New Zealand men's national basketball team

New Zealand
FIBA ranking22 Steady (25 February 2025)[1]
Joined FIBA1951
FIBA zoneFIBA Oceania
National federationBasketball New Zealand
CoachJudd Flavell
Nickname(s)Tall Blacks
Olympic Games
Appearances2
FIBA World Cup
Appearances7
FIBA Asia Cup
Appearances3
MedalsBronze Bronze: (2022)
FIBA Oceania Championship
Appearances22
MedalsGold Gold: (1999, 2001, 2009)
Silver Silver: (1971, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2015)
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
Away
First international
  72–64 Singapore 
(Singapore; 1 September 1962)[2]
Biggest win
  136–41 New Caledonia 
(Wellington, New Zealand; 1 September 1997)
Biggest defeat
  59–115 Australia 
(Christchurch, New Zealand; 4 September 1987)

The New Zealand men's national basketball team (Māori: Te kapa poitūkohu o Aotearoa) represents New Zealand in international basketball competitions. The team is governed by Basketball New Zealand. The team's official nickname is the Tall Blacks (Māori: Pango Tāroaroa).[3]

Over their history, New Zealand have won three FIBA Oceania Championships, made seven appearances at the FIBA World Cup and two at the Olympic Games. Since 2017, the team has made two appearances at the FIBA Asia Cup, with their best effort resulting in a bronze medal finish in 2022.

Haka

Prior to games, the Tall Blacks perform a haka. The team's current haka, Tu Kaha O Pango Te Kahikatea, was composed and created in 2006[4] by Don Hutana and former Tall Black Paora Winitana.[5][6] It tells the story of how the Tall Blacks overcome great odds and challenges through their adventures. It also draws from the story of Tāne and how he overcame adversity to gain the three baskets of knowledge.[6][7]

History

Inaugural year

The Tall Blacks' first game was played against Singapore on 1 September 1962. That year, they played a further eight games in Asia against Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Taiwan and Hong Kong.[2]

1970s

In 1970, New Zealand hosted the world number 6 Czechoslovakia for a test series. The Tall Blacks lost both games, 115–60 and 118–62.[8]

In 1971, New Zealand hosted the first FIBA Oceania Championship. The Oceania qualification zone was created by FIBA so Australia and New Zealand could compete every two years to decide which country would represent the zone at the Olympic Games or the world championships.[9] The Tall Blacks lost the inaugural series 0–3.[10]

In 1974, New Zealand played against Australia, the Philippines and Tahiti. They split the series 2–2, with both wins coming against Tahiti.

In the 1975 FIBA Oceania Championship, the Tall Blacks lost 0–3 to Australia.[11]

In the 1978 FIBA Oceania Championship, the Tall Blacks recorded their first win against Australia, 67–65.[9] They lost the series 1–2.[12] That same year, the Tall Blacks won the silver medal at the Commonwealth championships in Britain.[9]

In the 1979 FIBA Oceania Championship, the Tall Blacks again lost 0–3 to Australia.[13]

1980s

The Tall Blacks participated in the William Jones Cup in 1980, 1981 and 1982.

In 1983, they participated in the Kirin Invitational and Taiwan Tournament. That same year, New Zealand hosted the Commonwealth Basketball Championships (men's and women's). Both teams finished without medals, and the New Zealand Basketball Federation (NZBF), hoping to make a profit, suffered a $50,000 loss.[9]

The Tall Blacks gained a wild card entry to the 1986 FIBA World Championship in Spain. They managed one win against Malaysia to finish 21st in the 24-team tournament.[9][14] Stan Hill announced his retirement following the tournament after 131 games.

In 1987, Russia played a two-match series against the Tall Blacks in New Zealand. The Tall Blacks lost both games. That same year, New Zealand finished second in the Oceania series, beating French Polynesia and losing to Australia.

1990s

Throughout the 1990s, the Tall Blacks were invited to a number of tournaments:

  • 1994 Tour of Japan won the series 4–2
  • 1997 Harlem Basketball Tournament, Netherlands
  • 1997 Portugal and Madrid Xmas Tournaments, Europe
  • 1998 Anhui Tournament, China
  • 1998 Nanjing Tournament, China
  • 1998 Ningbo Tournament, China
  • 1998 Heife Tournament, China

New Zealand also hosted Japan (won series 3–0, 1991), Croatia (lost series 0–1, 1997) and Canada (tied series 1–1, 1998).[15]

In 1997, New Caledonia joined the Tall Blacks and Australia for the Oceania Championship that was held in New Zealand. It was in this tournament that the Tall Blacks registered their largest ever win margin and score, defeating New Caledonia 136–41. However, they lost to Australia in pool play and the final to once again miss out on the 1998 World Championships.

