1985 New Zealand NBL season
| 1985 New Zealand NBL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball League |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Regular season | |
| Minor premiers | Auckland |
| Top scorer | Ronnie Joyner (Ponsonby) |
| Playoffs | |
| Champions | Wellington Saints |
| Runners-up | Auckland |
The 1985 New Zealand National Basketball League season was the fourth running of the competition. Two new teams entered the league in 1985, expanding the number of teams from eight to ten. 1984 Conference Basketball League (CBL) champions New Plymouth were promoted to the NBL for the 1985 season, while 1984 CBL runners-up Palmerston North were readmitted to the league after being demoted following their last place finish in 1982.[1]
The mid-1980s were considered the league's halcyon days,[2] with Auckland, Canterbury and Wellington the benchmark teams. One of the league's most memorable grand finals was in 1985, with Wellington and Auckland facing off against each other for the third straight year. The game was televised live and most were expecting Auckland to revenge their 1984 defeat after garnering two 20-point wins over Wellington during the regular season. The game was a thriller, having to be sent into overtime after the scores were locked at 100 a piece after four quarters.[2] Saints legend Kenny McFadden went on to hit the winning three-point shot at the buzzer to claim a 114–111 overtime win and back-to-back championships.[3]
Final standings
| # | Team | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Gold Cup icon.svg | Wellington Saints | ||||
 |
Auckland | ||||
| 3 | Canterbury Rams | ||||
| 4 | Hamilton | ||||
| 5 | Palmerston North Jets | ||||
| 6 | Nelson Giants | ||||
| 7 | Ponsonby | ||||
| 8 | New Plymouth Bulls | ||||
| 9 | Centrals | ||||
| 10 | Napier Sunhawks | ||||
Season awards
- Regular Season Winners: Auckland
- Keith Carr Trophy – Most Outstanding Guard: Tyrone Brown (Palmerston North Jets)[1]
- John Macdonald Trophy – Most Outstanding NZ Guard: Tony Smith (Hamilton)
- Commissioners Cup – Most Outstanding Forward: Ronnie Joyner (Ponsonby)
- Stan Hill Trophy – Most Outstanding NZ Forward/Centre: Stan Hill (Auckland)
- Alan Bland Memorial Trophy – Scoring Champion: Ronnie Joyner (Ponsonby)
- Garry Pettis Memorial Trophy – Rebounding Champion: Willie Burton (Palmerston North Jets)
- Dave Taylor Trophy – Assist Champion: Kenny McFadden (Wellington Saints)
- Nial Forsyth Trophy – Best Team Free Throws: Palmerston North Jets
- All-Star Five:
- Tyrone Brown (Palmerston North Jets)
- Willie Burton (Palmerston North Jets)
- Stan Hill (Auckland)
- Ronnie Joyner (Ponsonby)
- Kenny McFadden (Wellington Saints)
