Basketball: Vucinic man for Tall Blacks says Baldwin

Assistant coach Nenad Vucinic (left) with coach Tab Baldwin after the Commonwealth Games final loss to Australia. Picture / Mark Mitchell

Retiring New Zealand men's basketball coach Tab Baldwin believes his assistant Nenad Vucinic is the best man to take over his job as the Tall Blacks coach.

Baldwin, 48, announced he was stepping down to his team yesterday soon after they exited the world championships in Japan following their 79-62 loss to Argentina in the last-16 playff.

"Nenad is the obvious choice in my mind. He understands the players and the system and has an enormous amount of respect and trust from the players," said Baldwin.

"He's has been more than just an assistant coach to me. Many times he has felt more like a co-coach and if it hasn't been more obvious, it is only because he is tremendously loyal to me and the Tall Blacks.

"A lot of credit for the performances over the past few years must go to him."

Nelson Giants coach Vucinic surpassed Baldwin's record (143 wins) as the coach with the most wins in the National Basketball League this year.

Born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, Vucinic came to New Zealand in his teens and played his entire NBL career with Nelson. He first played for the Tall Blacks in 1992 and his last international appearance was at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He was named NBL coach of the year four times.

"He knows what's required in the Tall Blacks. I don't think there is anyone who understands it better," Baldwin said.

After six years at the helm of the Tall Blacks in which time they became internationally recognised in the sport, Florida-born Baldwin told his players his decision to retire from international coaching wasn't a spur of the moment thought.

"This wasn't a snap decision. I've talked about it with my family. It was a decision I believed in some time ago as the right decision but wasn't prepared to announce it until this tournament.

"I just think it was time. I have been with the team for six years and been to one Olympics and two world championships.

"The number of highlights I've had defies description. The privilege has all been mine, not just to represent a great country, but also to work with great guys. I have enjoyed every second of it. I have been blessed. If I've done a good job it's because of those guys and their willingness to work with me."

Baldwin's tenure with the Tall Blacks began in 2001 when he led them to New Zealand's first series victory over Australia to qualify for the world championships in Indianapolis.

The following year they beat reigning champions Yugoslavia in transit to Indianapolis and then made a run to the semifinals that captured the hearts of fans around the world."

Even in defeat yesterday, the popularity of the Tall Blacks internationally was reflected by the commentators' description:

"They're a force in international basketball now. They could have gone into the last eight but at this tournament they didn't play to their potential as they did four years ago. They will still knock over some of the bigger teams in time to come."

Even Baldwin couldn't figure why the team had made so many errors consistently at the championship. "They failed to finish off nicely built attacks and lost possession as a result. There's something that quite didn't come together and I don't know why."

Baldwin was twice named coach of the year at the Halberg Awards and the Tall Blacks won the supreme award in 2003 after reaching the 2002 world championship semis.

This year, they added to their milestones with their biggest victory over Australia (72-53 in Napier) and their first win on Australian soil (79-71 in Melbourne) to recapture the Al Ramsay Shield.

"I'm looking forward to being their biggest fan without having to sit there and wonder what we could do better," Baldwin said.

"More than anything else, I'll miss getting on the bus with the guys and just being with this team."

Captain Pero Cameron will probably miss Baldwin more than most, having played for him since 1994 as a member of national junior teams, the Auckland NBL franchise, the Tall Blacks and last season with Turkish club Banvitspor.

"I just can't say enough about him," Cameron said.

"He will be a big loss, not just to Tall Black basketball but right across the country.

"We've had some great times on and off the court. He has shown me a lot and challenged me personally every day."

Baldwin's impact on the sport in New Zealand has been felt far beyond the results achieved by his team.

"If you look at what Tab did, he took a little team and turned it into an opportunity for basketball in New Zealand to grow," Basketball New Zealand president Barbara Wheadon said.

"He has allowed us to leverage all our programmes on the success of the Tall Blacks and we owe him a huge debt of gratitude for that."

Baldwin has also finished with his job at Banvitspor and said he was on the job market.

- NZPA