Kiwis shock the world

INDIANAPOLIS — Although New Zealand failed to advance to the finals, the Kiwis were undoubtedly the darlings of the 14th World Basketball Championships here.

Nobody thought New Zealand would go far when the 16-nation tournament reeled off last Aug. 29. After all, it was only the Kiwis’ second appearance in the quadrennial meet–the hoops version of soccer’s World Cup–and their first show was a disaster.

In 1968, New Zealand made its World Championship debut and won only once in four starts–the finish was so poor that organizers didn’t bother to schedule classification games for 11 also-rans in the event that drew 24 entries.

Every four years, Australia and New Zealand slug it out for the right to represent the Oceania zone in the World Championships. The Aussies made it a habit to trounce the Kiwis–known as the Tall Blacks, a spinoff of the nickname All-Blacks for New Zealand’s black-clad rugby team–since 1978 and took the Oceania ticket in each World Championship from 1970 up to 1998. The exception was in 1986 when organizers permitted both Australia and New Zealand to play in Madrid.

But in this year’s qualifiers, New Zealand upset Australia in a best-of-3 series for the Oceania slot. The Kiwis beat the Aussies twice and lost once. The setback led to Australian coach Barry Barnes’ dismissal.

Marc Hinton of the Auckland Star Times said the victory over Australia opened New Zealanders’ eyes to basketball. "We’d spent only about $20,000 to $30,000 to develop our team up to that point and Australia had put out at least $1 million but we got the job done," said Hinton who’s here to report on the Kiwis games.

Today, New Zealand battles Germany for the bronze medal. Win or lose, the Kiwis will return home heroes to their adoring countrymen. Making it to the Final Four was an achievement that not even archrival Australia has accomplished.

Yesterday’s semifinal loss to Yugoslavia was expected by oddsmakers but Kiwis coach Thomas (Tab) Baldwin, a Florida native who has lived in New Zealand over 10 years, said the Tall Blacks were prepared to win despite 6-9 star center Sean Marks’ absence.

Marks, who has played for Toronto and Miami in the National Basketball Association (NBA), suffered an eye injury in New Zealand’s third outing against Argentina and was advised by Heat doctors to sit out the rest of the tournament.

"Sean wanted to play against Yugoslavia," said Hinton. "I couldn’t believe the Miami team doctors’ orders, considering Sean’s contract next season isn’t even guaranteed."

Kiwi 6-6, 265-pound power forward Pero Cameron–one of the most popular players here because of his friendly disposition and chunky frame reminiscent of Charles Barkley–said New Zealand could’ve beaten Yugoslavia without Marks but it wasn’t meant to be.

"It’s all gone for us now," sighed Cameron who plays for the Chester Jets in the English league. "I’m disappointed. It’s not a good feeling. They were just too big, too strong and they were all over us."

Baldwin, who is married to a New Zealander, said he used "junk" defenses and a lot of zone to hold the Yugoslavs at bay. In the first half, Baldwin’s tricks worked as the Kiwis led, 48-39. The Yugoslavs, however, were far from finished. "We stalled offensively in the second half," continued Baldwin. "Defensively, they stuck it to us. We struggled to get good scoring opportunities and that fed their momentum." In the end, Yugoslavia won, 89-78.

Baldwin paid tribute to his players’ "superhuman" effort to reach the semifinals. "I was told our showing has made an amazing impact back home," said Baldwin. "We’ll know just how much our country is proud of us when we return. We’re supposed to serve a diplomatic role. But it’s tough to lose like this. I felt we had the right mix and formula to win. I guess, that’s life. That’s sports."

As for Marks, Baldwin said he’ll be back in a Tall Blacks uniform. "We expect a full recovery," he added. "We’re of course a better team with Sean because he gives us depth and experience in the middle. Without him, we’ve had to play Pero at center."

New Zealand’s pro league is made up of 10 clubs, each with a single foreign reinforcement, and stretches to five months a year. Imports who’ve played in New Zealand include NBA veterans Lloyd Daniels and Tony Bennett.

Cameron, 28, is averaging 13.6 points in eight games so far.

Asked why he concentrated on hoops and not rugby because of his size, Cameron said basketball is more challenging because it takes more skill to play it. Cameron, who is part Maori and part Scot, becomes eligible for a British passport this year and it will be his ticket to play as a local in any European league. Cameron said he was told his first name Pero is common among Yugoslavians and no, it doesn’t mean dog.

After the tournament, Cameron said he’s taking his wife Jennelle and their two sons, Tobias, 3, and Flynn, 2, for a two-week vacation in the Grand Cayman Islands. Then, it’s back to work for the Jets in England.

The Kiwis captured the fans’ imagination here by playing their guts and hearts out game after game. Before each tossup, the team lined up in what seemed to be a football formation and performed a Maori war dance called the haka where players chanted, stomped their feet, and slapped their arms to signal they’re ready to rumble.