The Tall Blacks returned to Taiwan for the 1999 William Jones Cup, finishing third after going 5–3. The 1999 FIBA Oceania Championship was a one-off game between the Tall Blacks and Guam, with New Zealand winning 125–43[16] and qualifying for the Olympic Games for the first time.[17] Future NBA players Kirk Penney[18] and Sean Marks debuted for the Tall Blacks in 1999.

2000s

In 2000, the Tall Blacks participated in the Slam Down Under tournament in Sydney in June, the William Jones Cup in Taiwan in July, and the Summer Olympics in September.[19] In their first ever Olympic appearance, the Tall Blacks were placed in Group A alongside the United States, Italy, China, Latvia and France. They finished 11th with a 1–6 record, picking up their first Olympic win against Angola (70–60). Sean Marks finished the tournament second in rebounds (7.3 per game) and Pero Cameron finished the tournament second in steals (1.7 per game).

In 2001, the Tall Blacks participated in the Goodwill Games in Brisbane.[20] Kirk Penney averaged a team-leading 14.8 points as New Zealand finished sixth.[21] In the FIBA Oceania Championship,[22] the Tall Blacks won the first fixture of the three-game series against Australia 85–78 but lost the second game 81–79 in overtime. In the third game, New Zealand made history with an 89–78 win, beating Australia 2–1 to qualify for the 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis.[23]

The Tall Blacks had a prolonged Europe tour prior to the 2002 FIBA World Championship that included a victory over world champs Yugoslavia. They entered the World Championship with a level of confidence under coach Tab Baldwin.[24] The team had Sean Marks and Pero Cameron in career-best form alongside two world-class sharpshooters in Phill Jones and Kirk Penney. There was also Mark Dickel, Paul Henare, Ed Book and Dillon Boucher.[24] The Tall Blacks pushed into the second round after beating China, Venezuela and Russia. Losses came at the hands of the United States, Argentina and Germany in Group D. In the quarter-finals, they beat Puerto Rico 65–63 to earn a spot in the semi-final against Yugoslavia.[25] They went on to lose 89–78 to Yugoslavia and then lost 117–94 to Germany in the bronze medal match.[26] Fourth place is still the team's best finish at a World Cup / World Championship as of 2022.[24] Cameron was named to the All-Tournament team and Jones finished the tournament as its ninth-leading scorer with 18.2 points per game.[27]

In 2003, the Tall Blacks participated in the Efes Pilsen World Cup in Turkey[28][29] and lost 0–3 to Australia in the FIBA Oceania Championship. The Oceania series determined seedings for the 2004 Athens Olympics.[30]

In the lead up to the Olympics, the Tall Blacks had a series against Australia and then toured the U.S. and Europe.[31] They finished the Athens Olympics with a 1–5 record in group A against Italy, China, Serbia and Montenegro, Argentina and Spain. In the play-off for 9th position they lost to Australia 98–80, finishing 10th.[32] Phill Jones' 21 points per game left him as the Games' second-leading scorer behind Pau Gasol of Spain.[33]

In 2005, the Tall Blacks won the Shuang Feng Cup in China[34] and participated in the inaugural Gaze Cup in Australia.[35] In the FIBA Oceania Championship, they lost 0–3 to Australia.

At the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the Tall Blacks reached the gold medal game, where they lost 81–76 to Australia.[36][37] Later that year at the FIBA World Championship, New Zealand were considered a long shot for a medal following the retirements of Sean Marks and Ed Book. They were on the verge of not advancing out of the first round after losing its first three games and being down 18 points at halftime to Japan in the fourth game. They came back to win that game 60–57 and beat Panama to advance to the second round, where they lost to the reigning Olympic champions, Argentina. Tab Baldwin subsequently resigned as the head coach of the Tall Blacks, replaced by then assistant coach Nenad Vučinić.[38]

In 2007, the Tall Blacks went 2–3 at the Stanković Cup[39][40][41] and went 1–2 at the FIBA Oceania Championship against Australia.

