North Melbourne Giants
| North Melbourne Giants | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Leagues | NBL | ||
| Founded | 1980 | ||
| Dissolved | 1998 | ||
| History |
Coburg Giants 1980-1986 North Melbourne Giants 1987-1998 | ||
| Arena | The Glass House | ||
| Capacity | 7,200 | ||
| Location | Melbourne, Victoria | ||
| Team colors | Teal and White, previously Maroon, Gold, Silver and White | ||
| Championships | 2 (1989, 1994) | ||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
The North Melbourne Giants were an Australian basketball team, that played in Melbourne, Victoria, in the National Basketball League.
History
The team was formed in 1980 as the Coburg Giants and were renamed in 1987 as the North Melbourne Giants. After a successful run in the league, with two championships and four grand final appearances, the club merged with a cross-town rival, the South East Melbourne Magic, for the 1998/99 season. The resulting Victoria Titans were as successful as their predecessors, but after succumbing to financial difficulties were rebranded the Victoria Giants in 2002 and ultimately folded as such in 2004.
North Melbourne hold the record for the biggest win in an NBL Semi-final following their 165–110 win over the Perth Wildcats at The Glass House on 8 October 1989. The 55 point win beat the previous record of 48 held by the Adelaide 36ers for their 151–103 Semi-final win over the Newcastle Falcons in 1985. As of the 2016 NBL Finals, the Giants score of 165 also remains the highest points scored in an NBL finals game.
The Giants also had a junior team known as the North East Melbourne Arrows that played in the Australian Basketball Association from the mid-1980s to 2001.[1]
Continuation of the club
The team spirit lives on today through representative and domestic basketball leagues from under 10s through to the senior level. The Coburg Basketball Association also has a stadium situated in North Coburg. The club continues to be successful both on and off the court.
Honour roll
| NBL Championships: | 2 (1989, 1994) |
| NBL Finals Appearances: | 7 (1982, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994, 1995) |
| NBL Grand Final Appearances: | 4 (1988, 1989, 1994, 1995) |
| NBL Most Valuable Players: | Ray Borner (1985), Scott Fisher (1989, 1992) |
| NBL Grand Final MVPs: | Scott Fisher (1989), Paul Rees (1994) |
| All-NBL First Team: | Ray Borner (1985), Jim Foster (1986), Tim Dillon (1988), Scott Fisher (1989, 1990, 1991, 1992), Darryl McDonald (1994, 1995, 1996) |
| NBL Coach of the Year: | Bruce Palmer (1988), Brett Brown (1994) |
| NBL Rookie of the Year: | David Smith (1998) |
| NBL Most Improved Player: | None |
| NBL Best Defensive Player: | None |
| NBL Best Sixth Man: | None |
| NBL Good Hands Award: | Darryl McDonald (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997) |
| NBL Hall of Fame: | Ray Borner (2006), Scott Fisher (2007) |