Nelson Giants

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New Zealand basketball team based in Nelson

title: "Nelson Giants" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["national-basketball-league-(new-zealand)-teams", "basketball-teams-in-new-zealand", "basketball-teams-established-in-1982", "1982-establishments-in-new-zealand"] description: "New Zealand basketball team based in Nelson" topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Giants" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary New Zealand basketball team based in Nelson ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox basketball club"]

FieldValue
nameNelson Giants
color1white
color2blue
logoNelson Giants logo.webp
leagueNZNBL
founded1982
historyNelson Giants
1982–present
arenaTrafalgar Centre
locationNelson, New Zealand
coloursBlue & white
gmMichael Fitchett
sponsorNelson Building Society
coachMichael Fitchett
ownerBasketball Development Nelson Trust
ret_nums3 (4, 13, 14)
championships3 (1994, 1998, 2007)
websitenelsongiants.basketball
h_body020045
h_shorts020045
a_bodywhite
a_pattern_b_navycollar
a_shortswhite
::

| name = Nelson Giants | color1 = white | color2 = blue | logo = Nelson Giants logo.webp | league = NZNBL | founded = 1982 | history = Nelson Giants 1982–present | arena = Trafalgar Centre | location = Nelson, New Zealand | colours = Blue & white | gm = Michael Fitchett | sponsor = Nelson Building Society | coach = Michael Fitchett | owner = Basketball Development Nelson Trust | ret_nums = 3 (4, 13, 14) | championships = 3 (1994, 1998, 2007) | website = nelsongiants.basketball | h_body = 020045 | h_pattern_b = | h_shorts = 020045 | h_pattern_s = | a_body = white | a_pattern_b = _navycollar | a_shorts = white | a_pattern_s =

The Nelson Giants are a New Zealand professional men's basketball team based in Nelson. The Giants compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at the Trafalgar Centre. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the NBS Nelson Giants. The Giants are the only remaining original team from the league's inaugural season, as all other teams have spent at least one year out of the league, for various reasons.

Team history

The Nelson Giants were a foundation member of the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1982. The Giants made their first NBL final in 1990, where they lost to the Canterbury Rams in what was the NBL's first all-South Island final. In 1994, the Giants won their maiden championship with a 67–66 win over the Rams in the final. In 1996 and 1997, the Giants lost back-to-back championship series, before winning their second NBL championship in 1998 with an 81–73 win over the North Harbour Kings in the final. In 2000, 2002, and 2004, the Giants were runners-up. In 2007, the Giants won their third championship with a 2–0 series win over the Hawke's Bay Hawks. In 2009 and 2013, the Giants were runners-up.

The Trafalgar Centre was Nelson's home stadium from 1982 until being closed because of its earthquake risk in December 2013. As a result, the Giants played out of Saxton Stadium in 2014 and 2015. The team returned to the Trafalgar Centre in 2016 after the venue completed earthquake strengthening.

Current roster

| team=Nelson Giants | color1=white | bg1=blue | color2=white | bg2=blue}} | head_coach =

| asst_coach =

| DP = y | I = y | roster_url = https://www.facebook.com/nelsongiants | accessdate = 29 January 2026

Notable players

Retired numbers

::data[format=table]

Nelson Giants Retired NumbersNoNat.PlayerPositionTenureCeremony date
4Serbia New ZealandNenad VučinićSF1989–200710 June 2017
13New ZealandPhill JonesSG1993–201710 June 2017
14New ZealandMika VukonaPF2000–202021 June 2023
::

References

References

  1. [http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/sport/9902350/Keith-Mair-reflects-on-Rams-halcyon-days Keith Mair reflects on Rams' halcyon days]
  2. [https://www.nznbl.basketball/past_champions/1994-nbl-champions-nelson-giants/ 1994 NBL CHAMPIONS: NELSON GIANTS]
  3. [https://www.nznbl.basketball/past_champions/1998-nbl-champions-nelson-giants/ 1998 NBL CHAMPIONS: NELSON GIANTS]
  4. "2007 National Basketball League". Basketball.org.nz.
  5. (29 June 2007). "Charity Begins At Home". Basketball.org.nz.
  6. (30 June 2007). "Book Closes In Style". Basketball.org.nz.
  7. [http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/9514769/Quake-fears-cause-closure-of-Trafalgar-Centre Quake fears cause closure of Trafalgar Centre]
  8. [http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/sport/9895328/A-new-cauldron-for-the-Giants A new cauldron for the Giants]
  9. [http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/basketball/75083908/nelson-giants-back-at-trafalgar-centre-for-2016-national-basketball-league Nelson Giants back at Trafalgar Centre for 2016 National Basketball League]
  10. [https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/basketball/93502561/nelson-giants-throw-back-to-1997-for-final-game-of-national-basketball-league-season Nelson Giants throw back to 1997 for final game of National Basketball League season]
  11. [https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/basketball/93502561/nelson-giants-throw-back-to-1997-for-final-game-of-national-basketball-league-season Nelson Giants throw back to 1997 for final game of National Basketball League season]
  12. [https://issuu.com/nelsonweekly/docs/nw_06212023/s/26776476 Nelson Weekly – June 21, 2023]

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

national-basketball-league-(new-zealand)-teamsbasketball-teams-in-new-zealandbasketball-teams-established-in-19821982-establishments-in-new-zealand