Basketball: Home is where the fans are

The Breakers lost against the Hawks at NESC. Photo / Getty Images

As the Vector Arena experiment enters phase two, the NZ Breakers might do well to recall the warning issued by stadium management at their season launch.

You'd have to grade last month's debut at the downtown Auckland venue a resounding success on all counts. They defeated Sydney Kings 76-59 in their home opener for the season and 6900 spectators represented the biggest crowd ever to attend a basketball game in New Zealand.

But the Breakers face an acid test on Thursday when they host the Townsville Crocs for their second outing at the facility. Can they sustain those attendance numbers or was that record turnout a one-time novelty?

When the Breakers first announced their Vector fixtures in September, stadium executive director Stuart Clumpas was keen to welcome them aboard, but advised caution before making a long-term commitment.

"We've had netball internationals where the girls often come up and say how special it is to play there. That's really why you shouldn't play there every week. Vector is a big arena and it works incredibly well when full, but you do need to fill it ... there needs to be a buzz.

"It's great to see the Breakers have reached the level where they can bring games to the arena and we hope they experience the same lift that the netball teams have enjoyed."

That's exactly what happened against Sydney. Buoyed by the home crowd, the reigning ANBL champions leapt out to a 20-8 lead after the opening quarter and eased clear for good as veteran CJ Bruton found his range down the stretch.

"I thought the atmosphere was bloody awesome," said coach Andrej Lemanis afterwards. "It certainly lifted our guys and they came out with an energy that reflected that."

However, there's a question of how much advantage you give away when you start moving home fixtures to unfamiliar surroundings. Bruton finished the game shooting 5/14 from the three-point arc - the rest of his team went just 3/15 - and admitted it took some time to find his bearings.

"It was definitely a challenge," he conceded. "When we came into practice, there were a few air balls fired up. It takes time to get adjusted and for everyone to find their rhythm on different hoops."

The Breakers spent their early years trying to find the right place to call home, relocating to Waitakere Trusts Stadium for a season and taking games around the country in an attempt to engage fans in other cities. But they finally began to enjoy success when they decided the North Shore Events Centre should become their fortress.

While NSEC was packed out for much of last season's play-off run, crowds have been less forthcoming so far this season. In a building with 4300 capacity, fewer than 3000 turned up for the clash with Adelaide 36ers, which also featured pre-game ceremonies retiring stalwart Paul Henare's No 32 singlet and raising the championship banner. About 3300 were on hand for last week's shock loss to the Wollongong Hawks.

While some see this as a sign that fans prefer Vector Arena, Breakers general manager Richard Clarke is more cautious: "The Wollongong game was still a pretty good crowd for us historically, while I think the first game back at North Shore was probably a hangover from the Vector game and the Rugby World Cup. We were able to create an 'event' game at Vector that overcame the fact people had spent all their money on the rugby, but maybe the next game felt that effect."

He insists the intention has never been to move to the city permanently, merely as an option if the Breakers make the finals again.