points and 6.3 rebounds across 31 games), Wesley (11.7 points and 4.9 rebounds across 26 games), Charles Jackson (10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds across 33 games) and Pledger (6.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks across 31 games) formed the other major contributors around Webster and Cedric Jackson, while Ili (1.6 points across 21 games) provided development-player depth. Webster earned All-NBL Second Team honours and Cedric Jackson led the NBL in assists for the fourth time in his four seasons in the league.

New Zealand completed the regular season against minor premiers Melbourne at Hisense Arena on February 14, where Vukona (10 points and 10 rebounds) recorded a double-double and Wesley (23 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) scored the go-ahead put-back with 5.4 seconds remaining before blocking Melbourne’s final drive. Ili (9 points) provided support, while Chris Goulding (22 points) led United as the Breakers won 70-68, completed a five-game winning streak and finished fourth with a 16-12 record to claim the final playoff position.

New Zealand opened its semifinal series against Melbourne at Hisense Arena, where Vukona (11 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals) delivered one of his best games of the season and helped hold Daniel Kickert to six points as the Breakers recovered from a seven-point second-half deficit to win 91-82. Cedric Jackson (20 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals), Abercrombie (16 points and 4 rebounds) and Pledger (8 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks) provided support, while Hakim Warrick (24 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks) and Goulding (23 points and 5 rebounds) led Melbourne.

Game two moved to Vector Arena, where Vukona (7 points and 9 rebounds) again led New Zealand on the boards as Abercrombie (23 points and 4 rebounds), Cedric Jackson (19 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals), Wesley (16 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks) and Webster (13 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) led the Breakers. Goulding (23 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists), Warrick (17 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks) and Daniel Kickert (16 points) led Melbourne, but New Zealand controlled the fourth quarter to win 91-78, complete the 2-0 sweep and reach its fifth Grand Final in six seasons.

Perth hosted game one of the Grand Final at Perth Arena, where Vukona (11 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists), Webster (19 points and 2 steals), Cedric Jackson (14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) and Charles Jackson (11 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks) helped New Zealand recover from a 13-point deficit and briefly take the lead during the second half. Nathan Jawai (15 points) and Matthew Knight (14 points and 5 rebounds) established Perth’s interior advantage, while Damian Martin (9 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists) made key plays late as the Wildcats regained control and won 82-76.

Game two returned to Auckland, where Vukona (7 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists) helped New Zealand dominate the glass as Cedric Jackson (13 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals) came within two assists of a triple-double and Abercrombie (12 points and 5 rebounds), Pledger (11 points and 4 rebounds) and Wesley (11 points and 2 steals) provided support. Jermaine Beal (20 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Jesse Wagstaff (13 points) led Perth, but Webster (10 points) made a three-pointer with 18 seconds remaining to give New Zealand a four-point lead before the Breakers held on for a 72-68 victory and forced a deciding game.

The deciding game returned to Perth Arena in front of 13,090 fans, where Perth’s defence held New Zealand to 27 percent shooting and Cedric Jackson (0 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists) scoreless on five field-goal attempts before he fouled out early in the fourth quarter. Abercrombie (21 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals) was New Zealand’s only player to reach double figures, while Charles Jackson (7 points, 12 rebounds, and 1 block) battled inside. Casey Prather (19 points and 5 rebounds), Beal (14 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Martin (10 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals) led Perth, with Martin named Grand Final MVP as the Wildcats claimed their seventh championship and handed New Zealand its first playoff series loss to Perth and first Grand Final series defeat with a 75-52 victory, while Vukona (1 point and 6 rebounds) played 23:34 in the loss.

NBL Grand Final Game 3 Perth Wildcats vs. New Zealand Breakers Highlights #Hardball @PerthWildcats @NZBreakers https://t.co/TByADa2Xzn

— NBL (@NBL) March 6, 2016

2016/17
After Perth defeated New Zealand in the deciding game of the 2016 Grand Final, the Breakers began the following season with significant changes to the organisation. Chief executive Richard Clarke and coach Dean Vickerman departed, with Paul Henare promoted from assistant to head coach and Dillon Boucher taking over as general manager. Cedric Jackson (to Melbourne) and Tai Wesley (to Melbourne) also left, while Thomas Abercrombie, Corey Webster and Alex Pledger remained alongside the team’s long-serving captain. Kirk Penney (via Illawarra), Robert Loe (via Limburg United), Ben Woodside (via Türk Telekom) and Akil Mitchell (via Antibes) were added, while Finn Delany, Shea Ili and Jordan Ngatai were elevated from development player roles.

