Basketball: Pero's Olympic goal only one win away

Peter Jessup outlines the career of experienced New Zealand basketball player Pero Cameron.

Asked to formulate his goals and ambitions as a 16-year-old just chosen for a junior New Zealand basketball team seeking money from the Hillary Commission, Pero Cameron cited wearing the black singlet at the Olympics.

Today, he takes a big step towards what then seemed the impossible dream when, as a just-turned 25-year-old, he leads the Tall Blacks out in a sudden-death qualifier against United States dependency Guam.

"It's in my hands now - the dream that could turn to reality," Cameron said after rejoining the national squad from his England club side Chester Jets.

Cameron is one of an increasing number of Kiwi basketballers, male and female, making a good living from the sport.

He has to play all year - May to August in New Zealand then the off-season in Malaysia in past years and now England - but when you're doing what you love, it's fun, even when the food and weather are bad.

The 2m, 114kg Cameron was pleased to be back with a team he knows after stepping his size 15 shoes off the plane on Wednesday.

Chester are a team made up of three American imports, Cameron as a work permit-qualifier as a result of Scottish grandparentage and a few struggling locals.

"We're not expected to do any good. We're struggling to get some teamwork going but hopefully that's what I'll bring to them," Cameron said of a Jets side yet to win after three English league games.

Cameron is a supreme team player, recognised by national coaches from the time he was a teenager as a natural leader with a drive to win and sheer natural talent.

His mother, Mata, coached in Northland and from the Whangarei Boys' High team Cameron gave up rugby as a lock/No 8 and soaked up basketball through national under-18s, was captain of the under-20s and a solid league player for Waikato by the age of 20.

He shifted to Auckland, has won four national titles with them and is now New Zealand captain.

After long-server Glen Denham stepped aside from the leadership role, and with new boy Ralph Lattimore unavailable for this game, he is happy to lead again.

"We've got 14 guys raring to go. There's a good, disciplined feel about the squad," he said.

The only new player is Auckland guard Dillon Boucher, who Cameron said thoroughly deserved his place and who had lifted the squad with his energy and enthusiasm.

"We're keen as. The fitness of some guys might have slipped a bit after the end of the season but we'll make up for it with that new energy."

Cameron has had seven years in the Tall Blacks and closing on 80 games for them, but today's assignment at the North Shore Events Centre beats them all in terms of importance.

Win, and New Zealand are through to the final 12 teams in the world at next September's Sydney Olympics. Lose, and they will struggle for invittations to top-level international tournaments.

"We haven't seen any video of Guam but we hear they like to play fast, shoot the three-pointers," Cameron said. "We don't think they'll be easy and we're not taking it easy."

Cameron, off contract with Auckland, will have a few hours to talk about a new deal with several interested national league sides before he flies back to London tomorrow afternoon.

With his earning power reaching its peak, he needs to consider the future long-term and said he would move if he could not reach agreement with an Auckland side who obviously want him.

He would still love to be part of the proposed New Zealand team in the Australian league and the returns, should the Tall Blacks get to the Olympics, will again be crucial to the launch of that exercise.

Denham, with a record 186 games for his country, said he felt like the team's dad, not expecting to be in Sydney but keen to hand on all the knowledge and experience he can - "and if I can do that I'll be happy."

Tall Blacks: Pero Cameron (Auckland/Chester, captain), Chris Tupu (Wellington), Kent Mori (Taranaki), Judd Flavell (Nelson), Brendon Cathie-Pongia (North Harbour), David Langrell (Canterbury), Dillon Boucher (Auckland), Brad Riley (Nelson), Andrew Parke (North Harbour), Glen Denham (Otago), Andrew Gardiner (Wellington), Peter Pokai (Nelson), Robert Hickey (Canterbury), Tony Rampton (New Plymouth).