Basketball: All Blacks legend Sir Michael Jones’ message to the New Zealand Breakers ahead of NBL grand final

Izayah Le'Afa and Mody Maor celebrate the NZ Breakers' semifinal series win over the Tasmania JackJumpers. Photo / Photosport

Throughout the NBL season, New Zealand Breakers coach Mody Maor has been clear about the importance of the team being connected to the country.

After two years of being based in Australia and struggling for results, Maor took over a team looking to rediscover their identity.

In his bid to help them do so, he often referenced the All Blacks and finding ways to connect to the heritage of New Zealand sport.

His squad bought into his goal. The Breakers have been a team who plays hard at both ends game after game - a long way removed from the side that finished at the foot of the ladder as one of the two worst defensive teams in the competition just a season ago.

Now, ahead of their first NBL grand final appearance in seven years, the Breakers’ reconnection with the New Zealand sporting scene has become clear.

The Breakers have received messages of support from New Zealand sporting legends, which the Herald was granted a sneak preview of before the players and guests hear them at the team’s awards night on Tuesday.

Among them, former All Blacks flanker Sir Michael Jones, who praised the team for their campaign.

“What an absolutely outstanding season to date. Thank you for restoring the mana of that special singlet; not only restoring the mana but enhancing the mana,” Jones said in his message.

The Breakers will hold their awards night before flying out to meet the Sydney Kings in the grand final, which begins on Friday night in Sydney.

The Kings came into the current season as the team to beat having lifted the title last season, and finished the season at the top of the standings and will hold home-court advantage over the Breakers, who finished second, for the best-of-five series.

While the Kings finished the better of the two teams on the ladder, the Breakers won the most recent meeting between the two sides, while the last time they met in Auckland it was the Sydney side who claimed the win.

After that match in December, Kings coach Chase Buford compared the Breakers to the All Blacks due to the physicality the side played with.

It was a tag Maor was happy to wear. When asked about the comment following the Breakers’ semifinal series win over the Tasmania JackJumpers last week, Maor was happy to offer a response.

“Any time somebody compares you to the All Blacks it’s the biggest badge of honour there can be. If we can go and play like the All Blacks... humbling.”