Kris Shannon: Breakers' win gives city reason to smile

Assistants Judd Flavell, left, and Paul Henare congratulate coach Dean Vickerman, right. Photo / Getty Images

It is difficult not to smile when contemplating the timing of the Breakers' fourth championship.

On the same weekend Ekene Ibekwe drained a shot as dramatic as anything recently seen in New Zealand sport, the fortunes of the franchises sharing the same city weren't quite as glowing.

The Blues plumbed new depths with a home loss that consigned them to last place on the Super Rugby ladder, while the Warriors went down to the Knights to open a 20th campaign that will likely finish in a similar fashion to the previous 19. Both sides are, of course, still early in their seasons, but extend the assessment period to the past five years, when the Breakers began to forge their dynasty, and the dichotomy is striking.

In 2011, when the Breakers won their first title, the Blues and the Warriors made their last appearances in their respective playoffs. While the Breakers have since added three more rings to a glittering collection, neither oval-ball side has been back to the post-season.

It's not just the Super City in which the Breakers stand apart. Dominating a multi-national club competition to the tune of four titles in five seasons is an achievement unmatched in Kiwi sport since the halcyon days of the Crusaders, who accomplished the same between 1998 and 2002.

Just like those Wayne Smith and Robbie Deans Crusaders teams, the Breakers have grown into a model franchise for the rest of the Australian NBL to follow. Their emphasis on character and chemistry has proven crucial in a competition used by some imports primarily as an avenue to showcase individual ability.

The club's fostering of local talent has been exemplified through the key contributions of Tom Abercrombie, Corey Webster and Alex Pledger, with Reuben Te Rangi and Duane Bailey the latest young players to emerge from the academy.

And their focus on stability, in both the playing roster and coaching staff, saw a disappointing season swept aside in the same manner as grand final opponents Cairns.

Detractors will point to the niche nature of basketball in this part of the world and suggest the Breakers' control of the competition indicates an overall weakness in quality. But that would ignore the Breakers' initial struggles to break through; that it took five seasons to reach the playoffs for the first time and 300 games before they finally posted more wins than losses on their ledger.

Those days are behind the Breakers - they have found the formula to flourish and there is every reason to think they will now make a serious run at Perth's record six championships. That would surely seal their place near the top of the New Zealand sporting pantheon but, to these eyes, that standing is already secure. They're ruthless on the court, respectful outside the lines, and serial winners in a town featuring few.