An injury-filled preseason saw Ili suffer a back injury, Penney miss time with a calf problem and Webster battle hip and back issues before New Zealand opened the season against Melbourne at Vector Arena on October 7. Vukona (12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal) started and made all six of his free throws, while Abercrombie (14 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists) and Webster (11 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal) provided support. Former Breaker Cedric Jackson (14 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists) was Melbourne’s best as New Zealand opened Henare’s coaching tenure with a 76-71 victory.

Vukona (6.5 points and 5.1 rebounds across 27 games) started all 27 of his appearances and shot 63 percent from the field during his 12th season with the Breakers. On October 20 he became the first player to appear in 300 games for the club when New Zealand faced Sydney at the North Shore Events Centre. Vukona (0 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, and 1 steal) was limited to 12 minutes, while Abercrombie (17 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal) and Webster (14 points) led New Zealand. Greg Whittington (22 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals) led Sydney to a 92-78 victory. “It’s another challenge, it’s something that excites me and it’s just something I want to keep driving,” Vukona said.

Vukona’s best game came against Adelaide on December 10, where he made 7-of-11 shots and finished with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block without committing a turnover. Penney (25 points) and Mitchell (13 points and 9 rebounds) provided the other major contributions for New Zealand, while Jerome Randle (37 points and 4 assists) led Adelaide. The Breakers had led by 10 points after the opening quarter before the 36ers recovered to win 102-92, dropping New Zealand to a 7-9 record.

Injuries and changes to New Zealand’s import combination continued throughout the season. Woodside (8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.3 steals across 6 games) ruptured the plantar fascia in his right foot in November and was ruled out for six to eight weeks, with David Stockton (via Cedevita Zagreb) signed as his injury replacement. Stockton (8.3 points and 4.2 assists across 10 games) initially made an impact before battling a lower-back injury. Webster (11.7 points across 15 games) continued to struggle with hip and back problems before undergoing season-ending hip surgery, while Abercrombie (11.7 points and 5.2 rebounds across 21 games) missed time with a broken hand. Paul Carter (via Alba Berlin) arrived in late December as Webster’s injury replacement while also providing cover for Abercrombie, with Carter (9.1 points and 4.5 rebounds across 11 games) playing every remaining game. New Zealand released Stockton and the still-injured Woodside in January and signed Kevin Dillard (via Pınar Karşıyaka) for the final nine games.

After losing Dillard’s first game to fall to 8-12, Dillard (18.1 points, 4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.6 steals across 9 games) combined with Penney (17.4 points and 3.4 rebounds across 28 games) to lead New Zealand to four consecutive victories and return the Breakers to 12-12. Mitchell (9.5 points and 7.2 rebounds across 25 games) led New Zealand in rebounding before suffering the serious eye injury which ended his season, while Pledger (8.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks across 28 games) and Loe (7.1 points and 3.4 rebounds across 26 games) provided the other major contributions. Penney was named the Breakers’ club MVP.

Vukona’s final appearance came against Adelaide on February 4, where Vukona (6 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist) played 8 minutes and 50 seconds before receiving a double technical foul and being ejected. Penney (21 points and 2 steals) and Dillard (20 points and 2 steals) led New Zealand, while Randle (16 points, 8 rebounds, and 11 assists) was Adelaide’s best. The Breakers trailed by 11 points early in the fourth quarter before recovering to win 88-87 and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Vukona was hospitalised four days later with an infection in his knee and missed New Zealand’s final game, the only game he missed during the season. Surgery had initially been planned to reduce the swelling before his condition improved enough for it to be avoided, with Henare saying, “Our captain, spiritual, emotional, physical leader is out, and we find a way.” Dillard (16 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) and Penney (15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block) led New Zealand against Melbourne at Vector Arena on February 10, while Casper Ware (23 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal) was Melbourne’s best as the Breakers won 88-70 and finished fifth with a 14-14 record, missing the playoffs.

BRISBANE BULLETS
2018/19
After finishing last in 2017/18 with a 9-19 record and collecting a second consecutive wooden spoon, Brisbane reshaped its roster under coach Andrej Lemanis. Daniel Kickert (to Sydney), Tom Jervis (to Perth), Mitch Young (to Cairns), Anthony Petrie (retired), Shaun Bruce and imports Travis Trice and Perrin Buford departed, while captain Adam Gibson, Stephen Holt, Reuben Te Rangi and Will Magnay remained. Cameron Gliddon (via Cairns), Jason Cadee (via Sydney), Matthew Hodgson (via Adelaide), Mika Vukona (via New Zealand), Makoto Hiejima (via Japan) and Alonzo Gee (via Puerto Rico) were added, while Cam Bairstow returned after missing the previous season following a knee reconstruction. The rebuilt Bullets faced a difficult opening schedule, with 12 of their first 15 games coming against teams which had reached the previous season’s playoffs.

