| Puke Lenden | |
| Position: | Shooting guard / small forward |
| Height Cm: | 195 |
| Nationality: | New Zealand |
| Birth Date: | 1980 1, df=yes |
| High School: | Napier Boys' (Napier, New Zealand) |
| Career Start: | 1998 |
| Career End: | 2015 |
| Years1: | 1998 |
| Team1: | Hawke's Bay Hawks |
| Years2: | 1999 |
| Team2: | Auckland Rebels |
| Years3: | 2000–2002 |
| Team3: | Hawke's Bay Hawks |
| Years4: | 2003–2011 |
| Team4: | Waikato Titans/Pistons |
| Years5: | 2014 |
| Team5: | Southland Sharks |
| Years6: | 2015 |
| Team6: | Super City Rangers |
| Cyears1: | 2013 |
| Cteam1: | Waikato Wizards |
| Highlights: |
|
Puke Lenden (born 4 January 1980) is a New Zealand former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball League (NBL). He attended Napier Boys' High School in Napier, New Zealand.[1]
After debuting in the NBL in 1998 with the Hawke's Bay Hawks, Lenden joined the Auckland Rebels in 1999 and won his first championship.[2] He returned to the Hawks in 2000 and played there until the end of the 2002 season. Lenden moved to Waikato in 2003 and played for the Titans/Pistons until the end of the 2011 season. He won championships with the Pistons in 2008 and 2009, and was named Finals MVP in 2008.[3] [4] Following Waikato's withdrawal from the league in 2012, Lenden retired from the NBL.[5]
In 2013, Lenden coached the Waikato Wizards women's side[6] and played for the NZ Maori team that won gold at the FIBA Oceania Pacific Championship.[7]
Lenden came out of retirement in June 2014 to help the Southland Sharks, after the team lost four players to suspension.[8] He continued on in the NBL in 2015, playing his final season with the Super City Rangers.[9]