What’s Behind the Rising Popularity of Basketball in New Zealand? - An Expert Opinion by Lucius Boehm

April 29, 2025 by Lucius Boehm

What’s Behind the Rising Popularity of Basketball in New Zealand?- An Expert Opinion by Lucius Boehm

Since the early 2000s, New Zealand has seen a meteoric rise in the popularity of basketball. During this time, participation has risen 61%, making it the country’s fastest growing sport. The fast-paced sport has attracted viewers and players inspired by watching national teams and leagues. The basketball popularity boom in New Zealand has left current infrastructure struggling to cope. As funding and court numbers increase, I’m sure the sport will continue to grow even further. In this article, I’ll be exploring some of the reasons for basketball’s incredible growth and what we can expect in the future of the sport.

Inspirational National Success

The 2000s has seen somewhat of a resurgence in fortunes for basketball within New Zealand. In 2001 the men’s team, the Tall Blacks, beat Australia for the first time across a series, winning 2-1 and qualifying for the World Championships. They followed up this historic win with victories over basketball heavyweights, China and Russia, at the World Championships, finishing fourth in the world.

Their championship run gave rise to basketball heroes like Pero Cameron who was the only non-American player named in the All Star Game, an exhibition game which features the top talent from across all teams. In my opinion, the influence of these inspirational players is starting to come through in the next generation of Kiwi players. 

Many would have found themselves gripped by the performance of the national teams during the 2004 Olympics in Athens. The women’s team, the Tall Ferns, made it through to the top eight, their best ever result. Alongside international results, the New Zealand Breakers were invited to join the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) in 2003. The league is Oceania's premier competition, and I think that the teams are as good as many throughout Europe.

The New Zealand Breakers, founded in 1979, are currently the only non-Australian team competing in the NBL. After a few years finding their feet, the Breakers have gone on to win four championship titles so far, in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015. During the 2024 season, the NBL averaged an impressive attendance of 7000, rivalling some of the other top global leagues. The success of Kiwi teams on both a national and international level have certainly secured the sport many new fans and contributed to the increased popularity of the sport.

Rise in Public Popularity

Basketball is increasing in popularity across many demographics in New Zealand with it expected to become New Zealand’s second most played sport across secondary schools by 2026. Economist Shamubeel Eaqub also reported an increase in the number of basketballs imported into the country with 353,000 imported in 2023.

Eaqub highlighted the correlation in increasing sales with a growth in local infrastructure and the international success of Kiwi players. He also attributed the sport’s growth to an increasingly diverse population, many of which have moved away from New Zealand’s traditional sports of rugby and cricket.

Growth in Viewers and Players

Across New Zealand there has been an incredible increase in both players and viewers of basketball. It has become the most popular recreational activity for children aged 5 to 18 years and participation in the nationwide after-school basketball club, Kiwi Hoops, increased 220% between 2015 and 2019. In my view, these record levels of participation represent an incredibly bright future for basketball in New Zealand.

Popularity among school students has already led to a new generation of talent with over 100 young New Zealanders playing basketball on a scholarship in the USA and over forty playing in the top college division, NCAA Division 1. As well as increased popularity amongst younger groups, adult participation in basketball has almost doubled in the past five years- representing a growth across all sectors of society.

As well as a growth in players, there has also been increased viewership of the sport across New Zealand. In the late 2010s, the National Basketball League signed media deals with providers, including Sky Sports and ESPN, to bring the league to more people globally. As all NBL games are now broadcast live, viewer numbers have tripled between 2018 and 2020. The popularity of basketball sees spikes during international events such as the World Championship and the World Cup. All of the Tall Blacks’ FIBA 2025 Switzerland World Cup’s games will be broadcast live to a viewership of 3 billion in the hopes of inspiring even more new players. 

Reasons for Growth in Popularity

I think the growth in popularity of basketball across New Zealand can be attributed to a number of factors, from the increasing presence of the national teams to improved access to the NBL and NBA. Both national teams have seen their numbers of matches increase to around ten to twelve a year through increased funding and the New Zealander Breakers have earned themselves fans globally.

As well as interest generated nationally, I’ve found that individual players have served as inspirations for increases in popularity. In the history of the NBA, there have only been four players from New Zealand. Steven Adams, who plays for the Houston Rockets, is currently the only New Zealander in the league. Adams has been playing in basketball’s top league for ten years and is well-recognised for his strength in defence. He serves as an inspiration for the next generation of Kiwi talent and has encouraged many to get into the sport through charitable work. Adams regularly organises and runs basketball camps throughout New Zealand, allowing upcoming talent to learn from the country’s best.

Increased viewing access to the NBA through streaming services and media deals has allowed players like Adams to emerge as role models for the younger generations interested in basketball. Globally, there has been a 6% increase in numbers of basketball fans from 2019 to 2023. The global growth of basketball has led to more games and improved coverage of the top leagues. Young Kiwis are able to watch inspirational figures like Steve Adams on a global platform thanks to this growth. Using this inspiration, initiatives such as Kiwi Hoops, which runs after-school basketball clubs, can capitalise on the sport’s popularity by getting the next generation playing the sport.

Infrastructure Concerns

As basketball becomes one of the nation’s most popular sports, concern about lack of infrastructure grows. It’s estimated there is a shortfall of 500 courts across the country. In the capital, the Wellington Saints have partnered with development firms to build ten to fifteen new courts annually across schools and council facilities.

As existing infrastructure struggles to cope, opportunities for progression for many players have been limited as they don’t have a place to practice.

Resources have also been allocated by local councils to train greater numbers of referees and basketball officials. Over the next four years, Sports New Zealand have pledged to invest $2.916 million in helping the sport to grow. If the infrastructure can continue to improve, I think basketball has a very bright future in New Zealand.

The Future of Basketball in New Zealand

In my experience, I can’t recall a sport growing as quickly and widely as basketball is in New Zealand. The sport is going from strength to strength with increased global and national coverage and surges in player and viewer numbers. The ever-growing prominence of the sport in the country’s schools means we can expect new generations of Kiwi talent to be playing across the world in the next few decades.

Along with greater funding for new infrastructure, the sport’s popularity will be boosted through the 2025 FIBA World Cup. In the future, we can expect that basketball in New Zealand will challenge rugby and cricket in popularity. As a result, both national teams will be ones to watch out for on the global stage and over the next few World Cups.

 

Author

Lucius Boehm is a sports expert with a degree in Sport, Health and Physical Education, specialising in sports from football and rugby to basketball and netball. He has over ten years of experience writing articles on sports trends and sports betting, gaining him a reputation as one of New Zealand’s top sports specialists. If you’d like to learn more from Lucius, you can read his book ‘Sports Betting Myths: Separating Fact from Fiction’.