The club won its first NBL Championship after defeating the Perth Wildcats 2-1 in the Grand Final series in 1993.

In 1996, the Tigers lost to cross town rival South East Melbourne Magic in the Grand Final series 1-2.

Melbourne let go longtime import Dave Simmons after eight years and one championship with the power forward.

There was talk in the Herald Sun about sacking the team's long-term head coach Lindsey Gaze, but it was the import Jarvis Lang, who was dealing with knee soreness and struggling to learn the Tigers' shuffle offense, that was let go.

Ahead of the Tigers was cross town rival South East Melbourne Magic, the same team that they had lost to the year before in the deciding game 3.

The Melbourne Tigers won the NBL championship with a score line of 93-83, the top scorer again being Larand Copeland with 26 points; Gaze added 22 and 9 assists.

Lanard Copeland was named Most Valuable Player, and Andrew Gaze won his second championship ring.