They've always preached a "whole club" philosophy and winning a second straight ANBL title - this time without Kirk Penney - was a case of the Breakers backing up words with deeds.
Bookmakers - particularly across the Tasman - didn't much fancy the Kiwi club's chances without Penney, rating them likely to finish sixth in the nine-team league. Given results before the Penney era, that view was perhaps understandable. Pre-Penney the Breakers were cellar dwellers. Since the successful recruitment of the best Kiwi player of a generation in 2007, the Breakers have been contenders.
Penney produced offensive explosions only the truly elite can match. He provided star quality, on and off the court. But his most important contribution was credibility. The Breakers found selling their ideals to potential recruits much easier once they were winners, with the league's best player in their ranks.
Classy Aussie CJ Bruton pitched up in 2008, bringing a swagger to the Breakers' burgeoning belief that titles would be heading to Auckland soon. The first duly came in 2010-11, with a virtuoso Penney performance in Perth, a towering comeback from Mika Vukona and a breakout finals series display from Tom Abercrombie ensuring a dominant regular season wasn't wasted.
