Derone Raukawa rates the sun and the game in Hawke's Bay. Photo / Paul Taylor
Derone Raukawa rates the sun and the game in Hawke's Bay. Photo / Paul Taylor
New-found Taylor Hawks basketball star Derone Raukawa has confirmed his desire to win a New Zealand NBL title with the Hawke's Bay team by signing-on for a second season.
But it's not just the basketball that's keeping the 27-year-old former Junior Tall Blacks captain around Napier for a second season– the weather's great and there's an outdoor leisure court on the beachfront not too far from where he and his partner live in suburban Marewa.
"We love it here," he said on Tuesday as he limbered around the Marine Parade hoop, not for the first time this summer.
His brother and sister (twins aged 12) - are into their basketball as well and were down from Tauranga for the holidays.
"If we weren't at the beach we were down here," said Raukawa, who is heading into his ninth season in the league and who had played for three of its other teams by the time he arrived in the Bay last year.
He made an immediate impact with 25 points as the Hawks beat Canterbury Rams 104-90 to start the 2021 Sal's NBL season with a home win at Pettigrew Green Arena, Taradale.
A few days later he popped a game-high 28pts in a 85-73 win over Southland Sharks, and then scored on the buzzer in a 82-80 win over Nelson Giants as the Hawks completed the three-match home start unbeaten – ultimately the major factor in going almost all the way before being beaten 77-75 in the final by Wellington Saints 10 weeks later.
Derone Raukawa at ease with the ball, the sun, the Hawks, and Napier - on-court on Marine Parade. Photo / Paul Taylor
The outcome highlighted the enormity of the task, the Hawks being left with still just the club's 2006 win from eight NBL finals, the Saints claiming the title for the 12th time.
Raukawa played 18 of the 20 games in 2021, in which the Hawks won eight matches by more than 10 points. He was fourth on the list of Hawks scorers with an average of 12pts a game.
Born in Levin, Raukawa went to high school at Otumoetai in Tauranga and then Rosmini College in Takapuna when he joined the New Zealand Breakers Academy.
He already has one NBL title under his belt, ending his third season with the Southland Sharks coming off the bench to score 17 points in a 98-96 grand final win over the Saints, emulating the title father Andrew Mackay won with Waikato Pistons.
His place in the Hawks' 2022 squad was the third signing announced by new Hawks general manager and coach Mick Downer in what is the tall and short(er) of it with already-signed Jordan Hunt at 2.06-metres one of the tallest in the league, and Raukawa, at 1.81m one of the shortest.
First to re-sign was Ethan Rusbatch (1.96m).
Raukawa said he can't wait to get back with the team and on-court.
"Run it baaaack," he said. "After last year there was no doubt in my mind I was coming back to the Taylor Hawks to help take one step further and lift that trophy in 2022."
"With the city as appealing as the potential line-up of this team, tip-off can't come soon enough. I'll bring the energy once again. You guys just make sure it's loud in Pettigrew Arena."
