The Canterbury Rams are a New Zealand professional men's basketball team based in Christchurch. The Rams compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at Cowles Stadium. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as The Wheeler Motor Canterbury Rams.

Team history

The Canterbury Rams were a foundation member of the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1982. Between 1986 and 1994, the Rams made the NBL final seven times, winning championships in 1986, 1989, 1990 and 1992. Import players Kenny Perkins, Clyde Huntley, Eddie Anderson and Angelo Hill were central to the success of the Rams, as was the New Zealand core of John "Dutchie" Rademakers, Gilbert Gordon, Andy Bennett, Graham Timms, John Hill, Ian Webb, Glen Denham and Ralph Lattimore. The architects of this success were coaches Garry Pettis, who led the team from 1986 to 1988, and Keith Mair, who took over in 1989. In 1999, the Rams made their eighth NBL final under coach Bert Knops, where they lost to the Auckland Rebels. In 2000, Dr John Watson took over the Rams organisation from the cash-strapped Canterbury Basketball Association (CBA). His takeover of the team created some deep divisions within the basketball community. In 2006, the CBA signed a three-year management contract with Watson. In December 2008, after the CBA advised Watson that they would not be completing the third year of the contract, the Rams withdrew from the NBL, with the Christchurch Cougars taking their place in the 2009 NBL season. The Cougars lasted just two seasons after withdrawing on the eve of the 2011 season due to the Christchurch earthquake. In November 2013, the Canterbury Rams were granted re-entry into NBL under the leadership of Christchurch businessman Andrew Harrison, making their return during the 2014 NBL season. In 2016, the Rams were regular season winners for the first time since 1993 and made their first playoff appearance since 2002, where they lost in the semi-final to the Super City Rangers. In 2023, the Rams reached their first NBL final since 1999 behind the likes of Troy Baxter Jr., Tevin Brown and Corey Webster. They won their fifth championship and first since 1992 with a 93–82 win over the Auckland Tuatara. In 2024, the Rams returned to the NBL final, where they once again defeated the Auckland Tuatara 102–87 behind Australian centre Lachlan Olbrich, the league MVP and grand final MVP. Olbrich contributed 29 points, 18 rebounds, and six assists in the final, while US forward KJ Buffen added 21 points on 8-9 shooting.

Honour roll

Players

Current roster

Notable past players

Coaches

Head coaches

Source: canterburyrams.basketball