Tough start to ANBL for Breakers

RJ Hampton will make his muchanticipated New Zealand Breakers debut away to Sydney Kings on October 18.

The new Australian National Basketball League schedule was revealed yesterday, with the Breakers sitting out the first two rounds of the 2019-20 season due to their NBA pre-season commitments, before facing reigning MVP Andrew Bogut’s Kings in a difficult double header.

The Breakers will meet Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder in two high-profile encounters in the United States before returning to play the Kings in their ANBL season opener.

The reverse fixture will take place at Spark Arena in Auckland on October 20.

Every club will play four teams four times during the 2019-20 season with two games at home and two away. They will play the remaining four teams three times across the season with games split between home and away.

The Breakers have locked in 10 home games at Spark Arena and one at ILT Stadium in Invercargill.

A further three home games will be played at yet to be confirmed venues.

The Breakers will field a newlook lineup this season, with highly-touted American teenager Hampton the club’s biggest offseason recruit so far.

The 18-year-old Hampton, a 1.96m, 84kg point guard from Little Elm High School in Texas, has opted to forego his college eligibility in order to play professionally in the ANBL.

There is also a team on the scene in the form of South East Melbourne Phoenix, who have nabbed Tai Wesley from the Breakers.