Haka
The Tall Blacks perform a traditional Haka (Māori challenge) before every game, but due to the influence of Pāora Winitana and Paul Henare, it is very different from the ones performed by the All Blacks.History
There is a long and storied history of basketball in New Zealand. The Tall Blacks competed at the Basketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament, 2000 Sydney Olympics, and finished with a 1–5 record, their only win coming against Angolan national basketball team, Angola, in the playoff for eleventh place. In 2001, they defeated Australian men's national basketball team, Australia, in a three-game series to qualify for the 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis, United States. At the tournament, they finished fourth, after beating Puerto Rico national basketball team, Puerto Rico in the quarter-finals, before losses to Serbia and Montenegro national basketball team, Serbia and Montenegro and Germany national basketball team, Germany. Tall Blacks captain (sports), captain Pero Cameron was the only non-National Basketball Association, NBA player named to the FIBA World Cup All-Tournament Team, All-Tournament team in Indianapolis. The Tall Blacks also qualified for the Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament, 2004 Athens Olympics, but again finished with a 1–5 record, and lost to Australia in the playoff for ninth place. Their most noted moment was on the 7th day of the games, when they defeated the then reigning 2002 FIBA World Championship gold medalists, Serbia and Montenegro, by a score of 90–87.2006 FIBA World Championship
At the 2006 FIBA World Championship, the Tall Blacks were not to repeat their fourth-place finish from 2002 FIBA World Championship, 2002. After an 0–3 start, the Tall Blacks rallied into the second round, with two straight wins to close out the group stage. However, they would fall in the round of 16 to the defending Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament, Olympic gold medalists Argentina national basketball team, Argentina, 79–62. After that disappointment, Tab Baldwin resigned as the head basketball coach, coach of the Tall Blacks, and was replaced by Nenad Vučinić, his longtime assistant coach.2011 Stanković Cup
The squad competed at the 2011 FIBA Stanković Continental Champions' Cup#Haining Tournament, 2011 Boris Stanković Cup in China. They played 3 games against difficult opposition, Chinese national basketball team, China, Russian national basketball team, Russia, and Angolan national basketball team, Angola. After going down to Russia in the first game by just 3 points, the Tall Blacks quickly put that behind them, to smash China in their second game, which led to a good win against a strong Angolan team. The Tall Blacks came up against a strong Russian team in the final, but the Russians were no match for Tall Blacks star shooting guard Kirk Penney, as he scored 30 points, to give the Tall Blacks the win and the gold medal for 2011.2023 World Cup Qualification
Basketball New Zealand and world governing body FIBA announced the Tall Blacks will play a game against the Philippines in Auckland on July 3rd as part of the third window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, World Cup qualifying series. This is the first time the Tall Blacks have played on home court since beating Syrian Basketball Federation, Syria 97-74 in Wellington in 2018.Performance table
FIBA Basketball World Cup
* 1986 FIBA World Championship: 21st * 2002 FIBA World Championship: 4th * 2006 FIBA World Championship: 16th * 2010 FIBA World Championship: 12th * 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup: 15th * 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup: 19th * 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup: QualifiedFIBA Asia Cup
FIBA Oceania Championship
Basketball at the Commonwealth Games, Commonwealth Games
* Basketball at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, 2006 Commonwealth Games: Runners-up * Basketball at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, 2018 Commonwealth Games: Third PlaceFIBA Stanković Continental Champions' Cup, FIBA Stanković Cup
* 2007 Stanković Continental Champions' Cup, 2007 Stanković Cup: Fifth Place * 2011 Stanković Continental Champions' Cup#Guangzhou Tournament, 2011 Stanković Cup: Champions * 2015 Stanković Continental Champions' Cup, 2015 Stanković Cup: ChampionsWilliam Jones Cup
