The 36-year-old has signed a two-year contract with the Breakers, and is also set to take up an assistant coach role with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Summer League this month.
Maor surprisingly left the Breakers in May, and still had one more year left on his contract, but chose to take up an opportunity in Asia as head coach of Nagasaki Velca in Japan.
Koponen has spent most of his career in Europe playing for teams such as European heavyweights Barcelona and Bayern Munich, and has represented Finland on the international stage, only retiring from the international team in 2022.
Breakers owner Matt Walsh said the club is lucky to have secured the services of one of the best young coaches in the world.
“The head coaching position at the Breakers is one of the most sought-after jobs in basketball outside of the NBA, and we had amazing interest shown in the role over the last month,” Walsh said.
“My goal was to find the best coach to lead the Breakers, and I am very confident we have found the right person for the job.
“We ran an exhaustive search that included coaches from all over the world and included former NBA head coaches.”
In the 2007 NBA draft, Koponen was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers as the 30th overall pick, but he failed to make an appearance with them.
Koponen will arrive in Auckland at the end of July after finishing up with the Spurs.
New Breakers coach Petteri Koponen.
EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL VIA GETTY / GETTY IMAGES
An assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas this month has been confirmed as the new head coach of the New Zealand Breakers.
36-year-old Petteri Koponen from Finland has signed a two-year contract with a third-year team option.
Koponen has replaced Mody Maor, who left with a year remaining on his contract to take up an offer in Asia.
Koponen has been identified as a star head coach of the future in the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament, where he has coached for two years, including taking his team to the final in 2022.
News
Kerry Washington Leads All-Star Cast in First Teaser for Tyler Perry’s WWII Drama, ‘The Six Triple Eight’
Netflix has officially announced the release schedule for Tyler Perry’s highly anticipated WWII drama, The Six Triple Eight, starring Emmy winner Kerry Washington. The film will premiere in select theaters on December 6, followed by a global release on the…
Jasson Dominguez’s lightning-quick triple reminds us how much he could impact Yankees
Milwaukee Brewers v New York Yankees / Rich Schultz/GettyImages Here’s your friendly mid-week reminder that New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez isn’t your typical power-only physical freak. Like the hulking Spencer Jones, he also has a sprinting side. Yes, we…
Social Media Detectives Are Just Now Uncovering A Clue That Juju Smith-Schuster Was Trying To Tell Everyone He Was Joining The Kansas City Chiefs 3 Weeks Ago While Still With The Patriots
JuJu-Smith Schuster (Photo via New England Patriots/YouTube) Observant social media detectives uncovered compelling evidence indicating that JuJu Smith-Schuster knew well in advance that he was Kansas City-bound. While he was still with the New England Patriots, no less. The Patriots released JuJu Smith-Schuster on Aug….
Everyone Noticed Something Strange About Photo Of Saints QB Derek Carr Signing Autographs For Fans
Derek Carr (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) NFL fans noticed something interesting about Derek Carr and New Orleans Saints fans while he was signing autographs for them. Derek Carr is entering the second season of a lucrative four-year, $150 million contract he signed with New Orleans…
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Offers Firm Statement On His Political Beliefs After Wife Brittany Publicly Endorsed Donald Trump
Patrick and Brittany Mahomes and Donald Trump (Photos via Getty Images) Folks expecting a political endorsement by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes better not get their hopes up. Patrick Mahomes’ wife, Brittany, made headlines last week when fans noticed she “liked”…
VIDEO: Connor Stalions Exposes Former Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh For A Gift He Gave Him For His Sign-Stealing Performance After A Big Game
Connor Stalions and Jim Harbaugh (Photos via UnnecRoughness/Instagram) Connor Stalions was the focal point of a Netflix documentary, “Untold: Sign Stealer,” which was released on Netflix. It appears Connor Stalions had a big hand in the Michigan Wolverines’ 2022 win…
End of content
No more pages to load