In 2008, the Tall Blacks went 0–2 against Australia in the Al Ramsay Shield series in Melbourne[42] and 2–1 at the Jack Donohue International Classic tournament in Toronto.[43] At the Olympic qualifying tournament, the team reached the quarterfinal, where they lost to Greece and subsequently missed the Beijing Olympics.[44]

In the 2009 FIBA Oceania Championship, the Tall Blacks defeated Australia on aggregate, winning game two 100–78.[45]

2010s

At the 2010 FIBA World Championship, the Tall Blacks lost in the round of 16. It saw them drop five places to 18th in the FIBA world rankings.[46]

In 2011, the Tall Blacks won the Stanković Cup in China after beating Russia in the final.[47] Kirk Penney and Thomas Abercrombie named in the tournament All-Star five.[48] At the FIBA Oceania Championship, the team lost 0–3 to Australia.

In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the Tall Blacks suffered heavy defeats in Brazil without injured duo Penney and Abercrombie.[49] They went on to finish 10th in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

In the 2013 FIBA Oceania Championship, the Tall Blacks lost 0–2 to Australia. They went on to reach the final 16 of the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.[50] After this tournament, Penney, Casey Frank and coach Vucinic retired from international basketball.

In 2015, the Tall Blacks had a European tour under new head coach Paul Henare.[51] They went on to win the Stanković Cup[52][53] and lose 0–2 to Australia in the FIBA Oceania Championship.

In 2016, the Tall Blacks finished third at the Atlas Challenge in China.[54] They also had a European tour.[55] At the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, they finished third.

At the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup, the Tall Blacks were defeated in the semi-finals by Australia.[56] They went on to lose to Korea in the bronze medal match.[57] Shea Ili was named to the All-Star Team.[58] That year, Pero Cameron was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame.[59]

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the Tall Blacks finished third with a 79–69 win over Scotland in the bronze medal match.[60][61] Despite boasting a 7–1 record in the FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifying campaign, on the back of seven straight wins, the Tall Blacks remained in 38th place on the FIBA World Ranking list as of September 2018.[62]

In August 2019, the Tall Blacks had a two-game series in Japan and before heading to Australia to play Canada.[63] Later at the FIBA World Cup, the Tall Blacks missed out on the second round with a 103–97 loss to Greece in their final pool game.[64] In December 2019, Pero Cameron was appointed as head coach following Paul Henare's decision to step down.[65]

2020s

In February 2020, the Tall Blacks secured wins over Australia and Guam in the first round of Asia Cup qualifiers. Following this, however, the team was heavily disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[66] In November 2020, games against Australia and Hong Kong were postponed, with the next FIBA window being in February 2021.[66]

In February 2021, the Tall Blacks played Australia in Cairns, Queensland.[67] A number of regular players were unavailable due to Australian NBL commitments, and due to the pandemic, quarantine periods also forced the Tall Blacks to create an Australian-based team, with many being based in Queensland.[68][69] They lost 52–81.[70] It marked Mika Vukona's final game for the Tall Blacks.[71] Following the game, Basketball New Zealand withdrew the Tall Blacks from the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Serbia.[72]

The Tall Blacks made history in their first game of the 2022 Asia Cup Qualifiers, beating the Boomers in Australia for the first time in over 10 years. They followed up that win with another against Guam. They subsequently played in the FIBA Asia Cup in July 2022,[73] where they won bronze.[74]

In August 2023, the Tall Blacks competed in the Super Cup in Hamburg against China, Canada and hosts Germany.[75] That same month, they competed at the FIBA Solidarity Cup in China.[76] New Zealand was one of the first countries to qualify for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, having secured a spot in the 32-team tournament a year earlier. It marked their seventh world cup appearance.[77] They finished the tournament with a 2–3 record and gained entry into one of the 2024 Olympic Qualifying tournaments.[78][79]

Confirmed for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Piraeus, Greece, the Tall Blacks prepared by facing Finland and Poland in June 2024.[80][81][82] The team beat Croatia but lost to Serbia in the Qualifying Tournament, which ended their contention for the Paris Olympics.[83]

Competitive record

Olympic Games

Olympic Games record
Year Round Position Pld W L
Germany 1936 No national representative
United Kingdom 1948
Finland 1952 Did not participate
Australia 1956
Italy 1960
Japan 1964
Mexico 1968
Germany 1972
Canada 1976
Soviet Union 1980
United States 1984
South Korea 1988
Spain 1992
United States 1996
Australia 2000 Group stage 11th 6 1 5
Greece 2004 9th 6 1 5
China 2008 Did not qualify
United Kingdom 2012
Brazil 2016
Japan 2020
France 2024
United States 2028 To be determined
Australia 2032
Total 0 Titles 2/19 12 2 10