* 2000 William Jones Cup: ChampionsAusTiger International Basketball Tournament
* 2019 AusTiger International Basketball Tournament: Third PlaceTeam
Current roster
Roster for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.Depth chart
Notable players
Probably the most well-known former New Zealand Tall Black player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) is former San Antonio Spurs forward Sean Marks. Another New Zealand player, former Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball, University of Wisconsin star Kirk Penney, briefly played in the NBA, and later played in the EuroLeague with Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C., Maccabi Tel Aviv and BC Žalgiris, Žalgiris, after being released by the New Zealand Breakers. In past generations, players such as Stan Hill and Glen Denham, were well revered and respected players, who were the face of New Zealand basketball. * Ed Book – National Basketball League (New Zealand), National Basketball League and Tall Blacks legend * Pero Cameron – 2002 FIBA World Championship FIBA World Cup All-Tournament Team, All-Tournament Team, two-time assistant coach (reappointed for his second stint in 2015, served as assistant to predecessor, Nenad Vučinić, Nenad Vucinic), named Head Coach in December 2019 * Glen Denham – Tall Blacks legend * Mark Dickel – Tall Blacks star * Paul Henare – Former New Zealand Breakers captain (sports), captain, head coach from 2015 to 2019 * Dillon Boucher – Former New Zealand Breakers player, General manager (basketball), General Manager of the New Zealand Breakers, Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit * Stan Hill (basketball), Stan Hill – Tall Blacks legend * Phill Jones – Former Cairns Taipans captain (sports), captain * Sean Marks – Former National Basketball Association player * Kirk Penney – Former National Basketball Association player * Frank Mulvihill – Tall Blacks legend * Paora Winitana – Tall Blacks star, changed the Haka in 2006, only player to not play on Sundays due to religious reasons [Other than (at least) Byron Vaetoe and Tony Smith]Past rosters
1986 FIBA World Championship, 1986 World Championship: finished 21st among 24 teams Gilbert Gordon, Peter Pokai, Stan Hill, Neil Stephens, Dave Edmonds, Ian Webb, Dave Mason, Tony Smith, Colin Crampton, Frank Mulvihill, Glen Denham, John Rademakers (Head Coach: Robert Bishop) Basketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament, 2000 Olympic Games: finished 11th among 12 teams Sean Marks, Pero Cameron, Mark Dickel, Phill Jones, Kirk Penney, Robert Hickey, Nenad Vučinić, Tony Rampton, Paul Henare, Brad Riley, Ralph Lattimore, Peter Pokai (Head Coach: Keith Mair) 2002 FIBA World Championship, 2002 World Championship: finished 4th among 16 teams Sean Marks, Pero Cameron, Mark Dickel, Phill Jones, Kirk Penney, Robert Hickey, Dillon Boucher, Damon Rampton, Ed Book, Paul Henare, Paora Winitana, Judd Flavell (Head Coach: Tab Baldwin) Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament, 2004 Olympic Games: finished 10th among 12 teams Sean Marks, Mark Dickel, Phill Jones, Pero Cameron, Kirk Penney, Dillon Boucher, Ed Book, Paul Henare, Paora Winitana, Tony Rampton, Aaron Olson, Craig Bradshaw (basketball), Craig Bradshaw (Head Coach: Tab Baldwin) 2006 FIBA World Championship, 2006 World Championship: finished 16th among 24 teams Kirk Penney, Pero Cameron, Phill Jones, Mark Dickel, Casey Frank, Paul Henare, Dillon Boucher, Paora Winitana, Tony Rampton, Craig Bradshaw (basketball), Craig Bradshaw, Aaron Olson, Mika Vukona (Head Coach: Tab Baldwin) 2010 FIBA World Championship, 2010 World Championship: finished 12th among 24 teams Thomas Abercrombie (basketball), Thomas Abercrombie, Benny Anthony, Craig Bradshaw (basketball), Craig Bradshaw, Pero Cameron, Michael Fitchett (basketball), Michael Fitchett, Casey Frank, Phill Jones, Jeremy Kench, Kirk Penney, Alex Pledger, Lindsay Tait, Mika Vukona (Head Coach: Nenad Vučinić)Tall Blacks squad 2022
* Quintin Bailey, Jayden Bezzant, Taylor Britt, Joe Cook-Green, Max Darling, Taki Fahrensohn, Benjamin Gold, Hyrum Harris, Jordan Hunt, Brayden Inger, Jonathan Janssen, Michael Karena, Dom Kelman-Poto, Robert Loe, Rob Loe, Dion Prewster, Elijah Puna, Richie Rodger, Ethan Rusbatch, Taane Samuel, Tom Vodanovich, Tai WynyardKit
Manufacturer
2015: Peak Sport Products, Peak2015 FIBA Oceania Championship – New ZealandReferences
External links