The 1996 NBL season was the 15th season of the National Basketball League.
Only one change occurred heading into the 1996 season, with Waitakere leaving the NBL for the second-tiered Conference Basketball League (CBL).
Auckland won the championship in 1996 to claim their fourth league title.
[1] In the best-of-three championship series, Nelson took Game 1 110–95,[2] before Auckland came back to take Game 2 109–98 and Game 3 94–90.
[3]