View source for Canberra Cannons

{{Short description|Defunct basketball team from Canberra, Australia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2014}}
{{infobox basketball club
| name            = Canberra Cannons
| logo            = Canberra Cannons.png
| nickname        = 
| leagues         = [[National Basketball League (Australia)|NBL]]
| founded         = {{Start date and age|1979}}
| dissolved       = 2003
| history         = '''Canberra Cannons'''<br />1979–2003<br />'''[[Hunter Pirates]]'''<br />2003–2006<br /> '''[[Singapore Slingers]]'''<br />2006–present
| arena           = [[AIS Arena]]
| capacity        = 5,200
| location        = [[Canberra]], [[Australian Capital Territory]]
| colors          = Navy, red, white<br />{{Color box|#14213E}} {{Color box|#F92740}} {{Color box|#FFFFFF}}
| current         = 
| sponsor         = 
| president       = 
| vice-presidents = 
| manager         = 
| coach           = 
| ownership       = 
| championships   = '''3''' ([[1983 NBL season|1983]], [[1984 NBL season|1984]], [[1988 NBL season|1988]])
| website         = 
| h_body          = F92740
| h_pattern_b     = _navysides
| h_shorts        = F92740
| h_pattern_s     = _navysides
| a_body          = FFFFFFF
| a_pattern_b     = _redsides
| a_shorts        = FFFFFFF
| a_pattern_s     = _redsides
}}

The '''Canberra Cannons''' are a defunct professional men's [[basketball]] team that competed in [[Australia]]'s [[National Basketball League (Australia)|National Basketball League]] (NBL). They went into financial administration in 2003 and were relocated to [[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]], where they became the [[Hunter Pirates]]. After this venture also folded the team was relocated to [[Singapore]] and played as the [[Singapore Slingers]] for the 2006–07 season.

The Cannons were runners-up in the inaugural 1979 competition and then won three championships in 1983, 1984 and 1988. They were also runners-up in 1989.

==History==
The Cannons were one of the original ten NBL clubs, competing in the league's very first season in [[1979 NBL season|1979]]. They reached the championship game with a 13–5 record, but fell at the final hurdle, losing to the [[St Kilda Saints (NBL)|St Kilda Saints]] 94–93 in the final.

Canberra failed to make the playoffs over the next few seasons, but in [[1983 NBL Finals|1983]] they won their first NBL championship, downing the [[1982 NBL Finals|defending champions]] the [[West Adelaide Bearcats]] 75–73 in the Grand Final. [[Adelaide]] born [[Basketball positions#Guards|Guard]] [[Phil Smyth]] joined the team in 1983 and led the NBL in steals and assists as well as being selected at [[Point guard]] in the [[NBL (Australia) All NBL teams|All-NBL Team]].

In 1983, the Cannons' trio of Wade Kirchmeyer, [[Dave Nelson (basketball)|Dave Nelson]] and Garry Ball were dubbed the "Bruise Brothers".<ref>{{cite news|title=Basketball's thinking team|date=February 25, 1983|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/116452550|access-date=February 27, 2024|via=[[Trove]]}}</ref> Following the league's import reduction from three to two, Kirchmeyer was not re-signed for 1984.<ref>{{cite news|first=Paul|last=Gover|title=Victim of NBL's new import rule; Kirchmeyer leaves the Cannons|date=July 30, 1983|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/116420480|access-date=February 26, 2024|via=[[Trove]]}}</ref>

The Cannons repeated as champions in [[1984 NBL season|1984]], this time beating the [[Brisbane Bullets]] 84–82 in the big game. Smyth again had a big season, being named to the All-NBL Team.

Canberra made the playoffs for the next three seasons but would fall to the Bullets in the semi-finals each time. Championship glory eluded the Cannons until [[1988 NBL Finals|1988]], when swept the minor premiers the [[Adelaide 36ers]] in the semi-finals then beat the [[North Melbourne Giants]] 2–1 in a best-of-three championship series. Smyth again was named to the All-NBL Team after leading the league in three-point percentage, free-throw percentage and steals, and was also named [[NBL (Australia) Best Defensive Player|Best Defensive Player]]. Smyth also won the [[NBL (Australia) Most Valuable Player – Grand Final|Grand Final MVP]] after averaging 23.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists over the series. {{convert|7|ft|0|in|cm|abbr=on}} import [[Center (basketball)|centre]] [[Willie Simmons (basketball)|Willie Simmons]] also led the league in blocks, averaging 3.6 per game.

North Melbourne exacted their revenge in [[1989 NBL Finals|1989]], beating the Cannons 2–0 in the championship series. It would prove to be the last time the Cannons played in the NBL Grand Final.

