After winning the CBL championship in 1989,[1] the team was promoted to the National Basketball League (NBL) for the 1990 season.
[2] In 1991, the Lakers were regular season winners and won the NBL championship with a 103–92 win over the Wellington Saints in the final.
[3] In 1993, the Lakers made it back to the NBL final, where they defeated the Canterbury Rams 68–66 to win their second championship.
[4][5][6] The 1993 final saw Peter Pokai hit the game-winning jump shot to lift the Lakers over the Rams.
[7] It was a special triumph for head coach Jeff Green, who was sensationally sacked early in the season, but brought back with seven games to go.