Basketball: Winning goal for Baldwin

By PETER JESSUP

New Zealand's future in basketball lies in the hands of Tab Baldwin, who was yesterday reappointed as national coach and high-performance manager for another four seasons.

The period of his appointment includes the next Commonwealth Games, Olympic Games and world championship.

The Tall Blacks have to win an easy round of qualifiers to go to next year's Athens Olympics after their world championship performance in Indianapolis last year earned a second Olympic spot for Oceania.

They are also assured entry to the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006 and will get to Tokyo later that year for the world championships if performances hold up.

There will be huge expectations on Baldwin after the success of last year.

He is not shy about carrying that, considering that he asked for a big input into talent-spotting and development of elite age-group players.

Negotiations took some time, but it was not because of money. The 41-year-old from Jacksonville, Florida, now a citizen with a Kiwi family, had verbally committed himself to this country, despite interest from overseas teams after the success at Indianapolis.

Nobody else was asked. Nor should they have been, considering the success Baldwin has had since he started with Otago, then Auckland, who he took to five national titles.

It is clear that the players like him, believe in him and will follow him. Baldwin has repeatedly said that he is only there to win and that second is not good enough, a refreshing attitude in these PC days.

Yesterday, after securing agreement that he should have input into the Tall Ferns and teen development teams, plus financial input from the Sport and Recreation Council, Baldwin again stated a simple goal: "Win a lot of games."

He was excited about the future and the horizons opening for young New Zealand basketballers.

"It's an awesome responsibility - that's part of the excitement and the challenge," he said. "It's a dream come true for me to see the sport into the future."

Although there were overseas overtures, there was no money was on the table.

"My desire was to stay in New Zealand," Baldwin said.

He cautioned against complacency and knee-jerk reaction if expectations were not met.

He said he had resisted too much reviewing of the world championships.

"I don't believe we can fulfil expectations by reliving the past."

And for new-found fans, TV broadcasters and sponsors, he said there were more reasons to stay with the sport than immediate on-court results.

"Eighteen months ago we were shouting our philosophy to the wilderness and now there is an audience that's receptive to it and acting on it."

Baldwin forecast good things to come in five to 10 years as a result of the juniors attracted to the game, the extra financial input from Sparc and sponsors, and the development of players that that would allow.

Basketball New Zealand is chasing 10 international matches for the Tall Blacks this year, but some contests are already guaranteed. There is the Oceania qualifying tournament for Athens, with Australia the only serious opposition, and two places available in Melbourne in September.

* The Auckland Stars will hold a free-for-all trial on its home court this Saturday from 10am to noon to give emerging players the chance to force their way up.

The Stars have re-signed most of their young talent from last year, except Lance Baker who shifted to North Harbour.