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Sport | Basketball

Flavell leaves the Breakers after 13 years

New Zealand Breakers assistant coach Judd Flavell is to take on a new role as assistant coach with new Australian National Basketball League side South East Melbourne Phoenix.

Flavell has been an assistant coach with the New Zealand Breakers for 13 seasons and played a key role in the team’s four championships in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015.

He helped establish the New Zealand Breakers Elite Academy, which has helped a number of players break through into the NBL over the past 10 years.

In a statement released on the club's website, Flavell said “I’ve been hugely privileged to be have been part of such an amazing club.  In my 13 years as a Breaker I have seen the club grow from strength to strength, from humble beginnings to arguably NZ’s most successful sporting franchise.

"Our four championships will always have huge significance to me but the people I’ve worked with is what has made it so special.  I’ve been lucky enough to have learnt and worked alongside some of the great coaches in this league and will be forever grateful for the start that [former owners] Paul, Liz [Blackwell] and [former coach] Andrej [Lemanis] gave me."

Dillon Boucher, Breakers general manager thanked Flavell for his many years in the team.

“We want to extend a big thank you to Judd for his long service with the club.  Judd has been an important part of the team’s four championships and we wish Judd the best in his new role as he embarks on helping the South East Melbourne Phoenix build their new franchise.  It is a credit to what the Breakers have built here in New Zealand that these new NBL franchises view Breakers staff as some of the best in the business.”

The Breakers will begin the process of looking for a replacement assistant coach over the coming weeks.