Breakers Celebrate #23 CJ Bruton

The Sky Sport Breakers donned all new black-out uniforms last night in celebration of the NBL 2021 Heritage Round, and to honour the final game played by Breakers legend CJ Bruton in 2014.

The heritage kit was a nod to the redesigned kit that marked the end of a monumental career from #23, a number that now hangs from the rafters at the Sky Sport Breakers Training Facility at Atlas Place. 

The game also marked the finale of Casey Frank’s Breakers career – the club’s first ever import; who now suits up behind the microphone for New Zealand’s broadcast of all NBL matches.

Bruton logged 179 games for the Breakers, starting 111 of those. He was part of the team as it achieved the historic three-peat between 2010-2013; recording a phenomenal 40% 3-point percentage over the six years he spent with the New Zealand club.

Last night the team did this jersey proud, taking the win over the championship favourites, the Perth Wildcats 86-84, at the temporary home-court in Launceston, Tasmania.

Coming off a victory on Perth’s home turf in mid-April, and an overtime defeat just before that, the biggest rivalry in the NBL was set to produce another classic on the hardwood in Launceston.

Delivering on all promises, both the Wildcats and Breakers showed up in full force, and delivered all the entertainment fans come to expect from two of the most successful NBL franchises in history.

It was Breakers new man Levi Randolph who showed up when needed most, with a last second drive to claim the win with 0.5 seconds remaining on the clock.

The Breakers will be back in action tonight to finish off their Heritage Round antics, with a clash against the Illawarra Hawks to round off their Tasmanian campaign. Catch all the action from 9:30PM NZST on Sky Sport 2.