The Harbour Heat, then known as North Shore, started in the second-tiered Conference Basketball League (CBL). After winning the CBL Northern championship in 1985,[1] the team was promoted to the National Basketball League (NBL) for the 1986 season.[2][3] North Shore reached their first NBL final in 1988, where they lost 81–78 to the Wellington Saints.[4] In 1998, as the North Harbour Kings, the team reached their second NBL final, where they lost 81–73 to the Nelson Giants.[5] In 2000, the Kings were regular season winners for the first time with a 12–4 record.[6] In 2007, the Harbour Heat were regular season winners with a 14–4 record.[7]
After sitting out the 2011 season, the Heat returned to the NBL in 2012,[8] only to withdraw again permanently after that.[9]