Promising Finn named as Breakers new coach

Petteri Koponen, who has been hailed as one of Europe's most promising basketball coaches, will succeed Mody Maor at the New Zealand Breakers.

Koponen, 36, from Finland, has signed a two-year contract as head coach, with a third-year option.

He will travel to Auckland after his gig as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, having been identified as a star head coach of the future at the Euroleague next generation tournament.

The invitation to join the Spurs came through those youth Euroleague tournaments where he impressed talent scouts with his coaching abilities.

Breakers owner Matt Walsh said there was strong interest in the position, which was left vacant after they granted Maor a release to head to Japan with one year left on his contract. Maor led the Breakers to the Australian NBL playoffs in both his seasons.

"My goal was to find the best coach to lead the Breakers, and I am very confident we have found the right person for the job,'' Walsh said.

"We ran an exhaustive search that included coaches from all over the world and included former NBA head coaches.

"Petteri was an incredible player who has seamlessly transitioned to coaching and shares my vision of growing the game of basketball in New Zealand."

Koponen played for six seasons in the Euroleague, including with Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

In that time joining the Euroleague's elite 90-50-40 club for players who shoot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from the arch and 90 percent from the line over the course of a regular season.

He won the EuroCup and made the All-EuroCup First Team in 2015, the Bundesliga in 2018, and the Spanish Cup in 2019.

Koponen was also a long-time rep for Finland, retiring after the 2022 EuroBasket tournament after helping the side advance to the quarter-finals for the first time.

He will arrive in Auckland at the end of the month.