A time long ago
We should start by saying "beleaguered" was never the major naming sponsor.
But after approximately 64,000 mentions of the beleaguered Otago Nuggets, someone eventually did ask — tongue firmly IN cheek — if beleaguered was the sponsor.
Actually, it was probably a lack of sponsorship where the problems started for the Nuggets.
Their debut season in 1990 was a flop. But they showed a lot of promise through the early and mid-1990s.
Bumper crowds of 3000 would flock to the "Freezerdome" and the Nuggets made the NBL playoffs in 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995 and 1997.
The Nugs were powered on by the likes of Mark Dickel, Glen Denham and Leonard King — three of the greatest players to slip on the blue singlet.
The grind
King retired. Dickel headed overseas. Wickliffe Press withdrew its sponsorship.
It all hit the Nuggets like a ball clattering into the front of the rim.
The Jerome Fitchett buzzer-beater in 1991 was a distant memory by the time I started writing about the Nuggets in 2005.
They had been without a major naming sponsor for several years. The franchise had not returned to the playoffs since 1997.
The team was a trainwreck. The 2005 season started with 12 consecutive losses. A key player was convicted of drink-driving. The team trashed a hotel room on an away trip and internal squabbles threatened to unravel what remained of team unity.
And rock bottom was emerging.
The Nuggets claimed the wooden spoon four years in a row, but the nadir came when Basketball Otago made the decision to pull the side out of the league in 2009. The franchise returned in 2010 and lost all 18 games.
It snapped an infamous 33-game losing streak with a 74-67 win over the Jets in 2011. Coach Alf Arlidge was photographed dancing a jig on the sideline.
It was the start of an upswing for the Nuggets. "Sparky" Dickel returned in 2012 and the following season they were able to put an impressive roster together, which included the likes of Antoine Tisby, Akeem Wright, BJ Anthony, Brendon Polyblank and Hayden Allen.
A 15-year-old kid called Sam Timmins made his debut that year.
The Nuggets got off to their best start, winning their first eight games. They made it through to the playoffs, but were tipped out by the Nelson Giants.
Off the court, though, Basketball Otago was weighed down by debt and narrowly escaped insolvency the following year. The Nuggets spent the next five seasons on the sidelines.
A new era
Earlier attempts to revive the team fell flat, but the arrival of Covid-19 actually provided an opportunity for the Nuggets. The NBL modified the tournament to include a draft and all the games were played in Auckland. The Nuggets did well out of the draft, but it has to be said coach Brent Matehaere really got the best out of them.
The Nuggets won the NBL Showdown, but it came with an asterisk. The league’s three heavyweights, the Wellington Saints, Southland Sharks and Hawke’s Bay Hawks, snubbed the event.
And then no-one really expected the team to start this season with a 6-0 run.
So what has changed? Why is the team suddenly all-conquering?
Three simple points to make here.
Stronger roster — American forward Todd Withers has been excellent value and Timmins is one of the most dominant bigs in the league. The support crew of Matthew Bardsley, Darcy Knox, Robbie Coman and Jack Andrew have all just got so much better.
More resources — the team is under new ownership. Sport Entertainment Network New Zealand (SENZ) bought the Nuggets in late 2021 and its parent company owns the Perth Wildcats. That relationship delivered up a quality player in the form of Michael Harris, who has struck a hot run during the last few weeks. And Tai Webster might be the next Wildcat sent to Dunedin. But also SENZ has resourced the team to a level where they can focus on training and becoming better basketball players.
Well coached — the Nuggets have had some good coaches in the past. But the man in the white sneakers and snazzy suit, Brent Matehaere, and his assistant, Gerard Martin, really do squeeze every drop of talent from their players. They draw the Xs and Os and provide the plan for the Nuggets to go on and win the tight games which have been in the balance.
