Corey Webster (born 29 November 1988) is a New Zealand professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player for the

Perth Wildcats The Perth Wildcats are an Australian professional basketball team based in Perth, Western Australia. The Wildcats compete in the National Basketball League (Australia), National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at Perth Arena, ...

of the National Basketball League (NBL). He joined the

New Zealand Breakers The New Zealand Breakers (also known as the Sky Sport Breakers for sponsorship reasons) are a New Zealand professional basketball team based in Auckland. The Breakers compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at ...

of the Australian NBL for the first time in 2008 after a season of

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

in the United States for

Lambuth University Lambuth University was a private Methodist university in Jackson, Tennessee. It was active from 1843 to 2011 and was supported by the Memphis Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. The university began as the Memphis Conference Fema ...

, and won championships with the club in 2011, 2013 and 2015. He has also been a regular in the New Zealand NBL, winning championships with the

Wellington Saints The Wellington Saints are a New Zealand basketball team based in Wellington. The Saints compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at TSB Bank Arena. Team history The Wellington Saints were founded in 1981. In ...

in 2011, 2014 and 2017, and has had stints in Serbia, Greece, Israel, China, Italy and Egypt. Webster signed with the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their home ...

prior to the

2015–16 NBA season The 2015–16 NBA season was the 70th season of the National Basketball Association. The regular season began on October 27, 2015, at the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls, with their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 2016 NBA Al ...

, but was waived during preseason.

Early and college career

Webster attended

Westlake Boys High School Westlake Boys High School is a state secondary school for boys located in Forrest Hill, Auckland, New Zealand. The school opened in 1962, when Westlake High School (opened 1958) split into Westlake Girls High School on the existing site and ...

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...

, New Zealand, and played junior basketball for North Harbour Basketball Association. He moved to the United States in 2007 and played a season of

for

of the NAIA. He averaged 11.5 points per game and was named the TSAC Freshman of the Year.

Professional career

Australian NBL

New Zealand Breakers

In June 2008, Webster joined the

of the Australian NBL for the first time, signing as a development player. He spent two seasons as a development player before joining the full-time roster ahead of the 2010–11 season. He won his first championship with the Breakers that season before missing the 2011–12 season due to a drug violation. The Breakers brought him back on a three-year deal ahead of the 2012–13 season and won his second NBL championship that season. He averaged a then career-high 8.5 points per game during the 2013–14 season. The 2014–15 season saw Webster develop into one of the league's premier scorers as he moved to a starting role and averaged a team-best 15.3 points per game, including scoring a career-high 24 points in the first semi-final against the

Adelaide 36ers The Adelaide 36ers, also known as the Sixers, are an Australian professional men's basketball team in the National Basketball League (NBL). The 36ers are the only team in the league representing the state of South Australia and are based in th ...

. He helped the Breakers win their fourth title in five years. After re-signing with the Breakers on a three-year deal, Webster's 2015 off-season saw him attend a pre-draft tryout with the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first est ...

and later spent

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United ...

preseason with the

. With the Breakers in 2015–16, Webster scored a career-high 39 points in November and helped the team return to the NBL Grand Final series, where they lost to the

. He earned All-NBL Second Team honours after he finished second in scoring with 21.09 points per game during the regular season. After missing the second half of the

2016–17 NBL season The 2016–17 NBL season was the 39th season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. A total of eight teams contested the league. The regular season was played between October 2016 and February 2017, followed by a pos ...

due to a hip injury, Webster was released by the Breakers in March 2017. He subsequently played for the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Southwest Division. The ...

during the

2017 NBA Summer League The 2017 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA): the Orlando Pro Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League. Eight teams participated in the we ...

. On 24 May 2018, Webster returned to the Breakers on another three-year deal. He started the

2018–19 NBL season The 2018–19 NBL season was the 41st season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. A total of eight teams have contested the league. The regular season had been played between October 2018 and February 2019, followed ...

strong, but had a form slump in December that saw him present as a shadow of the figure who was once a premier scorer in the league. He returned to form in the

2019–20 NBL season The 2019–20 NBL season was the 42nd season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. Teams Nine teams competed in the 2019–20 Season with the addition of South East Melbourne Phoenix. Off-season changes *Th ...

, averaging 19.5 points in 11 games, before being bought out of his contract in December in order to sign in China. Webster re-joined the Breakers for the

2020–21 NBL season The 2020–21 NBL season was the 43rd season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. A total of nine teams contested in the 2020–21 season. The regular season was played between January and June 2021, followed by a p ...

, but he missed the first two weeks of the season after slicing a nerve in his hand with a knife in his kitchen. He was later sidelined for four weeks with a knee injury. On 20 August 2021, Webster parted ways with the Breakers.

Perth Wildcats

On 30 March 2017, Webster signed a two-year deal with the

. However, he soon requested a release from his contract, which was granted by the Wildcats on 13 July 2017. On 15 June 2022, Webster reunited with the Wildcats on a two-year deal. On 12 December 2022, in his 250th NBL game, he hit the game-winning 3-pointer to lift the Wildcats to a 90–89 win over

Melbourne United Melbourne United is an Australian professional basketball team based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria. United compete in the National Basketball League (Australia), National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at John ...

