Editorial: Breakers deserve to be recognised for victory

Coach Andrej Lemanis of the NZ Breakers speaks in Aotea Square following the New Zealand Breakers NBL Grand Final parade up Queen Street and into Aotea Square. Photo / Getty Images

The Breakers well deserved the acknowledgment of a parade up Queen St yesterday, even if the size of the crowd was a little disappointing. Their claiming of the Australian National Basketball League title had been somewhat overshadowed by the royal wedding.

If that was understandable, it meant the breakthrough victory by a New Zealand sports team in an Australian club competition was in danger of not receiving the praise it warranted.

That would have been unfortunate. When New Zealand teams were admitted to Australian rugby league, soccer or basketball championships, few could have imagined it would take so long to achieve success. Altogether, those teams have taken a combined 34 seasons to enter the winner's circle.

Various theories have been advanced about why this should be so. One that, perhaps, is not given enough prominence is the toll of constant to-ing and fro-ing across the Tasman and the impact of time zones.

In overcoming this, the Breakers have provided a lesson in the importance of continuity of playing and coaching staff, and of administrative stability.

The Australian competitions are always a grind and always ultra-competitive. They must be tackled without the disruption from constant chopping and changing of players and coaches and back-office traumas.

Even so, the Breakers did not do it the easy way. Third games were required for the semifinal victory over the Perth Wildcats and the ultimate triumph over the Cairns Taipans. In some ways that made their success all the more memorable.