With less than a month to go until tip off in the 2007-08 NBL season, the Harvey Norman New Zealand Breakers are entering countdown mode.

The final weeks leading into Game One on September 20 at North Shore Events Centre will be jam packed on and off the court, as Andrej Lemanis puts his new systems into place with the new-look team and the Breakers get active in North Shore community.

While the countdown phase has definitely started, it will also be a case of 'Welcome Home' for the Breakers. Thursday August 30 sees the Breakers Tall Blacks representatives join the pre-season programme for the first time following their international commitments, and that day will also mark the first full training session in the club's new home base in Mairangi Bay.

During the off-season the Breakers have taken over a warehouse and office building on Auckland's North Shore, and turned it into a purpose-built basketball training facility. With two full training courts, gym, changing rooms including hot/cold therapy and on-site physio facilities, the venue is a major move by the Breakers to provide the best training conditions for the team.

The club's offces are also on site, and the set-up includes a computer video analysis lab for the coaching staff.

"It's been a huge project for the club" said General Manager Richard Clarke. "We have spent around a year putting this place together, and it's exciting to see the guys taking to the court now. This facility is truly basketball specific, and as good a training facility as any club could want. We have the whole club under one roof - it's our home."

The venue will also benefit the local North Shore basketball community, with the training courts being made available for community use and local leagues when not being used by the Breakers.

"That is an important part of why we are doing this. There is huge growth in basketball on the North Shore, and not enough courts to cater to the growth, especially for the kids. Being able to offer our facility so those kids get to play, thats been part of the vision for this place since the start," said Clarke.

The Breakers full squad will depart on September 5 to Australia for a week-long pre-season tour, which will include two games against the South Dragons, and match-ups with the Sydney Kings, Gold Coast Blaze and Brisbane Bullets.

Season tickets are selling well, with a only very limited number of Courtside MVP seats still available. Team Memberships are available for $195.00 for the season.