Adam Dunstan's gain might be the Western Bay Suns' loss after the 1.99m schoolboy was this week whisked to Germany with the junior Tall Blacks.
Dunstan, who goes to Tauranga Boys' College and played in the Western Bay Basketball Association's under-19 team, was initially non-travelling reserve for the junior national side
heading to the Albert Schweitzer tournament.
But a late injury saw the 16-year-old called into the travelling team, putting him in the box seat for selection in the squad chasing qualification in July for the junior world championships.
Dunstan is part of the Western Bay Suns squad preparing for the upcoming Central league and head coach Alex Stojkovic said he might be required to live and train in Auckland ahead of the world championship qualifying matches.
"Depending on what sort of game time he gets in Germany and what sort of impression he makes Adam might have to move to Auckland for a couple of months, which would be bad for us but awesome for him."
Stojkovic, who has spent all summer working with the exceptional player, was overjoyed at Dunstan's late call-up to the team.
"It already was a big achievement making the squad and trialling in January, and Basketball New Zealand told me Adam was close (to being an original choice).
"But I'm so happy for him because he's come a long way in the past few months, turning up every day for our 6.30am sessions and sometimes working two or three times a day over Christmas. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance for him."
Dunstan, who has size 14 feet, averaged 25 points a game for the Western Bay under-17 side at last year's national tournament.
Stojkovic said the Albert Schweitzer tournament was one of the biggest in the world and was an invitation event, with New Zealand invited for the first time. New Zealand is grouped with Spain, Croatia and Argentina.
International stars Magic Johnson, Arvidas Sabonis, Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter and Tony Parker have played in the German age-group tournament in the past.
"It will be unbelievable for Adam to get some court time there and he'll be a different player again when he comes back for us."
