Dillon Boucher facts for kids
.jpg)
Boucher in 2014
|
||||||||||||||
| Small forward / power forward | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 27 December 1975 Bell Block, Taranaki, New Zealand |
|||||||||||||
| Nationality | New Zealand | |||||||||||||
| High school | Papatoetoe (Auckland, New Zealand) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 98 kg (216 lb) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1994–2018 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 1994–2001 | Auckland Rebels/Stars | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Waikato Titans | |||||||||||||
| 2003–2005 | New Zealand Breakers | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2009 | Auckland Stars | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Perth Wildcats | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Brisbane Bullets | |||||||||||||
| 2008–2013 | New Zealand Breakers | |||||||||||||
| 2010 | Harbour Heat | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Auckland Pirates | |||||||||||||
| 2013 | Wellington Saints | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2018 | Super City Rangers | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||
Dillon Matthew Boucher (born December 27, 1975) is a famous former professional basketball player from New Zealand. He is known for winning more championships than anyone else in the history of the Australian and New Zealand basketball leagues. He won an amazing 13 titles during his career!
Contents
Growing Up with Basketball
Dillon grew up in a small town called Bell Block, near New Plymouth. He started playing basketball in his last year of primary school. His older brothers helped him get into the sport.
Dillon kept playing basketball when he went to high school. He spent a year at Spotswood College before moving to Auckland in 1990. There, he attended Papatoetoe High School. Even though he loved playing, it wasn't until he was about 17 that he realized he could make a career out of basketball. This happened when he was chosen for his first New Zealand age-group team.
Amazing Professional Career
Dillon Boucher played for many teams during his long career. He was a key player in both the Australian and New Zealand basketball leagues.
Playing in Australia
Dillon joined the New Zealand Breakers in the Australian NBL when they first started in 2003. He played for them until 2005. After that, he played for the Perth Wildcats for one season in 2005-2006.
He then moved to the Brisbane Bullets and played there from 2006 to 2008. In 2008, Dillon returned to the New Zealand Breakers. He was a big part of their team that won three championships in a row, from 2010-2011 to 2012-2013. Dillon retired from the Breakers and the Australian NBL in 2013. The Breakers honored him by retiring his number 24 jersey.
Playing in New Zealand
Dillon also had a very successful career in the New Zealand NBL. In 2012, he won his ninth NZNBL championship with the Auckland Pirates. Before that, he played for teams like the Auckland Stars, Waikato Titans, and Harbour Heat.
In 2013, he played for the Wellington Saints. Then, from 2014, he joined the Super City Rangers. He even worked as a player and assistant coach for the Rangers in 2015. In November 2015, he signed a new three-year deal with them, continuing his role.
On May 4, 2017, Dillon became only the second player to play 400 NBL games. He joined another great player, Phill Jones. A month later, on June 5, 2017, Dillon played his 409th NBL game. This made him the player with the most NBL games ever!
On July 12, 2018, Dillon announced that the 2018 season would be his last in the New Zealand NBL. He finished his amazing career with a total of 426 NBL games.
Life Off the Court
After his playing career, Dillon Boucher continued to be involved in basketball.
In 2016, he became the general manager for the New Zealand Breakers. This meant he helped manage the team from behind the scenes. In September 2019, he decided to leave this role.
In November 2020, Dillon was appointed as the Director of Basketball for the Auckland Huskies. This team also plays in the New Zealand NBL.
In September 2021, Dillon Boucher took on an even bigger role. He became the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Basketball New Zealand. This means he helps lead and manage basketball across the whole country.
Playing for New Zealand
Dillon first joined the Tall Blacks, New Zealand's national basketball team, in 2001. He was part of the team that surprised everyone at the 2002 FIBA World Championship. They played incredibly well and finished in fourth place, which was a huge achievement!
After this, Dillon became a regular player for the Tall Blacks. He continued to play for his country until he retired from international basketball in 2008.
Awards and Recognition
In 2014, Dillon Boucher was honored for his great contributions to basketball. He was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the Queen's Birthday Honours. This is a special award given to people who have done excellent things for New Zealand.
