Suffice it to say Paul Henare is in a place many would dearly love to be, albeit euphemistically.
That place is called la-la land, where an altered state of consciousness is the norm.
Strictly speaking that state is referred to as REM (rapid eye movement), when vividly recalled dreams mostly occur.
For now, though, whatever you do, don't interrupt the 32-year-old professional basketballer.
If you happen to be within reaching distance of him at the Cairns Convention Centre come 8.30pm (NZ time) on Sunday, feel free to reach out and pinch him.
But don't be too disappointed if the former Tall Black guard still appears to be in an envious state of not responding to people or external stimuli.
The cause of such blissfully abnormal existence comes on the heels of the New Zealand Breakers humiliating the Cairns Taipans 85-67 in game one of the best-of-three Australian National Basketball League (ANBL) finals in Auckland last night.
"Mate, it wasn't expected to be like that but we've been in a good place for the past two weeks and we came good again tonight," Henare, the only playing foundation Breakers member, said last night well after the din at the capacity North Shore Event Centre had subsided.
As fairytales go, a third game to clinch ANBL bragging rights would be a godsend at home to farewell Henare on his swansong season before he assumes the mantle of rookie coach of the HBS Bank Hawks' NBL campaign in Napier, but he begged to differ.
"A championship final would be great never mind where you win it," he said, adding the Breakers would love nothing more than to put a sleeper hold on the reptiles in Cairns on Sunday to become the first professional team from New Zealand to break the Australians' hold on their own championships in codes such as rugby league, football, netball and basketball.
The Breakers' dominance last night almost verged on applying the mercy rule on the Taipans, with even the most ardent Cairns fans perhaps sceptical now about their fleeting final hopes.
The Kiwis led 17-14 in the first quarter, 41-27 at halftime and 70-52 in the third spell.
Not surprisingly NBA trialist Kirk Penney had a game-high 25 points, including eight rebounds and four assists.
US import Gary Wilkinson contributed 15, and Alex Pledger 13.
But it was a night when the abacus was going to give way to undiluted passion, something a flustered Taipans coach Aaron Fearne would attest to, judging by his decision to call for another group huddle with the clip board 46 seconds into the third quarter.
"If you break it down statistically, at a quick glance you'll find Kirk Penney did well but we didn't shoot that well," he said, putting the result down to a collective effort built on shutting out the likes of Taipan's Alex Loughton and Daniel Dillon.
Just as the Breakers pacified the Perth Wildcats in their cauldron, the ANBL premiership champions hope to soak up the electric atmosphere of an amped-up Cairns arena to nullify any home advantage on Sunday.
"It's been a dream season so far but Cairns will play a totally different game at home where they'll feed off the crowd and all the energy floating around there," Henare said before the Breakers jet off on Saturday afternoon.
The support from fans and businesses, not just in Auckland but also throughout New Zealand, had lifted the team's spirits.
"We don't know what we have to do to prove to critics [we are not a one-man Kirk Penney team]," he said, adding players such as Dillon Boucher and Pledger, who had his best game of the season, were making crucial contributions despite not featuring on the scoring side of the ledger.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Latest from Sport
Gone in six seconds: Injured footballers on long road back to fitness
A sportsman who suffered a horror knee injury six seconds into a match opens up.