Vukona’s move ended 13 seasons across two stints with New Zealand, where he had won four championships, and on April 19 he signed a two-year deal with Brisbane. The five-time NBL champion had already played more than 400 games and was reunited with Lemanis, assistant coach CJ Bruton and general manager Richard Clarke, all of whom he had worked with during the Breakers’ championship years. Lemanis said, “Mika is the ultimate team player who will do what it takes for others to be successful.” Vukona said his long-standing trust in Lemanis, Bruton and Clarke played a major part in his decision to join Brisbane.

Brisbane opened the season against New Zealand in Auckland on October 11, where Vukona (9 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal) provided a spark off the bench as the Bullets came from behind to defeat the Breakers 86-73 for their first win in Auckland since 2005. Gliddon (29 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Bairstow (14 points and 5 rebounds) led Brisbane, while Corey Webster (23 points) was New Zealand’s leading scorer.

Vukona (6.7 points and 4.4 rebounds across 28 games) came off the bench in every appearance and gave Brisbane experience, toughness and frontcourt depth. He played 27 of the Bullets’ 28 regular-season games before appearing in the opening game of the semifinals, with injuries accounting for his two absences across Brisbane’s 30 games.

Vukona’s best scoring game came against Adelaide on November 1, where he made 7 of 9 field goals and finished with 16 points, 4 assists, and 1 block as Brisbane defeated the 36ers 108-98. Te Rangi (29 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) and Gibson (16 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals) provided support, while Daniel Johnson (23 points and 6 rebounds) led Adelaide.

A calf injury caused Vukona to miss his only regular-season game when Brisbane lost to Adelaide on December 15. He was still unable to complete training ahead of the Bullets’ next game, but returned against Perth on December 21 and produced 6 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks as Brisbane defeated the Wildcats 93-86. Gliddon (24 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) and Lamar Patterson (17 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals) led Brisbane, while Bryce Cotton (29 points and 3 assists) was Perth’s leading scorer. Wildcats coach Trevor Gleeson said, “Vukona was a beast on the boards.”

Vukona’s best game came against Illawarra on December 31, where he made 6 of 8 field goals and finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists as Brisbane defeated the Hawks 100-74. Patterson (18 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Gliddon (15 points and 5 rebounds) provided support, while David Andersen (15 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists) led Illawarra.

Vukona suffered another scare against New Zealand on January 27 when a heavy knee collision with Shawn Long forced him to the sideline late in the fourth quarter, but the injury did not cost him another game.

Brisbane also made several roster changes during the season. Gee (7.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals across 4 games) requested to return to the US for personal reasons after four games and was released, with Patterson (via China) signed as his replacement. Holt (7.1 points across 11 games) was later granted a mutual release to pursue an opportunity overseas, with Jeremy Kendle added after training with Brisbane and eventually retained for the remainder of the season. Nnanna Egwu appeared briefly as an injury replacement, while the rarely used Hiejima was replaced by A.J. Davis.

Patterson (17.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 steals across 24 games) became Brisbane’s leading scorer and was named to the All-NBL First Team as well as winning the Bullets’ club MVP award. Gliddon (13.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals across 29 games) and Bairstow (11.6 points and 5.8 rebounds across 29 games) supplied additional scoring, while Te Rangi (9.9 points and 3.1 rebounds across 30 games) won both the NBL’s Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year awards. Hodgson (9.6 points and 6.1 rebounds across 29 games), Cadee (8.3 points and 4.1 assists across 30 games) and Gibson (6.2 points across 30 games) were Brisbane’s other major contributors.

Brisbane’s playoff hopes came down to its final regular-season game against New Zealand on February 16, where Vukona (14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) battled his former team inside as the Bullets defeated the Breakers 84-78. Patterson (23 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Cadee (18 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal) led Brisbane, while Long (23 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks) was New Zealand’s best. The victory left Brisbane tied with Adelaide at 14-14, with the Bullets claiming fourth place on points percentage and qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Perth opened the semifinals at RAC Arena on February 28 with an 89-59 win over Brisbane behind Cotton (22 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists), Terrico White (19 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Nick Kay (18 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks). Gliddon (18 points and 4 rebounds), Hodgson (10 points and 7 rebounds) and Patterson (9 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists) led Brisbane, while Vukona (2 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal) suffered an Achilles injury which ended his season.

Game two moved to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, where Vukona was ruled out with the Achilles injury despite wanting to play through it. Patterson (19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals), Hodgson (15 points and 2 blocks) and Bairstow (12 points and 7 rebounds) kept Brisbane close, but White (24 points), Cotton (19 points and 10 assists) and Kay (16 points and 15 rebounds) led Perth to an 84-79 victory and completed the 2-0 sweep. Lemanis was brought to tears after the game when discussing Vukona’s desire to play despite the injury. The Achilles injury ended Vukona’s 2018/19 season, although he remained under contract and returned to Brisbane for 2019/20.