FIBA World Cup

FIBA World Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W L
Argentina 1950 Not a FIBA member
Brazil 1954 Did not participate
Chile 1959
Brazil 1963
Uruguay 1967
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1970
Puerto Rico 1974
Philippines 1978
Colombia 1982
Spain 1986 Group stage 21st 5 1 4
Argentina 1990 Did not qualify
Canada 1994
Greece 1998
United States 2002 Fourth place 4th 9 4 5
Japan 2006 Round of 16 9th 6 2 4
Turkey 2010 12th 6 3 3
Spain 2014 15th 6 2 4
China 2019 Group stage 19th 5 3 2
PhilippinesJapanIndonesia 2023 22nd 5 2 3
Qatar 2027 To be determined
Total 0 Titles 7/18 42 17 25

FIBA Asia Cup

FIBA Asia Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W L
19602015 Did not participate
Lebanon 2017 Fourth place 4th 6 3 3
Indonesia 2022 Third place 3rd 7 5 2
Saudi Arabia 2025 Fourth place 4th 6 4 2
Total 0 Titles 2/2 19 12 7

FIBA Oceania Championship

FIBA Oceania Championship record
Year Round Position Pld W L
New Zealand 1971 Runners-up 2nd 3 0 3
Australia 1975 Runners-up 2nd 3 0 3
New Zealand 1978 Runners-up 2nd 3 1 2
Australia 1979 Runners-up 2nd 3 0 3
New Zealand 1981 Runners-up 2nd 2 0 2
New Zealand 1983 Runners-up 2nd 2 0 2
Australia 1985 Runners-up 2nd 3 0 3
New Zealand 1987 Runners-up 2nd 3 1 2
Australia 1989 Runners-up 2nd 2 0 2
New Zealand 1991 Runners-up 2nd 2 0 2
New Zealand 1993 Runners-up 2nd 3 1 2
Australia 1995 Runners-up 2nd 3 1 2
New Zealand 1997 Runners-up 2nd 3 1 2
New Zealand 1999 Champions 1st 1 1 0
New Zealand 2001 Champions 1st 3 2 1
Australia 2003 Runners-up 2nd 3 0 3
New Zealand 2005 Runners-up 2nd 3 0 3
Australia 2007 Runners-up 2nd 3 1 2
Australia New Zealand 2009 Champions 1st 2 1 1
Australia 2011 Runners-up 2nd 3 0 3
New Zealand Australia 2013 Runners-up 2nd 2 0 2
Australia New Zealand 2015 Runners-up 2nd 2 0 2
Total 3 Titles 22/22 57 10 47

Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Games record
Year Round Position Pld W L
Australia 2006 Runners-up 2nd 5 4 1
Australia 2018 Third place 3rd 5 3 2
Total 0 Titles 2/2 10 7 3

FIBA Stanković Cup

FIBA Stanković Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W L
China 2007 Fifth place 5th 5 2 3
China 2011 Champions 1st 4 3 1
China 2015 Champions 1st 3 3 0
Total 2 Titles 12 8 4

William Jones Cup

William Jones Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W L
Chinese Taipei 1980 Third place 3rd 9 6 3
Chinese Taipei 1981 Classification 7th 8 2 6
Chinese Taipei 1982 Classification 8th 8 1 7
Chinese Taipei 1999 Third place 3rd 8 5 3
Chinese Taipei 2000 Champions 1st 6 6 0
Total 1 Title 39 21 19

Team

Current roster

Roster for the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup.[84][85]

