The Auckland Tuatara will be trading their home runs for slam dunks in the winter as the baseball franchise buys in to New Zealand’s NBL competition.
The Tuatara announced on Monday they will become part of the NBL from 2022 with a new ownership group purchasing the licence from the Auckland Huskies.
While the Huskies will be rebranded to the Tuatara, the two sporting bodies will be separate entities that share the same brand.
Tuatara Baseball chief executive Regan Wood added some staff will work across both teams to help bring the DNA of the Auckland Tuatara baseball franchise over to the basketball organisation.
“We have been talking to the NBL for about a year now, sharing information and ideas trying to navigate Covid,” Wood said.
“As we had more to do with them, we started to realise the enormous potential of the NBL and the unique opportunity to spread our brand across the basketball landscape and be part of one of the best domestic sporting competitions in New Zealand.
“There has been massive growth in the NBL in recent times and we are very excited about what the future holds.
“There is a natural fit with the Tuatara being in Auckland and specifically the North Shore, with the region being the best basketball nursery in the country.”
Wood said the Tuatara philosophy is about giving fans an experience that captivates.
“Our goal is to bring our vibrant, fan-first mentality from baseball across to basketball and build a franchise Auckland basketball fans can be proud of,” Wood said.
“We are also very aware of the need to create and be part of a pathway for our region’s leading players and we will work with the local associations and leading schools to ensure that we set high standards in this area.”
NBL GM Huw Beynon said bringing a well-established brand from another code was an enticing pitch and the consortium had already proven their abilities with the baseball team.
“We’ve enjoyed getting to know Regan and his team and believed in their vision for not only joining the League, but also helping to develop it in Auckland and support the game of basketball there,” Beynon said.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the Tuatara on court and continue to entertain sports fans throughout Auckland.”
The Huskies reached the semi-finals of this year’s competition but were knocked out by eventual champions the Wellington Saints.
The 2022 NBL will tip off on April 7.
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