Basketball: Pero Cameron first Kiwi in Fiba Hall of Fame

Pero Cameron is the first New Zealander to be inducted into the Fiba Hall of Fame. Here he is in action in the 2006 World Basketball Championships. PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

Tall Blacks legend Pero Cameron has become the first New Zealander to be inducted into the Fiba Hall of Fame.

The 43-year-old represented New Zealand for 17 years and had unprecedented success in the sport, culminating with being named to the All-star Five at the Fiba world championships in Indianapolis in 2002.

Basketball New Zealand chief executive Iain Potter said Cameron's recognition was wholly deserved and an incredible honour for the man, his country and the game.

"Pero has been such a massive influence on the game, on and off the court," said Potter.

"His strength and presence as an amazing player and the sheer power of his personality has been such that he truly is a giant of the game, in literal and metaphorical terms.

"On behalf of the board, the team at Basketball New Zealand and the entire basketball community, here and in Australia, where he now lives with his family, I congratulate Pero on this wonderful and deserved recognition of an outstanding career."

The quietly spoken Cameron acknowledged the support he had received throughout his career after hearing of the Hall of Fame nod while on tour with the Tall Blacks in Lebanon.

"My immediate thoughts go to my mum and dad and even my immediate family, who have supported my career as a player for 20 years really," he said.

"They supported an athlete chasing his dream. It is not easy.

"The success on the court starts with their support but also the support of my teammates and coaches, and that is just endless."

Cameron said the recognition was due in large part to the work of a golden era of Kiwi basketball.

"I think the group we had in the under-20s, when we made it through to the finals one year, was a pretty good group with the likes of Phill Jones, Sean Marks and Mark Dickel," said Cameron.

"Then the next group had Dillon Boucher, Paul Henare and Kirk Penney, and we were able to stay together for a long time.

"We stuck together because we wanted to achieve. We weren't part of anything - no Olympics, no world champs or anything. We just had development tours to the States and we wanted more.

"We all put our hands up - the rest is history."

The Tall Blacks stunningly made the semifinals of the world championships in Indianapolis, with Cameron playing a starring role that saw him recognised as the only non-NBA player in the All-star Five.

"The belief came from [a pre-event tournament] and we had an amazing preparation and the tournament just clicked for us.

"Getting in that five - they had to choose someone because we were up there in our group - it could have been Phill or Kirk, I felt. Looking back, it was awesome."

Cameron will be officially inducted at a ceremony in Geneva next month.