Head Coach of the New Zealand National Men’s basketball team Pero Cameron, joins Dan Boyce on this episode to talk about his time in the NBL, Steven Adams chances of joining the squad in the future, how New Zealand basketballers aspire to play in the NBL and his plans for the Tall Blacks next international tournament.
Pero Cameron was a part of the inaugural New Zealand Breakers squad who entered the NBL in 2003 and then went on to play five seasons in the NBL with the Breakers and the Gold Coast Blaze (He was also a part of the inaugural Gold Coast Blaze team in 2007).
He played 130 NBL games and averaged 9 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists and with his wide frame and high IQ was known as one of the greatest “screen setters” in NBL history.
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Cameron’s greatest success came whilst playing in the NZNBL where he is a 9-time NZNBL champion (1995-1997, 1999-2002, 2008, 2009) and for his efforts playing for the New Zealand national team, known as the Tall Blacks.
Pero was the captain of the New Zealand Team that defeated Australia in the Oceania championships in 2001 and made history by reaching the semi-finals of the FIBA World Championship in 2002. A first for New Zealand and still their highest finish ever at a major FIBA tournament.
Pero’s achievements were recognised worldwide when he was named part of the FIBA Hall Of Fame in 2017.
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Topics include;
- The impact the Australian NBL had on aspiring basketballers in New Zealand basketball in the 1990s (2:00)
- The New Zealand Tall Blacks success defeat the Australian Boomers in 2001 (7:00)
- Finishing 4th at the 2002 FIBA World Championships (13:00)
- Facing Team USA at the 2002 FIBA World Championships (17:00)
- A chance to win a bronze medal in 2002 (22:00)
- The Tall Blacks FIBA drop off in 2004 and 2006 and what led to that (25:00)
- Pero’s Tall Black career and what it means to him (28:00)
- The New Zealand Breakers enter the NBL in 2003 (30:00)
- The chances of New Zealand entering a second team in the NBL (34:00)
- Memories from the Breakers first season in the NBL (37:00)
- Playing for the New Zealand Breakers between 2003-06 (39:00)
- Playing for the Gold Coast Blaze and how he decided to retire (44:00)
- Coaching the New Zealand Tall Blacks (46:00)
- The chances we see NBA star Steven Adams suit up for the Tall Blacks next tournament (51:00)
- The biggest highlights and hurdles from Pero’s career and what he learnt from them all (52:30)
All of this and a whole lot more…
