Mika Vukona and the Breakers go way back, right to the club's very first game in the NBL in 2003.
“I was a development player and had the opportunity to come on in the garbage time,” said Vukona.
“It was awesome, awesome first time as a young player. House was rocking, yeah it was cool.”
13 years and 299 games for the club later, Vukona is undoubtedly the Breakers leader, though it's a role he admits took a bit of work.
“It's not something you try to force, I learned that early on with Nenad Vucinic. The first time I captained the Tall Blacks he told me I was sh**.
“And he just said let everything come to you, and this environment allows you to just do your own thing and lead how you know how to, and that's with your actions.
Those actions have helped the Breakers to four titles.
No Breaker has more rebounds and he ranks top four of the club's other main stat categories, a perfect example for the club's younger players.
“Mika's an intense character to rub shoulders with on the training floor and I've known him for a number of years,” says Breakers head coach and former teammate Paul Henare.
“Obviously 300 games for the Breakers is a huge achievement which is awesome for him and shall be celebrated appropriately.
“I'm sure all Mika wants for it is a win, so hopefully we can do that for him.”
And the 34-year-old says keeping up with the new breed keeps him motivated.
“It's another challenge, it's something that excites me,” said Vukona.
“It's just something that I want to keep driving to say - look I can keep proving myself, and the day that I can't - when the bossy says no - it's time to walk away.”
But by the look of things that is still some time away.
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