Basketball On The Internet.

CAIRNS Taipans and their NBL arch rival New Zealand Breakers will continue the tradition of preseason matches against NBA opposition when they head to the US in October for games involving the Toronto Raptors, Matisse Thybulle’s Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards.

It will mark the fifth time in seven years that NBL teams will test their mettle against the game’s best but a first for the Taipans, the Breakers last participating in 2019, pre-COVID.

“This is monumental for Cairns – not just for our club, but for our city,” Taipans CEO Mark Beecroft said.

“We cannot wait to take the Taipans franchise to the US and Canada for the first time.  Our team has a growing history of fostering NBA-quality talent, and we’re excited to have three players that will be declaring for next year’s NBA Draft participate in these games.

“They will represent Far North Queensland well, as will the rest of our roster.”

Cairns takes on the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on October 11, where they will run into a familiar face in dual-NBL champion and 2023 NBL MVP Xavier Cooks, before facing Toronto on October 16 at Scotiabank Arena.

The Taipans and Breakers have their own piece of NBL history, twice having played off for the NBL Championship, New Zealand victorious on both occasions.

The Breakers will tackle their fourth and fifth NBA preseason games when they visit Boomers’ bronze medal Olympian Thybulle and his Trail Blazers at Moda Center, also on October 11. They then play the Jazz on October 17 at Vivint Arena.

In Portland, New Zealand also will enjoy the sight of former Breakers Next Star Rayan Rupert, the 43rd overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Rupert helped NZ reach the 2023 NBL Championship Series against the Sydney Kings and is the fifth NBL Next Star drafted directly from the NBL into the NBA. He followed LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets | Illawarra Hawks), R.J. Hampton (most recently with the Detroit Pistons | NZ Breakers), Josh Giddey (Oklahoma City Thunder | Adelaide 36ers) and another ex-Breaker, Ousmane Dieng.

“We are excited to continue the tradition of participating in the NBLxNBA,” New Zealand Breakers owner Matt Walsh said. “It’s an amazing opportunity for our players to play on basketball’s biggest stage against the best teams in the world.

“The Breakers have become the benchmark globally for developing future NBA talent and we can't wait to play against former Breaker Next Star Rayan Rupert.”

The NBA last season suited 120 international players, including 10 from Australia, a record for the nation. No less than 14 players with NBL experience played in the NBA in 2022-23.

Since it opened in 2018, three graduates from the NBA Global Academy in Canberra have been drafted into the NBA - Giddey, 2022 No. 8 overall, Dyson Daniels (New Orleans Pelicans) and 2023 No. 47 overall pick Mojave King (Indiana Pacers).
 
“With the Adelaide 36ers having defeated the Phoenix Suns last year, we know these four games will generate great interest and anticipation in Australia, the U.S and Canada,” NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger said.

“The connection and relationship between the NBL and NBA are constantly growing and evolving, and these preseason meetings are a definite highlight in the calendar.  We can’t wait to see Cairns and New Zealand take on some of the very best in October.”