Delany Spark return three years in the making

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Returning Breaker Finn Delany is set to play his first game at Spark Arena in three years on Saturday.

Returning Breaker Finn Delany may have only been away from the New Zealand Breakers for one season, but this weekend he’ll be suiting up at Spark Arena for the first time in three years.

Delany was a shining light in what was a difficult Covid-period for the Breakers and departed the club for German side Bonn following the conclusion of NBL22.

He’s back in New Zealand following Bonn’s run to the German Basketball Bundesliga Championship Series – where they were defeated by Ulm - and with a Champions League title in his back pocket.

The man himself says the excitement around the Breakers camp for the new season is palpable.

“Things are great right now with the club and the team coming off the back of last season,” Delany told Stuff.co.nz.

“We played two years in Australia and then I was away last year. It feels like I’ve been away from New Zealand basketball culture for three years … it was an impossible time for the team to thrive in, so it’s cool to be back and have a year in Auckland post Covid to chase success.

“It’s been three years since I’ve played at Spark, so I’m really looking forward to getting out there.”

While the Breakers made what was, at the time, an unlikely run to the NBL23 Championship Series under rookie head coach Mody Maor last season, New Zealand will be opening the new campaign with a target on its back.

Delany is one of a number of high-profile signings for the new season, alongside imports Zylan Cheatham, Justinian Jessup and Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Next Star Mantas Rubstavicius, and re-signing Will McDowell-White.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Player profiles: Finn Delany<br><br>Finn Diesel is back in Breakers colours - and he's ready to win! ??<br><br>Catch him live in action this Saturday night: <a href="https://t.co/FuN4HWVe1S">https://t.co/FuN4HWVe1S</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNBREAKABLE?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNBREAKABLE</a> <a href="https://t.co/1VsaTczKhS">pic.twitter.com/1VsaTczKhS</a></p>— BNZ Breakers (@NZBreakers) <a href="https://twitter.com/NZBreakers/status/1706549158440739317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Breakers are currently among the most heavily fancied teams for the title this season – however a ball is yet to be bounced in anger during the season proper.

Delany says another deep playoff run is the minimum goal this season.

“I’d love that,” he said. “I know we can [win], I will never shy away from saying that,” he added.

“We haven’t even played one game yet, as cliched as it sounds the goal right now is to get ready for Saturday.

“We want to compete for a championship, but we have to do the work now, focus on now and have that type of timeframe for our goal.”

New Zealand’s NBL24 campaign gets underway on Saturday, September 30 against Cairns.