Tall Blacks 'deserve recognition'

BY BRENDON EGAN

Southland Sharks coach Richard Dickel believes the New Zealand public and media need to appreciate just how good the Tall Blacks really are.

The Tall Blacks set up a last-16 date with Russia at the basketball world championships in Turkey on Tuesday (NZ time) after stunning France 82-70 in their final pool game yesterday.

New Zealand has made the final 16 at the past three world championships, with the side doing the unthinkable at the 2002 tournament in Indianapolis and finishing fourth.

Dickel said New Zealanders had to understand that basketball was a truly global game and needed to grasp what the Tall Blacks had accomplished over the past decade.

"People in New Zealand don't realise what they're doing. They've got no idea about how big it is.

"To make the top 16 in a global sport and be ranked 13th in the world is a huge honour. If we were ranked 13th in Europe we'd be bigger than the All Blacks and treated like rock stars."

The Tall Blacks squad predominantly consists of players who play in the Australian league or in the amateur New Zealand league.

Dickel said their achievements were incredible if you considered that many of the sides they went up against had far more talent at their disposal, with players who played in the NBA or top European leagues.

New Zealand' next assignment is the talented Russians, who they beat in a warm-up game before the championships. The Tall Blacks are on a roll, having won three games straight, and Dickel was optimistic that could continue on Tuesday.

"They know they can do it. We beat them in the lead-up. The Tall Blacks take it to the opposition and are very focused ... Once the Kiwis get on a run they're very hard to stop ... All these games are one-off games now. Anybody can beat anybody on any given day."

Some people criticised the inclusion of New Zealand basketball great Pero Cameron in the Tall Blacks squad, arguing the 36-year-old was unfit, overweight and light on game time.

Cameron – who was named in the All Star five at the 2002 world championships – has proven his worth, though, with his outstanding experience, vision, outside shooting skills and ability to suck in defenders. Dickel said he was still a valuable asset for the Tall Blacks and would be vital to their prospects against Russia.

"Pero is a leader.

"He's a great passer on court and a great shooter.

"Teams know what he can do and they're scared of him.

"He's one of the greatest leaders in the history of New Zealand sport ... He's still world-class."

Tab Baldwin received plenty of praise when he steered New Zealand to their remarkable fourth-place finish in 2002, but Dickel rated current Tall Black coach Nenad Vucinic just as highly.

He said Vucinic was right up there in terms of coaching and would not be surprised if some of Europe's top clubs came calling after the championships.

brendon.egan@stl.co.nz

- © Fairfax NZ News