Issue 30 – July 2010 Hi from the Front Desk! In This Issue It is an exciting month ahead in the world of basketball. Our Tall Blacks national men’s basketball team the Tall Blacks are on tour - The Tall Black’s Schedule this month in preparation for the 2010 FIBA Basketball - Support the Tall Blacks on Facebook World Championship that starts at the end of August. The - I Love Tall Blacks t-shirts World Championship is going to be huge with over 350,000 - Facebook singlets people expected to attend the event in Turkey from August The 2010 FIBA World Basketball Championship 28 to September 12. It is predicted that more than one - The Trophy billion viewers will watch the action on TV or online. - Meet Bascat - History This is a World Championship Edition Newsletter so keep - History in the making reading to learn more about the event. - FIBA World Rankings WBC Round Two Results The Youth Olympic Games start mid August with four of our 2010 CBL Results Junior Tall Blacks attending the games in Singapore. For Young Kiwis Face Stern Test the first time 3on3 basketball will be part an official part of - Draw for the Youth Olympic Games the Youth Olympic Games. Youth Olympic Team Named Children of the World July has been a very busy month with Opens, U15 and U13 FIBA TV Online premiership tournaments around the country, the second 2010 NBL Awards round of the WBC, and the 2010 BBNZ CBL. New Court Markings Congratulations to all involved and many thanks to the Coaching Clipboards Available Associations that hosted events. Watties Volunteer Coach Awards Recent Tournament Results Our next tournaments are the Junior Secondary School Upcoming Tournaments premierships, late August, and AA/A Secondary School Upcoming Tournament Deadlines premierships being held late August-early September. In preparation for the FIBA Oceania Youth Tournament in Keep an eye on our website www.basketball.org.nz this October/November selection camps for U17 boys and girls month for news regarding the Tall Blacks and the World were held last month. Championship. Some other websites you may like to rd follow are: Our 3 and final round of development cluster camps will be held over the weekend 7/8 August in Auckland, http://www.fiba.com/ - FIBA Website Hamilton, Wanganui, Nelson and Timaru. http://www.fibatv.com/ - FIBA TV Website http://turkey2010.fiba.com/ - 2010 World Championship Website Congratulations to Stacey Dennison, Whetuaroha Simmons http://youtube.com/fibaworld - FIBA World on YouTube and Blake Moore (Coach) our participants at the “Children http://twitter.com/fibaworld - FIBA World on Twitter of the World” camp in Turkey. For more information read page nine of this newsletter. Do you know who is this new basketball character? Limited edition ‘I love Tall Blacks’ t-shirts are available at Read page 5 to find out! $45 each. Please see page three of this newsletter where you will see these t-shirts. I hope you all have a great month. Make sure you follow The Bartercard National Basketball League finals propelled the Tall Blacks and support them during their World BBNZ website visits through the roof, adding 16% to the Championship. previous highest monthly record. The site hosted 71,590 All the best, visits, for the month of June, an average of 2,386 a day. Roslyn Issue 30 – July 2010 A training camp in the same city is followed by matches against Russia, Serbia and Slovenia in Maribor, Slovenia, with another camp afterwards. A mini tournament in Zadar, Croatia, will feature matches against Russia, Jordan and the home side, Croatia. The NZ Tall Blacks confirmed 12 players to travel to the New Zealand’s group at the world champs consists of build up tournaments for the 2010 FIBA Basketball World reigning champions Spain, sixth-ranked Lithuania, France Championship for Men in Turkey next month. Three at 15, Canada 19 and Lebanon, coached by former Tall players are attending their third world championship. Black coach Tab Baldwin, with a ranking of 24. Veterans Pero Cameron, named 2010 captain, Phil Jones and NZ Breakers star Kirk Penney, team vice-captain. The Tall Blacks are ranked at 13th in the world according to FIBA rankings. The Tall Blacks first game at the world The world championship preparations commenced on July championships is against Lithuania, August 28. 