NICKNAME/S: The Grown Man

BIO: Born in Auckland, Tai Jack Webster attended Westlake Boys High School where he led them to the National Secondary Schools Basketball Championships in October 2012, scoring 24 points en route to garnering tournament MVP honours.

While attending Westlake, he played basketball for the North Harbour juniors; from 2010 to 2012, he played for the North Harbour U17s, U19s and U21s.

In August 2012, Webster joined the New Zealand Breakers as a development player for the 2012/13 NBL season. At 16 years of age, Tai Webster remains one of the youngest players to have ever played in the NBL.

FAMILY: Tai’s brother, Corey Webster also played 286 games in the NBL. Webster is the son of Tony and Cherry Webster. His father, Tony, was a standout basketball player at the University of Hawaii, where he earned First Team All-WAC honors in 1983 and finished his collegiate career ranked fourth on Hawaii’s all-time steals list before continuing his professional career in New Zealand.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Tai Webster made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 17 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

Tai Webster began his professional basketball career by signing a development player contract with the New Zealand Breakers for the 2012/13 NBL season. During this season, he signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball at the University of Nebraska, solidifying his future in basketball at both the professional and collegiate levels. Despite limited playing opportunities, Webster made a significant start to his career by winning an NBL championship in his debut season.

Webster appeared in six games, averaging 1 point, 0.5 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game. His role as a development player was primarily to gain experience alongside a championship-caliber team. The Breakers extended their record for consecutive wins to 15 games during the season and became the first team in NBL history to complete a clean sweep of the playoffs, culminating in a Grand Final victory over the Perth Wildcats. Webster’s contribution during thistoric season was invaluable in preparing him for the challenges of professional basketball.

Led by Cedric Jackson (14.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 2.8 steals) and Thomas Abercrombie (11.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists), the Breakers finished the regular season with a league-best 24-4 record. Jackson was named league MVP and Grand Final MVP, as New Zealand secured a historic three-peat by defeating Perth in two straight games in the Grand Final series. Webster’s early exposure to high-level competition would prove foundational in his career.

2020/21
After several years abroad, Tai Webster returned to the New Zealand Breakers for the 2020/21 NBL season, signing a two-year deal with the club. The Breakers had to overcome significant challenges as the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to relocate to Australia for the majority of the season. They hosted several games as the ‘home’ team in Tasmania before finally returning to New Zealand for their last seven games in May.

Webster stepped into a leading role for the Breakers, averaging 17.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5 assists across 29 games, leading the team in scoring. His return coincided with the Breakers adding Brisbane Bullets import Lamar Patterson and Colton Iverson as major signings. However, Patterson struggled with fitness issues and sustained a knee injury, playing only six games before being released. Levi Randolph (14.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) replaced Patterson mid-season, providing a much-needed scoring boost.

The season was also marked by injuries to key players. Corey Webster suffered a nerve injury to his hand in the preseason and missed significant time, while Robert Loe and Thomas Abercrombie were also sidelined for long stretches. William McDowell-White (7.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5 assists) joined as a nominated injury replacement for Corey Webster, adding depth to the Breakers’ backcourt.

Despite the roster instability, Tai Webster provided consistent performances, helping the team stay competitive. His playmaking and scoring were pivotal, particularly during a 3-1 stretch in February after Randolph and McDowell-White were integrated into the lineup. Finn Delany also delivered a breakout season, averaging 16.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, earning the team MVP honours. Despite these efforts, the Breakers struggled for consistency and finished second-last with a 12-24 record.

Webster’s ability to lead the offense and perform under challenging circumstances highlighted his value to the team. His performances, alongside Delany’s breakout and Randolph’s mid-season arrival, were among the bright spots in an otherwise difficult campaign.

2021/22
On 11 July 2021, Webster re-signed with the Breakers on a two-year deal. However after refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine and therefor unable to travel to Australia, the Breakers and Webster agreed to a mutual release on 20 September 2021. Webster then signed to play with Lithuanian club Žalgiris Kaunas on November 2, 2021. It is understood to be the first case of a Kiwi professional athlete being unable to fulfil his contract because of a vaccination decision.

PERTH WILDCATS
2022/23
After leaving his team in Turkey mid-season, Perth added Webster to their roster with six games remaining in the regular season, reuniting him with his brother Corey.

“Obviously a big drawing card was to play with Corey again, but I’m no stranger to the success of the Perth Wildcats, I want to win another NBL title and there would be no better place to do it than at Perth.” said Webster upon inking the deal with Perth.

Perth Wildcats head coach John Rillie noted adding Webster was a step in the right direction.

“When you have the ability to add a good, talented local player to your NBL roster it’s always something you have to visit, any time you can add talent is a good thing,” he said.

we’re adding a dynamic playmaker. You can see over the last month our team is really finding a nice groove and Tai will add another dimension to that in our back-court, and also relieve some of the scoring burden off some of our other players as well.”

Following the signing of Tai Webster, Corey Shervill was released from the Wildcat’s 11-man roster.

The team’s final three games saw them lose to Tasmania (102–94) after allowing the JackJumpers to outscore them 27-15 across the final 10 minutes. A crucial loss to Cairns Taipans (84-71) set up a nail-biting last round where another Perth loss would see United finish sixth and the Wildcat’s eliminated from Finals or a Perth win allowing them to advance to the postseason.

While the Kings were able to lock down Cotton (7 points), Perth got big games out of Corey Webster (26 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists), Luke Travers (22 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists) and Brady Manek (21 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals) to deliver a upset victory (96-84) against the league leading Kings.