The Cannons failed to make the playoffs again until [[1992 NBL season|1992]], when they were eliminated in the first round by the eventual champions, the [[South East Melbourne Magic]]. They reached the playoffs in [[1996 NBL season|1996]] making the semi-finals before being eliminated by the Melbourne Tigers 2–1. They again made the finals in [[1997 NBL season|1997]] but were eliminated in the first round 2–1 by North Melbourne.

Financial problems dogged the club in the late 1990s, and the team finally succumbed to its money woes in December 2002. The club managed to play all its remaining games from the [[2002–03 NBL season]], but were unable to hold on to their star players, including [[C. J. Bruton]], the son of then-coach [[Cal Bruton]], or any imports. Canberra finished with an 11–19 record, and the team was bought by a consortium that moved the team to Newcastle.

During the 2002 off-season, the Cannons embarked on a short tour of the United States playing various college teams. On one occasion they played against the [[Michigan State Spartans men's basketball|Michigan State Spartans]] at the [[Breslin Center]] in [[Lansing, Michigan|Lansing]]. For that game, the Cannons featured former Michigan State player, [[NBA]] legend with the [[Los Angeles Lakers]] and one of the most decorated players in basketball history, [[Magic Johnson|Earvin "Magic" Johnson]]. The game, a celebration of Johnson's induction into the [[Basketball Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] in 2002, saw the Cannons defeat the Spartans (who featured future NBL player [[Adam Ballinger]]) 104–85 with Magic contributing 12 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS205AENLvA Canberra Cannons featuring Magic Johnson]</ref>

In April 2022, NBL owner [[Larry Kestelman]] flagged Canberra as a potential 11th team. Kestelman says "Canberra could be next in line for a league license, following the same model as the Tasmania JackJumpers".<ref>{{cite web |title=NBL exploring Canberra return|url=https://nbl.com.au/news/nbl-exploring-canberra-return|website=NBL.com.au|language=en-AU |date=13 April 2022|access-date=4 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=NBL Ready For Canberra|url=https://nbl.com.au/news/nbl-ready-for-canberra|website=NBL.com.au {{!}} NBL|language=en-AU |date=18 May 2022|access-date=18 May 2022}}</ref>

==Honour Roll==
{| class="wikitable"
|- align=left
| style="background:#efefef;" |  NBL Championships: 
| 3 (1983, 1984, 1988)
|-
| style="background:#efefef;" | NBL Finals Appearances:
| 11 (1979, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1996, 1997)
|-
| style="background:#efefef;" | NBL Grand Final appearances: 
| 5 (1979, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1989)
|-
| style="background:#efefef;" | NBL Most Valuable Players: 
| None
|-
| style="background:#efefef;" | NBL Grand Final MVPs: 
| [[Phil Smyth]] (1988)
|-
| style="background:#efefef;" | All-NBL First Team: 
| [[Herb McEachin]] (1980), [[Cal Stamp]] (1980), [[Dave Nelson (basketball)|Dave Nelson]] (1981), [[Phil Smyth]] (1983, 1984, 1988, 1989), [[Robert Rose (basketball)|Robert Rose]] (1996, 1997)
|-
| style="background:#efefef;"| All-NBL Second Team:
| [[Phil Smyth]] (1985), [[Emery Atkinson]] (1989), [[Simon Dwight]] (1997)
|-
| style="background:#efefef;"| All-NBL Third Team:
| [[Rodney Monroe]] (1993), [[Ray Borner]] (1995), [[Jervaughn Scales]] (1995)
|-
| style="background:#efefef;" | NBL Coach of the Year: 
| [[Bob Turner (basketball)|Bob Turner]] (1985), [[Brett Flanigan]] (1996)
|-
| style="background:#efefef;" | NBL Rookie of the Year: 
| Jamie Kennedy (1983), [[Lachlan Armfield]] (1992), [[Damien Ryan (basketball)|Damien Ryan]] (1999)
|-
| style="background:#efefef;" | NBL Most Improved Player: 
| None
|-
| style="background:#efefef;" | NBL Best Defensive Player:
| [[Phil Smyth]] (1983, 1988, 1989)
|}

==Season by season==

{{Canberra Cannons Season by season}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==

{{Canberra Cannons 1983 NBL champions}}
{{Canberra Cannons 1984 NBL champions}}
{{Canberra Cannons 1988 NBL champions}}
{{NBLdefunct}}

[[Category:Canberra Cannons| ]]
[[Category:Defunct National Basketball League (Australia) teams]]
[[Category:Defunct sports clubs and teams in Canberra]]
[[Category:Basketball teams established in 1979]]
[[Category:Basketball teams disestablished in 2003]]
[[Category:Basketball teams in the Australian Capital Territory]]
[[Category:1979 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:2003 disestablishments in Australia]]