26, with build up matches, mini tournaments, and training camps to be held in Croatia, Slovenia and Turkey. Head coach Nenad Vucinic is careful to explain that those The 2010 Tall Blacks squad is: selected may not necessarily be at the world champs, potentially leaving room for NBA star Sean Marks to make Thomas Abercrombie (Waikato Pistons) the side if he recovers from his shoulder surgery in time. Speaking during the Tall Blacks selection camp Vucinic Benny Anthony Jnr (Harbour Heat) says “It was a tough call for myself, Dillon (Boucher) and Chris (Tupu) to select this team. They worked hard over the past couple of days”. “It was the hardest one I’ve had Craig Bradshaw (unattached) to pick there are seven disappointed guys out there”. “But let’s hope it makes them stronger for the future. Any of Casey Frank (Wellington Saints) them could have been there”. “Sean Marks is still a possibility … a small possibility. We’ll just have to see if that happens.” Pero Cameron (Wellington Saints) - Captain The selection of Cameron was almost a surprise for Phil Jones (Nelson Giants) Vucinic, who at one stage didn’t believe he’d be fit enough after not playing in the NBL season. “Over the weekend, I thought it was going to be a real struggle for him. He came Jeremy Kench (Christchurch Cougars) right completely. I think he was surprised himself.” Cameron says he was doubtful if he would make the team Kirk Penney (NZ Breakers) - Vice captain on fitness, especially after he has been recovering from stress fractures in his left foot. Mike Fitchett (Nelson Giants) “The last two sessions were my best sessions,” he said. “I kept on getting better. “It was a bit of a mental thing – am I Alex Pledger (Waikato Pistons) able to keep turning it up? But there was progression and the confidence came with it. “There’s some good old heads in the team and plenty of experience. It’s a good Lindsay Tait (Wellington Saints) solid team.” The team left New Zealand on 26 th July for their extensive Mika Vukona (Nelson Giants) build up with a schedule that sees them take on Iran, Serbia and Turkey in Istanbul. Issue 30 – July 2010 Tall Blacks Schedule August August 6-8 Tournament in Olympic Arena, Istanbul, Turkey (opponents – Iran, Serbia, Turkey) Limited edition t-shirts are available! August 9-11 Training camp in Istanbul, Turkey August 13-15 Adecco Cup in Maribor, Slovenia (opponents – Russia, Serbia, Slovenia) August 16-18 Training camp in Rogla, Slovenia August 20-22 World Cup, Zadar, Croatia (opponents – Russia, Jordan, Croatia) August 24-25 Training camp in Izmir, Turkey FIBA World Championship for Men 2010 Round One (Halkapinar Arena, Izmir, Turkey) August 28 – September 2 These t-shirts are made by quick dry-fit material which quickly absorbs and dries keeping you feeling fresh and August 28 New Zealand v Lithuania 4pm comfortable. August 29 Spain v New Zealand 9pm To order a t-shirt email [email protected] or ring August 31 New Zealand v Lebanon 4pm 04 498 5950. September 1 Canada v New Zealand 4pm Show your support and Size Chest Waist get your very own t-shirt September 2 New Zealand v France 9pm S 100-104 75-78 M 104-106 78-81 L 106-110 81-84 Today - only $45 incl Play-Offs, (Sinan Erdem Dom, Istanbul, Turkey) XL 110-114 84-87 XXL 114-118 87-90 postage. We have September 4-7 Eight ‐Finals limited stock so get in XXXL 118-122 90-93 quick! September 8-9 Quarter ‐Finals September 10-11 Semi ‐Finals Facebook singlets September 12 Finals Show your love and support to the Tall Blacks on Facebook by getting a Tall Black singlet as your Support the Tall profile picture. Go to Blacks on Face http://www.facebook.com/ book by joining FIBAWorld and click on the ‘2010 Tall the "My FIBA Jersey" Blacks’ group application. Issue 30 – July 2010 The FIBA 2010 Men’s Basketball World Championship is almost here, starting August 28 Turkey will become the centre of the universe where the biggest stars in basketball will come out to play for the World Championship. It will be a Giant Get-Together! The first round of the Championship will be hosted in four The Trophy Turkish cities: Kayseri will host Group A: Angola, Argentina, Australia, This Trophy Unites Five Germany, Jordan and Serbia. Continents. Istanbul will host Group B: Brazil, Croatia, Iran, Slovenia, The Naismith Trophy is what all Tunisia and USA. the teams attending the World Championship are playing for. Ankara will host Group C: China, Greece, Ivory Coast, Named after James Naismith the Puerto Rico, Russia and Turkey and inventor of basketball, the Naismith Trophy was created in Izmir will hose Group D: Canada, France, Lebanon, 1950 for the first FIBA World Lithuania, New Zealand and Spain. Championship for Men. The final round will be The top part of the newly created held at Sinan Erdem Naismith Trophy has a lotus Olympic dome, flower design and the decagonal Instanbul. Lets hope rotating middle piece, with we will see our very carved maps of the continents own Tall Blacks play and precious stones inlaid, here! symbolizes the 5 continents.