UPDATED 9.36am: An investigation's been launched into an allegation of racial abuse by a Breakers fan against a Perth Wildcats player.

The incident allegedly occurred during the Australian basketball league match at Auckland's North Shore Events Centre last night.

Perth coach Trevor Gleeson says centre Nate Jawai - an Indigenous Australian of Torres Strait Islander descent - was subjected to abuse by an unidentified fan while sitting on the team bench.

"When Nate came off there were some racial [comments]. So we just wanted some extra security when he was on the bench. We'll take that up with the league afterwards."

He confirmed the Wildcats will make an official complaint to the ANBL.

"We don't come here to get racially abused and we don't want to see that in sport. New Zealand crowds have been great, we've been coming here for ten years and they've been fantastic. You don't want that stuff, but we'll try to clean it up in the right channels and hopefully it won't happen again."

As yet, the official complaint has not been made, which the Breakers have said makes their investigation difficult. They say the Wildcats and Jawai need to provide them more information about the alleged incident.

However, in a release Richard Clarke said that the Breakers "don't condone or tolerate abuse in any form."

Breakers season members have provided some information as to an exchange between fans and the Wildcats bench.

Clarke said he spoke to ANBL Referees Coach Ken Coulson, who was sitting behind the Wildcats bench, and Coulson didn't raise any issues.

Racism in New Zealand basketball is a rare thing, according to the sport's American Kiwi coach and commentator.

John Dybvig is very surprised to hear about the slur towards a Perth Wildcat player at the North Shore Events Centre last night, saying he's never encountered a single incident of racism at a game in New Zealand.

He said the Breakers and the Wildcats do have an intense rivalry.

"People get very overly excited, and the Breakers and Perth Wildcats have a great rivalry going, they get right into each other's faces, but they have a lot of respect for each other off the court."