Breakers set for 15,000km NBL road trip - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Breakers set for 15,000km NBL road trip

03/01/2006 04:15:26 PM Comments (0)

The New Zealand Breakers are gearing up for one of domestic sport's toughest road trips with four NBL matches in eight days.

The team leaves on Thursday for the tour, which takes in eight flights and more than 15,000km.

They play matches in Townsville on Friday, Perth on Sunday, Adelaide the following Wednesday, and Brisbane on Saturday.

"We should be presenting it to the Guinness Book of Records because I suspect no sports team at this elite level has ever done those sorts of kilometres in their domestic league," Breakers general manager Richard Clarke said.

"The guys have to pack and re-pack, get themselves to the airport eight times, go through the check-in procedure time and again and spend a fair bit of time hanging around simply waiting for their flights.

"What's most daunting about the travel is that almost ten-and-a-half thousand kilometres will be in small domestic aircraft, not roomier planes flying international routes. We have a couple of seven-foot tall people and a fair few others over six foot six who will be cramped for space."

Clarke said the trip highlights the obstacles the Breakers face compared to most Australian-based teams.

He said defending champions the Sydney Kings have 30 days on the road during this season compared to the Breakers' 50 days away from home.

"While it is tough, there's no getting around it. We're competing in an Australian league and we have to cross the Tasman every second game, it's as simple as that," Clarke said.

"But we are working with the NBL to put in place alternative arrangements for next year so we don't have the type of road trip the team is facing now."

Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis said the travel was a test of character but he didn't want to dwell on how daunting it was.

"We have to view it as positively as possible or we won't be in the right frame of mind to compete on the court," Lemanis said.

"This sort of adversity needs to harden our resolve to do well. "Why clock up all this travel for no reward?

"We'll be firmly focused on the results while doing everything possible to take the travel out of the equation."

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