Late in 1981, six men's teams – a mixture of club and provincial representative sides – went out alone and created an inaugural national league.

It was enough of a success to come under the control of the New Zealand Basketball Federation the following year, when it grew in size and secured a naming sponsor.

An allowance of two imported players (invariably Americans with college basketball experience) per team, and the fact that games were played in the evening indoors, helped turn the league into a new family entertainment option.

[1] The early 1990s held dwindling fortunes for New Zealand basketball and many teams in the NZNBL, with reduced TV coverage, sponsorships, and crowd numbers.

[20] In 2022, the NZNBL and Sky Sport signed a five-year commercial deal estimated to be worth $7.5 million for the teams.