New Zealand NBL

Webster debuted in the New Zealand NBL in

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

, playing two seasons for the

Harbour Heat The Harbour Heat were a New Zealand basketball team based in Auckland. The Heat competed in the National Basketball League (NBL) and played their home games at North Shore Events Centre. Team history The Harbour Heat, then known as North Shore ...

. In 2011, he joined the

and helped them win the championship. His second season with the Saints came in

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment ...

. In

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

, he won the league MVP and another championship with the Saints. He spent the 2016 season with the Super City Rangers. In

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

with the Saints, he won his second MVP award and third championship. In

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeyp ...

, he played for the

Franklin Bulls The Franklin Bulls are a New Zealand basketball team based in Pukekohe, Auckland. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at the Franklin Pool and Leisure Centre. For sponsorship reasons, they are k ...

Overseas

Following both the 2014–15 and 2015–16 NBL seasons, Webster played in Europe. He played in Serbia in 2015 with Mega Leks and in Greece in 2016 with

Koroivos Koroivos ( el, Κόροιβος, before 1955: Κελεβή - ''Kelevi'') is a village in the municipal unit of Gastouni, Elis, Greece. It is situated in a flat rural area, south of the river Pineios. It is 2 km southeast of Lefkochori, 2 ...

. Webster played the 2017–18 season in Israel for

Ironi Nahariya Ironi Nahariya Basketball Club ( he, מועדון הכדורסל עירוני נהריה; ) known for sponsorship reasons as Ironi Rain Nahariya () is a professional basketball club based in city of Nahariya in northern Israel. The team plays in th ...

. He won the Three-Point Shootout during the league's All-Star Event. Following the Israeli season, he joined the Guizhou Shenghang Snow Leopards of the Chinese NBL. In December 2019, Webster returned to China to play for the

Zhejiang Lions The Zhejiang Guangsha Lions () are a Chinese professional basketball team based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, which plays in the North Division of the Chinese Basketball Association. Guangsha is the name of the club's corporate sponsor, but to prevent con ...

in the CBA. He played in seven games before leaving China on 3 February 2020 due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

. He moved to Italy later that month to play for

Virtus Roma Pallacanestro Virtus Roma, commonly known as Virtus Roma, was an Italian professional basketball club based in Rome, Lazio. It competed in the first division of Italian basketball, the LBA, for the last time in the 2020–21 season. It was forme ...

of the

Lega Basket Serie A The Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) is a professional men's club basketball league that has been organised in Italy since 1920. Serie A is organised by Lega Basket, which is regulated by the Italian Basketball Federation (FIP). It is the highest-tie ...

, but that

season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...

was also cut short due to the pandemic. He appeared in just one game for Roma. Webster played the 2021–22 season in Egypt for Al Ittihad.

National team career

Webster joined the

New Zealand national basketball team The New Zealand men's national basketball team is the senior men's national basketball team of New Zealand. The team is nicknamed the Tall Blacks. The ''Tall Blacks'' name is one of many New Zealand national team nicknames related to the ...

for the first time in 2008 at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. He later played for New Zealand at the

2009 FIBA Oceania Championship The FIBA Oceania Championship for Men 2009 was the qualifying tournament of FIBA Oceania for the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey. For the first time, the tournament featured a best-of-two, home-and-away series between Australia and New ...

2013 FIBA Oceania Championship The 2013 FIBA Oceania Championship for Men was the 21st edition of the tournament. The tournament featured a two-game series between Australia and New Zealand between 14 and 18 August. It also served as the qualifying tournament of FIBA Oceania f ...

2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup The 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup was the 17th edition of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, the tournament previously known as the FIBA World Championship. Hosted by Spain, it was the last tournament to be held on the then-current four-year cycle. ...

2015 FIBA Oceania Championship The 2015 FIBA Oceania Championship for Men was the 22nd edition of the tournament. The tournament featured a two-game series between Australia and New Zealand. It also served as the qualifying tournament of FIBA Oceania for basketball at the ...

and

2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup was the 18th tournament of the FIBA Basketball World Cup for men's national basketball teams. The tournament was hosted in China and was rescheduled from 2018 to 2019, becoming the first since 1967 that did not ...

Personal life

Webster is the son of Tony and Cherry Webster. Tony, who is from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, was a standout basketball player in his own right, earning first-team All-WAC honours at Hawaii in 1983 and ranking fourth on Hawaii's career steals list before playing professionally in New Zealand. Webster's younger brother, Tai, played four years of

for the

University of Nebraska A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...

and has played professionally in New Zealand and Europe.

References

External links

ANBL stats

NZNBL stats

"Take 40: Corey Webster"
at nbl.com.au
"Corey Webster invited to NBA camp"
at nbl.com.au {{DEFAULTSORT:Webster, Corey 1988 births Living people 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup players 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup players Al Ittihad Alexandria Club basketball players Basketball League of Serbia players Basketball players from Auckland Franklin Bulls players Harbour Heat players Ironi Nahariya players KK Mega Basket players Koroivos B.C. players Lambuth Eagles men's basketball players New Zealand Breakers players New Zealand expatriate basketball people in Serbia New Zealand men's basketball players New Zealand people of African-American descent Pallacanestro Virtus Roma players Perth Wildcats players Point guards Shooting guards Super City Rangers players Wellington Saints players Zhejiang Lions players