Lindsay Michael Tait (born 8 January 1982) is a New Zealand former professional basketball player.

Early life

Born in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountai ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Tait moved to

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 ...

as a four-year-old and later attended

Avondale College Avondale College is a state coeducational secondary school located in the central Auckland, New Zealand, suburb of Avondale, Auckland, Avondale. With a roll of students from Years 9–13 (ages 12–18), it is the third largest secondary schoo ...

where he was a member of the first Avondale team ever to win a New Zealand Secondary Schools Championship in 1999. Tait was awarded the Most Valuable Player award for the tournament.

Professional career

In 2000, Tait joined the Auckland Rebels of the New Zealand National Basketball League where he went on to play eight seasons for the club, winning three championships (2000, 2004 and 2005) and earned league MVP in 2005. During this time, he also played in the Australian National Basketball League for the Victoria Giants in 2002–03 as a development player, and 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 ...

from 2003 to 2006. He also played in Switzerland for BC Boncourt in 2006–07.Tait heads to Switzerland
/ref> After an injury-riddled season for the Wollongong Hawks in 2007–08, Tait returned to New Zealand where he played for the Wellington Saints during the 2008 New Zealand NBL season before re-joining Wollongong for the

2008–09 NBL season The 2008–09 NBL season was the 31st season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of 10 teams contested the league. 2008–09 league participants * On 30 June 2008 the Brisbane Bullets confirmed they would be handing back th ...

. He went on to play a further three seasons for Wellington and won back-to-back championships (2010 and 2011) for the second time in his career. He also earned back-to-back Finals MVP honours in 2010 and 2011. In December 2010, Tait signed with the

Cairns Taipans The Cairns Taipans are an Australian professional basketball team based in Cairns, Queensland. The Taipans compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at the Cairns Convention Centre, known colloquially as "The S ...

for the rest of the 2010–11 NBL season. In November 2011, Tait signed with the Auckland Pirates for the 2012 New Zealand NBL season,Lindsay Tait leaves Wellington to join the Pirates
/ref> going on to captain the team to the 2012 NBL championship, as he captured his own personal championship three-peat in the process. In December 2012, following the Pirates pulling out of the league, Tait signed a three-year deal with the Wellington Saints, returning to the club for a second stint. He went on to win the 2013 Most Valuable Player award, his third time doing so. 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 wa ...

, Tait led the Saints to an eighth NBL championship as he recorded his seventh title and was named the Final Four MVP. On 9 April 2015, Tait was named Round 1 Player of the Week after he opened the 2015 season with a double-double of 22 points and 10 assists in a road win over the Taranaki Mountainairs on 2 April, then backed it up four days later with 22 points in a home win over the Canterbury Rams. He went on to lead the Saints back to the grand final, where they were defeated by the Southland Sharks. On 5 November 2015, Tait signed a three-year deal with the Super City Rangers. On 26 March 2016, he recorded 19 points and 15 assists against the Canterbury Rams, setting a Rangers franchise record for assists in a game. On 11 May 2018, Tait announced that the 2018 season would be his last in the NBL. The following day, he recorded a triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists in a 124–121 loss to the Manawatu Jets. On 7 June 2018, Tait became just the ninth player to reach 300 NBL games.

National team career

Tait made his international debut in 2003 for the New Zealand Tall Blacks and was a member of the

2006 Commonwealth Games The 2006 Commonwealth Games, officially the XVIII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Melbourne 2006 (Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm 2006'' or ''Naarm 2006''), was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth held ...

side that won the silver medal in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metr ...

. In 2009, Tait was the starting point guard for the New Zealand team that defeated the Australian Boomers on their way to winning the FIBA Oceania Championship. Tait participated in the

2010 FIBA World Championship The 2010 FIBA World Championship was the 16th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from 28 August to 12 September 2010. It was co-organised by the Inte ...

in Turkey and was a member of the first ever New Zealand side to win the Stanković Cup in 2011 in China. He went on to play for New Zealand at the

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. ...

and

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 th ...

. In May 2016, Tait retired from international basketball after a career spanning 12 years (2003–2015).

Coaching career

In June 2020, Tait was named an assistant coach for the Auckland Huskies.Auckland Huskies Sign Lindsay Tait as Assistant Coach
/ref>

Personal life

Tatit holds an English passport.

References

External links

2014 World Cup profileSummer Slam coaching profileANBL statsNZNBL statsBasketball New Zealand profileOriginal Breaker: Lindsay Tait
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tait, Lindsay 1982 births Living people Auckland Pirates players Auckland Stars players Basketball players at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Basketball players from Sydney Cairns Taipans players Commonwealth Games silver medallists for New Zealand Commonwealth Games medallists in basketball New Zealand men's basketball players People educated at Avondale College Point guards Shooting guards Super City Rangers players Victoria Giants players Wellington Saints players Wollongong Hawks players 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup players 2010 FIBA World Championship players Medallists at the 2006 Commonwealth Games