Victoria Giants
Victoria Giants, previously known as the Victoria Titans, was an Australian professional basketball team based in Melbourne.[1] The Giants competed in the National Basketball League (NBL) between the 1998–99 season and the 2003–04 season, and played their home games at Vodafone Arena when branded as the Titans, and at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre when rebranded as the Giants.
Victoria Giants | |||
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Leagues | NBL | ||
Founded | 1998 | ||
Dissolved | 2004 | ||
History | Victoria Titans 1998–2002 Victoria Giants 2002–2004 | ||
Arena | Vodafone Arena | ||
Capacity | 10,500 | ||
Location | Melbourne, Victoria | ||
Team colors | Carolina blue, orange, white, and black | ||
Championships | 0 | ||
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Under the Titans name, the team competed in back-to-back NBL Grand Finals in 1999 and 2000, losing to the Adelaide 36ers and Perth Wildcats respectively. After the Titans folded in mid-2002, a group fronted by businessman Peter Fiddes was granted a licence in their place and called the new team the Giants. The club struggled financially for one season before being propped up by Gerry Ryan for the 2003–04 season. Ryan and co-owner Sandy Constantine pulled the team out of the league in 2004, but retained the licence despite the NBL's attempts to take it back.[2]
Honour roll
NBL Championships: | None |
NBL finals appearances: | 4 (1998/99, 1999/2000, 2000/01, 2001/02) |
NBL Grand Final appearances: | 2 (1999, 2000) |
NBL Most Valuable Player: | None |
NBL Grand Final MVP: | None |
All-NBL First Team: | Jason Smith (2001), Chris Anstey (2002) |
NBL Coach of the Year: | Brian Goorjian (2002) |
NBL Rookie of the Year: | None |
NBL Most Improved Player: | None |
NBL Best Defensive Player: | None |
NBL Best Sixth Man: | Chris Anstey (2001), Jamahl Mosley (2002) |
Season by season
Season | Division | League | Regular Season | Post-Season | Head Coach | Captain | Club MVP | ||||
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Position | Played | Wins | Losses | Win % | |||||||
Victoria Titans | |||||||||||
1998–99 | 1 | NBL | 4th | 26 | 16 | 10 | .615 | Runners-Up in Final against Adelaide 36ers, 2–1 (series) | Brian Goorjian | Tony Ronaldson | Tony Ronaldson |
1999–00 | 1 | NBL | 4th | 28 | 20 | 8 | .714 | Runners-Up in Final against Perth Wildcats, 2–0 (series) | Brian Goorjian | Tony Ronaldson | Jason Smith |
2000–01 | 1 | NBL | 1st | 28 | 22 | 6 | .786 | Lost in Semi-Finals to Townsville Crocodiles, 2–1 (series) | Brian Goorjian | Tony Ronaldson | Chris Anstey |
2001–02 | 1 | NBL | 1st | 30 | 21 | 9 | .700 | Lost in Semi-Finals to Adelaide 36ers, 2–1 (series) | Brian Goorjian | Tony Ronaldson | Chris Anstey |
Victoria Giants | |||||||||||
2002–03 | 1 | NBL | 10th | 30 | 9 | 21 | .300 | Did Not Qualify | Mark Wright | Darryl McDonald | Jamahl Mosley |
2003–04 | 1 | NBL | 11th | 33 | 11 | 22 | .333 | Did Not Qualify | Mark Wright | Rob Feaster | Ben Pepper |
References
- Uluc, Olgun (16 October 2015). "The NBL's defunct franchises: Sydney Astronauts, Launceston Casino City, Singapore Slingers, and more". FoxSports.com.au. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- Howell, Stephen (19 October 2005). "Victoria back to two teams in NBL". TheAge.com.au. Retrieved 26 September 2017.