Average crowd sizes for their nine home games were up from 1212 last year to 1956.
Another National Basketball League title to go with the 2020 and 2022 ones would have been nice but a 61% rise in average crowd size is a significant win.
That success was recognised at national level. The Nuggets were named club of the year by the league and Nuggets boss Angela Ruske was named general manager of the year.
Ruske was uncomfortable with talking about her own award but was excited for the club’s future.
"The club of the year title means a hell of a lot because it celebrates all of the hard work from every aspect of the franchise from the players, our coaches, the admin, partners, volunteers and the fans," she said.
"It shows that we’ve ticked a lot of boxes and that we are heading in the right direction."
Most Otago basketball fans will be familiar with how instrumental Ruske was in keeping the Nuggets’ flame burning.
She helped Basketball Otago wiggle out of financial ruin in 2014 then switched focus to reviving the Nuggets.
The team spent five seasons on the sidelines before re-emerging for the 2020 NBL Showdown season. Without her tenacious and dogged effort, the Nuggets may have slipped into oblivion.
Star American power forward Todd Withers was recognised with all-star five selection. His defensive prowess and uncanny ability to hit three-pointers down the stretch came in very handy.
With his help, the Nuggets made it all the way to the semifinals where they were knocked out by the eventual champions, the Canterbury Rams, in a high-scoring game in Auckland.
While it was not the result the defending champions were hoping for, it was certainly entertaining.
And that is the business the Nuggets are in, after all.
"I’m really thrilled with how the season went both on and off the court," Ruske said.
The team spent a lot of time in the community visiting schools and attending promotions. It really paid off on game day with crowds flocking to watch the action.
The Nuggets’ final round-robin game against the Taranaki Airs was a sell-out, and the games against the Wellington Saints (2347) and the Franklin Bulls (2520) were popular as well.
"There have been more fans able to enjoy that experience and that helps inspire and motivate the next generation of players through."
The Nuggets started the season with seven straight wins and that helped build a fan base. But they also played an entertaining brand of basketball which was appealing.
The injury to American point guard JaQuori McLaughlin threatened to derail what had been an impressive beginning. The Nuggets lost four of their next five games.
The arrival of Tall Blacks point guard Tai Webster helped get the campaign back on track.
However, there were some honest conversations taking place in the background around McLaughlin’s spot.
Initially it was expected he would be able to return to court and he was confident he would be ready to play but that confidence turned out to be misplaced.
"His knee just didn’t improve," Ruske said.
"It was the type of injury no-one can put a timeline on."
With hindsight, the Nuggets had an opportunity to let McLaughlin go and bring in a replacement, perhaps an extra forward or a swingman.
"We talked about different player options at that time. But we were limited. It was too late to get another import in and financially it was not a viable option as well.
"And if we had got another import in, that would have completely ruled out JaQuori if he did come right and, at that point, we believed he would."
