That was a main driver behind the head coach’s eagerness to put pen to paper and remain with the Dunedin franchise.
Matehaere has signed a new two-year deal this week to continue leading the Nuggets as they look to defend their National Basketball League title.
"I think we’ve just started something," Matehaere said.
"We’ve been in the league proper two years now. We had a reasonably good first year ... and last year managing to make the play-offs in third place and then take out an NBL title, the franchise’s first, and the region’s first, so you know, that was really special."
Matehaere, a former Nugget himself, joined the team as head coach when the franchise was resurrected in 2020.
He has enjoyed a successful tenure, helping the Nuggets take out the Covid-19 restricted NBL Showdown in 2020 and capping off last season by beating the Auckland Tuatara 81-73 to claim their inaugural NBL title.
But, as he says, last year is last year, and he looked forward to the challenge of building on their success.
He even has a new motto — "face forward and keep moving" — which he has cheekily borrowed from Otago swimming coach Lars Humer.
"I saw it up on the board when I was up at Moana Pool. I told him I was going to steal it.
"I see that idea about continuing to move forward as going to be a real focus for us this year.
"And that’s what it’s about. [Winning] was really special, something we’ll remember for a long, long time, but that was last year and this year’s about a new job and taking opportunities to make sure we keep on getting better and developing players that are in the team and really enjoying ourselves and getting to play basketball for the Nuggets."
There was also a push to connect with the community and give their fans their best and play an entertaining and successful brand of basketball, he said.
"We had a sell-out in our last game before heading away to the play-offs and that gave the guys a real boost heading to the finals when you fill up the arena and there’s thousands of people yelling and screaming.
"It’s important that we create that atmosphere for out local fans because ... without them we wouldn’t be in the position we are as a franchise."
Player signings would start being announced in the coming weeks and a sprinkling of players had indicated they were keen to return to the Nuggets.
The team would link up in March but things had hardly slowed down for Matehaere, who had been working with some local players to progress their game during summer.
"It’s an exciting group that we’ve got. I’m really looking forward to it."