New Zealand men's national basketball team – 2025 FIBA Asia Cup roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club Ctr.
F 0 Carlin Davison 21 – (2003-08-21)21 August 2003 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) Taranaki Mountainairs New Zealand
G 3 Mojave King 23 – (2002-06-11)11 June 2002 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) New Zealand Breakers Australia
PG 4 Dontae Russo-Nance 20 – (2005-01-20)20 January 2005 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) Perth Wildcats Australia
PG 5 Taylor Britt 28 – (1996-09-22)22 September 1996 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Canterbury Rams New Zealand
SG 6 Taine Murray 23 – (2002-04-19)19 April 2002 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) Brisbane Bullets Australia
F 10 Ben Gold 22 – (2003-04-26)26 April 2003 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) Marquette Golden Eagles United States
PG 11 Flynn Cameron 25 – (2000-06-30)30 June 2000 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) Adelaide 36ers Australia
F 12 Max Darling 24 – (2000-09-30)30 September 2000 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) Canterbury Rams New Zealand
C 15 Jordan Hunt 27 – (1997-09-12)12 September 1997 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) Franklin Bulls New Zealand
PF 16 Tohi Smith-Milner 29 – (1995-10-06)6 October 1995 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) Canterbury Rams New Zealand
SF 20 Jordan Ngatai (C) 32 – (1993-03-07)7 March 1993 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) Wellington Saints New Zealand
F 27 Jack Andrew 23 – (2001-10-08)8 October 2001 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) Taranaki Mountainairs New Zealand
Head coach
  • New Zealand Judd Flavel
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Club – describes last
    club before the tournament
  • Age – describes age
    on 5 August 2025

Notable players

All-time Stat Leaders

[88]

Past rosters

New Zealand 1978 Commonwealth Championships finished 2nd

John Macdonald, Stan Hill, John Hill, John Van Uden, Gordon Reardon, Warwick Meehl, John Rademakers, Stuart Ferguson, John Fairweather, Paul Barrett, (Head Coach: Steve McKean, Assistant Coach: Peter Schmidt, Manager: Ivan Dominikovich)

New Zealand 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)

New Zealand 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)

New Zealand 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)

New Zealand 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 (Head Coach: Tab Baldwin)

New Zealand 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, Aaron Olson, Mika Vukona (Head Coach: Tab Baldwin)

New Zealand 2010 World Championship: finished 12th among 24 teams

Thomas Abercrombie, Benny Anthony, Craig Bradshaw, Pero Cameron, Michael Fitchett, Casey Frank, Phill Jones, Jeremy Kench, Kirk Penney, Alex Pledger, Lindsay Tait, Mika Vukona (Head Coach: Nenad Vučinić)

New Zealand 2014 FIBA World Cup: finished 15th among 24 teams

New Zealand 2015 FIBA Oceania Championship

Corey Webster, Dion Prewster, Everard Bartlett, Isaac Fotu, Jarrod Kenny, Lindsay Tait, Mika Vukona (C), Reuben Te Rangi, Robert Loe, Shea Ili, Tai Wynyard, Thomas Abercrombie. (Head CoachPaul Henare), (Assisants Ross McMains, Mike Fitchett)

New Zealand 2017 FIBA Asia Cup: finished 4th among 16 teams

Reuben Te Rangi, Luke Aston, Isaac Letoa, Finn Delany, Derone Raukawa, James Hunter, Dyson King-Hawea, Tohi Smith-Milner, Jordan Ngatai, Ethan Rusbatch, Sam Timmins, Shea Ili. (Head Coach Paul Henare), (Assistants Pero Cameron and Ross McMains)

New Zealand 2019 FIBA World Cup: finished 19th among 32 teams

Tai Webster, Finn Delany, Shea Ili, Jarrod Kenny, Corey Webster (C), Thomas Abercrombie, Robert Loe, Tohi Smith-Milner, Jordan Ngatai, Ethan Rusbatch, Alex Pledger, Isaac Fotu. (Head coach Paul Henare), (assistants Pero Cameron, Ross McMains)

New Zealand 2022 FIBA Asia Cup: finished 3rd among 16 teams

Max Darling, Sam Mennenga, Taylor Britt, Taine Murray, Kane Keil, Flynn Cameron, Kruz Perrott-Hunt, Isaac Davidson, Jordan Hunt, Tohi Smith-Milner, Taki Fahrensohn, Sam Timmins. (Head Coach Pero Cameron), (Assistants Ross McMains and Zico Coronel)

New Zealand 2023 FIBA World Cup : finished 22nd among 32 teams

Reuben Te Rangi (C), Izayah Le'afa, Finn Delany, Taylor Britt, Shea Ili, Yanni Wetzell, Flynn Cameron, Tohi Smith-Milner, Jordan Ngatai, Hyrum Harris, Walter Brown, Isaac Fotu.

(Head Coach Pero Cameron), (Assistant coach(es), Zico Coronel, Michael Fitchett, Aaron Young)[89][90]

Kit

Manufacturer

2015: Peak[91]

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