The win saw Perth (15-13) claim sixth place on the ladder and advance into the league’s inaugural play-in tournament. There, they would face South East Melbourne in a game where they trailed the entire game until the fourth quarter. During the final term, the Wildcat’s outscored the Phoenix (41-23) and moved on the second round of the play-in tournament, on the back of a seven-point win (106-99). Perth then met Cairns in a game where the winner would advance to the semi finals as the fourth seed.

Although Cairns entered the game without their leading scorer and rebounder Keanu Pinder, a history making effort from DJ Hogg (32 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists) delivered the end to the Wildcats’ season. Hogg would record the most points ever by a Taipan in the playoffs, defeating the Wildcats (78-91) in the process.

Webster played in 8 games for the Wildcats and averaged 7.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists.

2023/24
Following back-to-back years without a playoff berth—a rarity for the league’s most successful club—the Perth Wildcats entered the 2023/24 campaign with intent to rebuild and reassert themselves. Major roster moves followed. Import duo TaShawn Thomas and Brady Manek were not re-signed, and homegrown NBA prospect Luke Travers left for Melbourne United believing that was a better move for his NBA goals. Keen to develop youth and reshape the culture, Perth also made the bold move of buying out the contracts of veterans Mitch Norton and Todd Blanchfield, who signed with Brisbane and Illawarra respectively.

With the focus shifting toward a faster, younger core, Perth retooled with a mix of elite talent and long-term prospects. Leading the charge was prized free agent Keanu Pinder, coming off back-to-back NBL Most Improved Player awards. French NBA prospect Alexandre Sarr joined via the Next Stars program, while the club added new imports Jordan Usher and Kristian Doolittle. Other additions included defensive specialist Hyrum Harris (via Adelaide), David Okwera (via Melbourne), rookie Ben Henshall, and the return of guards Corey and Tai Webster. Tai, who joined the Wildcats midseason in 2022/23, signed a two-year deal (with a team option for year two) and was set to be a key piece alongside his brother. Veteran Jesse Wagstaff also returned for another campaign.

After missing the first few games due to injury, Tai Webster returned to the rotation and was soon elevated to the starting lineup. His return coincided with a dramatic mid-season turnaround. After a sluggish 2–5 start that saw mounting pressure on head coach John Rillie and offensive struggles from Bryce Cotton, the Wildcats flipped the switch—winning 13 of their next 15 games. Webster played a crucial role in this resurgence, providing ball-handling stability, defensive versatility, and timely scoring.

In January, he delivered one of his best stretches of the season, averaging 18.7 points, 5 assists, and 1.7 steals over a three-game span while shooting an elite 68.6 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from deep. His impact wasn’t always visible in the box score, but his presence allowed Cotton to play more off-ball, returning the MVP to his natural scoring role. Webster finished the season averaging 8.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 0.9 steals while shooting 46 percent overall. He finished fourth in the team’s Gordon Ellis Medal MVP count behind Cotton, Pinder, and Doolittle.

Perth opened the season in style with Jordan Usher’s record-setting 35-point debut, but inconsistency quickly crept in. A five-loss-in-six stretch—including a disappointing showing against Brisbane—sparked questions about Rillie’s future and saw Cotton’s limited involvement draw headlines, even prompting a viral post from his wife on social media.

Keanu Pinder (13.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.7 steals) responded publicly, guaranteeing five straight wins—and the Wildcats delivered. Cotton (22.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals) snapped out of his slump with a 29-point game against Adelaide, then went on an MVP tear. Between December 15 and January 21, he averaged 30.4 points across eight games, including a 41-point performance against Sydney. It sealed his fourth MVP title, moving him past Leroy Loggins into second all-time behind Andrew Gaze.

Rillie made key tactical adjustments during the turnaround. Usher (12.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists) transitioned to a sixth-man role, embracing the bench sparkplug position with maturity. Hyrum Harris (5.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists) brought toughness and relentless effort as a starter, diving for loose balls and providing physicality on both ends.

French phenom Alexandre Sarr (9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks) wowed fans with flashes of brilliance—including two clutch threes late against Adelaide—and was quickly projected as a top-three NBA Draft pick. At just 18 years old, he showed maturity beyond his years and proved to be one of the league’s most intriguing prospects.

Kristian Doolittle (9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1 steal) quietly anchored the defense, often taking on the opposition’s best players across multiple positions. Offensively, his efficient mid-range game added consistency and balance. Tai Webster (8.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists) had a subtle but essential role as the team’s main ball handler, freeing Cotton to return to his off-ball scoring dominance. In January, Tai averaged 18 points over a four-game stretch, helping Perth win three of those matches.

Corey Webster, used in a reduced role, contributed 6.1 points per game across 20 appearances. Jesse Wagstaff (6.5 points, 3 rebounds) remained a steady presence, while rookie Ben Henshall showed flashes of promise in limited minutes (3.1 points, 1.3 rebounds).

Perth finished the regular season with a 17–11 record, securing second place on the NBL ladder and marking a return to the postseason. The team’s transformation—from early-season disarray to title contender—was headlined by Cotton’s MVP form, Sarr’s emergence, and the growing leadership of Tai Webster in the backcourt.

However, the championship dream was short-lived. The Wildcats’ playoff run came to an end in the semifinals at the hands of the eventual champions, the Tasmania JackJumpers.

Tai Webster currently plays for the Perth Wildcats and has played 87 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists since entering the league in 2012.

CURRENT CONTRACT:

Perth Wildcats – 2 Year Deal (2023-25)

HIGHLIGHTS:

Dan Boyce (837 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.