2019/20
After returning to the playoffs with a 14-14 record before losing to Perth in the semifinals, Brisbane entered 2019/20 without Adam Gibson (to South East Melbourne), Cameron Bairstow (to Rytas Vilnius), Makoto Hiejima (to Link Tochigi Brex), Nnanna Egwu (to Earth Friends Tokyo Z) and Stephen Holt (to Sixt Primorska). Head coach Andrej Lemanis added Nathan Sobey (via Adelaide), Taylor Braun (via Hapoel Be’er Sheva) and EJ Singler (via Hawke’s Bay Hawks), while Lamar Patterson re-signed with the club.

Brisbane opened the season against Illawarra at the WIN Entertainment Centre on October 6, where Vukona (0 points) played just over three minutes as the Bullets defeated the Hawks 90-81. Patterson (25 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) and Sobey (17 points and 5 rebounds) led Brisbane, while Aaron Brooks (23 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) was Illawarra’s leading scorer.

Vukona (1.6 points across 27 games) saw his role reduced considerably during his second season with Brisbane, with his playing time falling from 17.2 minutes per game the previous season to 7.6 minutes and only four starts. He entered the year after battling an Achilles injury throughout 2018/19, with a partial tear forcing him to miss Brisbane’s final semifinal game against Perth. “He’s got a partial tear in his Achilles … and he was prepared to risk his career,” Lemanis said after refusing to let him play through the injury. Vukona missed only Brisbane’s November 30 loss to South East Melbourne during 2019/20, with no injury or other reason reported for the absence.

Vukona (4 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists) returned to the starting lineup against defending champions Perth at Nissan Arena on November 1 and helped Brisbane snap a three-game losing streak with an 87-78 win. Jason Cadee (17 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Patterson (16 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) led Brisbane, while Terrico White (23 points and 5 rebounds) was Perth’s leading scorer.

Vukona’s season-high scoring game came against Cairns at the Cairns Convention Centre on January 3, where he made all four of his shots to finish with 8 points and 1 rebound. Singler (20 points and 6 rebounds) and Patterson (16 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists) led Brisbane as the Bullets recovered from an 18-point deficit but fell short 91-89, while DJ Newbill (28 points and 3 assists) led Cairns.

Vukona (2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals) provided a strong defensive contribution against South East Melbourne at Nissan Arena on January 23 as Brisbane defeated the Phoenix 108-101 for its fourth consecutive win. Patterson (27 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) and Will Magnay (19 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 blocks) led the Bullets, while John Roberson (26 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals) was South East Melbourne’s best.

Vukona’s best game of the season came against Melbourne at Nissan Arena on February 1, where he finished with 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists as Brisbane defeated United 87-83. Patterson (31 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) and Matthew Hodgson (14 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks) led the Bullets, while Melo Trimble (36 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals) was Melbourne’s leading scorer. The victory was Brisbane’s sixth in a row and moved the Bullets two wins clear in fourth place with two rounds remaining.

Patterson (21 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.2 steals) remained Brisbane’s leading offensive player, earning All-NBL First Team honours and finishing third in MVP voting, while Sobey (16 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists) was the team’s second-leading scorer. Cadee (11 points) won the NBL Sixth Man award, while Hodgson (10.3 points and 6.4 rebounds) remained the team’s starting centre. Magnay (8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks) was elevated into the starting lineup during his breakout season, attracted interest from NBA scouts and won the NBL Most Improved Player award before eventually signing a two-way contract with the New Orleans Pelicans. Singler (7.8 points and 4.1 rebounds) provided another rotation option, while Cameron Gliddon (6.9 points) saw his scoring fall significantly from the previous season. It would prove to be Vukona’s final NBL season, ending a 17-season career that included five NBL championships.

Losses to New Zealand and Perth left Brisbane needing a large victory over Cairns in its final game to remain alive in the playoff race. Vukona (0 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) played his final NBL game at Nissan Arena on February 15 as Brisbane defeated Cairns 124-88, with Sobey (30 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals) and Gliddon (25 points, 3 assists, and 4 steals) leading the Bullets while Majok Deng (20 points and 7 rebounds) led Cairns. The 36-point victory was enough to keep Brisbane alive overnight, but Melbourne defeated South East Melbourne 109-90 the following day to claim fourth place, leaving the Bullets outside the playoffs in fifth with a 15-13 record.

Mika Vukona played seventeen seasons across four NBL teams. This included the New Zealand Breakers, South Dragons, Gold Coast Blaze and Brisbane Bullets. He averaged 6.7 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 476 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 26th in total games played.
– 19th in total rebounds