Oklahoma City Thunder centre Steven Adams deserves more Halberg recognition. Photo / Photosport
Oklahoma City Thunder centre Steven Adams deserves more Halberg recognition. Photo / Photosport
COMMENT:
In the middle of an intense NBA season, Steven Adams probably doesn't care about the Halberg Awards— but we should care more about his achievements.
As Chris Wood contemplates his best year yet in the English Premier League, he wouldn't be pondering the events of last Thursday, but weshould be wondering why he isn't part of the night.
The same goes for Michael Venus, who broke into the top 10 for men's doubles last year, and will be hunting more grand slam success in 2020.
The Halberg Awards are stuck in a time warp, and desperately need a revamp.
This year passed without too much controversy, thankfully, unlike some previous editions - Brendon McCullum's test triple century snub the best example.
But there is still an inflated obsession with winning — something, anything — no matter how niche the sport, without due regard to the actual achievement.
Measuring success by medals or podium finishes is fine; it's objective, it makes sense and it signifies success.
But there is so much more to excellence in sport, and the Halbergs have consistently failed to capture that.
Look at Adams.
He is playing at the top of a very large tree; there's at least 50,000 professional basketball players worldwide, and more than 100 countries have their own national leagues.
All of those players want to make it to the NBA, and our kid from Rotorua has.
Not just that, but he has played more than 500 games and helped the Oklahoma City Thunder to the playoffs five times.
This year he has been particularly prominent, part of a Thunder team that have performed well above expectations, after losing some big names in the off-season.
And he's been a finalist at the Halberg Awards just once, in 2014.
Oklahoma City Thunder centre Steven Adams deserves more Halberg recognition. Photo / Photosport
Wood is another bemusing example.
Football is the national sport of more than 100 countries, with an estimated 65,000 professional players from Bogota to Budapest, Nairobi to Nantes.
The English Premier League is the apex, and Wood, a product of the Waikato football scene, is starring.
His recent winning goal against Manchester United would have been seen by millions and his performances during 2019 were remarkable.
Only nine players, including worldwide stars like Jamie Vardy, Mo Salah, Harry Kane and Sadio Mane, scored more Premier League goals than Wood last year.
But within the Halbergs bubble it's almost like he doesn't exist.
To be considered for sportsman of the year or the supreme award it feels like Wood would have to win the golden boot, or Burnley finish top of the table or embark on a magical cup run.
It's the same with Adams; if the Thunder won the NBA title, then the Halberg fraternity might start looking at him.
It's a ridiculous scenario, because comparisons are so difficult.
How can you measure basketball, the second most popular sport in the world, against netball, which might have 150 fully professional players?
The Halbergs have been obsessed with rowing over the years, with 12 Supreme awards.
But how can rowing, which isn't a national sport anywhere, be judged against football, the No 1 sport in most of Europe, Africa, Asia and South America?
It can't.
Chris Wood has been a standout in the Premier League for Burnley. Photo / Photosport
The only solution is a new category, to recognise the success of Kiwis in truly global sports.
It's time to move with the times, as there are more and more New Zealanders doing amazing things in the big ticket sports.
How about 'best achievement in a global sport'?
That would bring in Wood, and other footballers like Ryan Thomas and Abby Erceg.
It would allow for Adams to be given due recognition, and other basketballers that might follow in his giant footsteps.
It would mean Venus would be in contention, for his fabulous French Open victory or Wimbledon final.
There are other examples.
Ryan Nelsen was captain of Blackburn Rovers for several seasons, while Winston Reid has reached almost 200 Premier League games.
George Bennett has managed some amazing feats in the Tour de France, and Giro d'Italia.
Sean Marks blazed a trail in the NBA.
In an ideal world, the new category would be named after Wynton Rufer, who was constantly overlooked during his remarkable career.
During his time at Werder Bremen he won the Bundesliga, and also the UEFA Cup-winners Cup, scoring one goal and setting up the other in the 2-0 win over Monaco in the final.
He was part of a Bremen team that beat Diego Maradona's Napoli home and away (finding the net in both games) and Rufer scored 200 goals across his time in Germany and Switzerland.
However, he was a Halberg finalist just once, in 1991.
But while Rufer remains a celebrated figure in football circles in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, some of the Halberg winners from that period wouldn't even be recognised in their corner dairy.
