Breakers play celeb game
Basketball creates courtside buzz as the place to be seen on the sports scene.
When new Breakers owner Matt Walsh found out that Six60, the band his family sing along with on car rides, were Kiwis he immediately dispatched an invite for them to come sit courtside at Spark Arena. He wanted whatever vibes the hip Dunedin scarfie-formed quintet could send his team’s way.
But Walsh is not a discriminating owner, even though he did get a special kick when the chart-topping strummers accepted the request. Lorde has been courtside at Breakers’ games, hip hop’s David Dallas too, and singer-songwriter Mitch James. The musical genres have been well covered. In fact, if you’re in Auckland, and you’re any sort of a celebrity, sportsperson, high-profile type or influencer, as they are termed these days, then chances are you’ve either been invited to a Breakers game, or soon will be.
It’s all part of the vision Walsh has for this professional basketball club he bought off ultra-conservative, supermarket-owning couple Paul and Liz Blackwell at the tail-end of the 2017-18 Australian NBL season. The former pro hoopster is American, after all, and he knows what he knows. In his case, the NBA sets the entertainment standard that he’s hoping to put his own Kiwi twist on.
One of the first things Walsh noticed when he attended his first Breakers game as owner-in-waiting was the configuration of the courtside seating at Spark Arena, in downtown Auckland, where the Kiwi club play most of their home games.
Before this season, the far side of the court had been lined with corporate tables, where well-heeled business and social types would congregate in small groups, sip, munch and network while occasionally glancing up at the game of basketball just metres away. Changing that went straight to the top of Walsh’s todo list.
So for the 2018-19 ANBL season, Walsh sent the tables to the scrapheap and replaced them with multiple rows of courtside seats. He set up a large corporate area at the vacant eastern end of the stadium where VIPs could mix and mingle in downtimes. Pre and mid-game, schmooze till your heart’s content; but when the ball goes up, it’s all about the hoops.
‘‘I’d never experienced tables courtside [at basketball], and just thought it could use modernising,’’ Walsh revealed. ‘‘For the first half it almost felt like everyone was sitting and enjoying dinner — when you’re trying to create an atmosphere for a team, that’s not what you’re looking for.
‘‘I want to create something where fans are engaged and engrossed, where you’re right on top of the players and it’s a different vibe for our corporates. Instead of sitting and talking to five people, you’re going to a lounge where you’re mingling, and it’s just a better social environment.
‘‘It’s harder and harder to get millennials and young people to engage, but for 90 minutes or so we’re trying to create something so entertaining on court, and during breaks, that people don’t want to get up and risk missing something.’’
Then there’s the cool factor Walsh is chasing. That vibe. There is no sport like basketball to get up close and personal with. Sit courtside and not only do you get a true appreciation for the size and athleticism of the players, but also the sounds and nuances of the game. You’re almost as likely to get a player in your lap as your next order.
The Breakers are working hard to create a hip, ‘you have to be here’ feel round their courtside seats. That’s where the celebs and influencers come in. They want the high-profilers scattered around their courtside seats, hitting up social media with their posts, being captured by the TV cameras.
It’s why pretty much every game at Spark Arena there is a fair smattering of people you’re likely to recognise. Whether it’s TV newsreaders (Mike McRoberts and Simon Dallow were recent attendees), comedians (Jono Pryor is a regular, Guy Williams a superfan), reality TV stars or sports identities (Joseph Parker, Val Adams and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck), Walsh wants the A-listers courtside and, preferably, fully engaged.
‘‘The first thing is to get them enjoying it, and then hopefully they want to come back and buy season tickets. And other people see they’re at the games on TV and it’s a ripple effect,’’ he says.
‘‘We want to create 10 events at Spark Arena.’’ he says.
Walsh understands the formula. He’s lived it. There’s only so much the front office can do to keep up their side of the bargain. The rest is down to the on-court outfit. Aka, the team.
‘‘The reason why people went to watch the Lakers was because of [star players] Magic Johnson and Kareem AbdulJabaar, and then it became a cultural thing. The reason people go to Golden State is Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
‘‘So we’ve got to create the local superstars, and get them more widely known. And we’ve got to bring in great players and be exciting watch. And win. On top of that we’ve got to build a great game-day event.’’
Walsh’s vision is that, organically, a big-name Kiwi or two will attach themselves to the team, much like Jack Nicholson did to the Lakers, Drake to the Toronto Raptors, Billy Crystal with the LA Clippers, et al.
‘‘What you want is your fans really buying in. Even the high-profile ones. People can sense BS; we want these influencers and celebs reacting how they really feel. If we get Joseph Parker saying ‘I can’t miss a game’, and he’s down there yelling at Casper Ware . . . well, that’s the dream.’’
But Walsh shrugs off suggestions he’s Americanising New Zealand’s team.
‘‘I love it here. I moved my family here. I have a Kiwi daughter [in her third month now]. I’m fully in it,’’ he says.
‘‘Every decision I’ve made since I’ve been here is what I believe is best for the future of the club.’’
The day we went along to soak up the courtside experience, was a Sunday. Andrew Bogut and the Sydney Kings were in town, and the Breakers nearly pulled off a great escape, roaring back from 15
‘‘People should get in the moment and watch sport live if they can.’’
Kiwi netball legend Bernice Mene
down to come up agonisingly short, 71-70.
Things got pretty interesting late. Warriors skipper Tuivasa-Sheck was to our right and Kiwi netball legend Bernice Mene just a couple of seats to our left, with her son. Breakers import Patrick Richard was close enough to drip sweat on to our shoes. Coach Kevin Braswell was barking orders at his players, and riding the referees as if he was a jockey at Ellerslie.
The ‘celebs’ are scattered courtside. Mitch James is here too, as is DJ Arii Jade. Artist Dick Frizzell is on hand, designer Marc Moore, MP (and dancer) David Seymour, newsreader Dallow and
The Block stars Sam and Emmett. Tuivasa-Sheck, as a fellow sportsman, soaks up the courtside perspective at Breakers’ games.
‘‘It’s awesome, you really get into it, seeing the boys coming off dripping sweat, seeing the hard work they’re doing, hearing the language with each other, listening to the coaches — how the refs and players communicate, it’s crazy. The boys give the refs a lot of trash talk. In our game you can’t do that.’’
Mene, naturally, prefers the other court code, but admits the sideline view is a winner.
‘‘You almost felt like you’re part of the team. It’s cool and quite different being at a big sports event than watching on TV. People should get in the moment and watch sport live if they can. The kids love their basketball and my 12-year-old son is in awe of everything going on around us.’’
Walsh understands his Breakers experience remains a work in progress, as is his team. But he’s seen the formula work back home and believes in it.
Think the most visible fans around the high-profile NBA teams and who springs to mind? Nicholson at the LA Lakers, right? Or Beyonce and Jay-Z? Or maybe Spike Lee at the New York Knicks? Or Drake at the Toronto Raptors? Or Meek Mill and Kevin Hart sideline at a Philadelphia 76ers game? Or Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in Boston? At Golden State, Silicon Valley billionaires prevail.
The point is front row courtside at an NBA game is the place to be seen by the in-crowd, and many pay thousands upon thousands of dollars to do so. But sometimes they’re given tickets for free too because teams understand the value of having the right sort of influencer at their games. So stand by Auckland in-crowd. If Matt Walsh comes calling, you know you’re kinda a big deal.
The Breakers host the Perth Wildcats at Spark Arena today at 2.08pm in their first post-Christmas home game. Keep your eyes peeled courtside for familiar faces.