It has been a big year for Finn Delany.
The 1.98m forward is heading into his first season as a fully-contracted player with the Auckland-based franchise.
After being a development player for the team last year, he went to China with the Tall Blacks and impressed in this year’s NBL with the Nelson Giants.
"You don’t really realise it until you get asked that question and start listing things off," Delany said when asked how he had found his year.
"But it has been a really good year. A year and a bit ago, when I was at Otago University, I never pictured I’d be here.
"So my life has taken a big turn and it’s pretty amazing to be honest."
Delany spent the second semester of last year in Dunedin, studying commerce and playing for the St Kilda Saints towards the end of the local club basketball competition.
"[Studying at Otago] was awesome.
"I sort of had a break in basketball. I wasn’t really sure where I was going, so I decided to spend a few months down there and it was awesome.
"I made a lot of great relationships and that connection with Dunedin and Otago, which is an amazing part of the world.
"North Dunedin especially, not just because of the obvious things like the partying and that, but the lifestyle and the culture there was awesome to experience, the scarfie lifestyle if you want to call it that."
That will be far from his mind when tip-off comes around tonight.
The team had recently got back from Brisbane, where it played in the Australian Basketball Challenge, a pre-season tournament.
There it lost all three of its matches and while the side was frustrated with the results, it remained full of belief.
Delany turned more than a few heads at that tournament and went viral with an impressive slam dunk against the Sydney Kings.
Being involved in the Breakers’ development programme had made for a smooth transition into the team.
"The pre-season allowed me to get a lot of good court time, which was a valuable experience and gives me a lot of confidence coming into the season.
"I haven’t really thought about it a lot, but I’m happy with how things are going on a personal note.
"[The ABC] was definitely a level up, the players in this league are all a lot bigger and stronger and a lot more athletic. But at the end of the day it’s just basketball."
The side has a new coach this year, with former player Paul Henare taking over from Dean Vickerman, although the change was not a big one.
"There’s always new things, new intricacies and new systems and players and what not.
"But most of the team has been around Paulie, if not, in the Tall Blacks environment.
"Paulie’s relationship with the likes of Mika [Vukona] and Kirk [Penney] and Corey [Webster] goes back many years. So from a relationship standpoint it’s not a lot different and Paulie has been around the club since day one, so there’s no major difference."
That might not be a bad thing either.
The Breakers have won four championships in the past six years, and were beaten finalists last season.
With that sort of record, you do not want to change too much.
Since leaving Dunedin, Delany has switched his degree to psychology, which he is completing extramurally through Massey University.
He is aiming to complete three papers a year, although hopes he will not need it for a while if things pan out with his basketball career.
He will not be a stranger to the South though, having plenty of reasons to return.
"I try to get down to Dunedin every year to be honest.
"I have family and all my good mates from high school are down there. They’re all almost finishing their degrees.
"I spent a week down there in August for my birthday before I reported to Auckland. I love Dunedin, so I’ll definitely be back there every year hopefully."
