White Ferns veteran Suzie Bates has spilled the tea on one of her craziest on-tour nights out.
Appearing on the second episode of the New Zealand Cricket cast, hosted by media manager Willy Nicholls and White Fern Katey Martin, Bates was quizzed on her basketball background.
Bates, who has captainedthe White Ferns for eight years, was once very close to taking up a college scholarship for basketball in the United States after a successful stint with the Tall Ferns, which included representing New Zealand at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Bates revealed that while they were at the 2008 Games, some of her teammates had schmoozed their way past the US Men's Basketball team's security to join the "Redeem Team" at a post-Games party.
Suzie Bates (holding ball) in the 2006 Tall Ferns side. Photo / Photosport
"It's probably the highlight of my life," she said when asked about the story. "I have a few regrets because I was 19 or 20 and I was very shy and just couldn't string any sentences together.
"We got invited to party with the USA basketball team. I'm not sure how I think some of the girls had just talked to their security and next minute we were on this bus going to an outdoor rooftop party with the Dream Team. David Beckham was also there and that's all I can remember really.
"That was like the pinnacle for me, there was no further I could go so had to call it a day."
Join Katey Martin, Suzie Bates, Rebecca Rolls, Media Manager Willy Nicholls and Australian Women's Cricket Team star Alyssa Healy for plenty of stories & laughter on the 2nd NZC Cast 🎙 #cricketnation
The 2008 Redeem Team featured the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and the late Kobe Bryant.
LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade of the US Men's National Team. Photo / Getty
Not long after, Bates turned her focus solely on cricket after being selected to play in the 2009 Women's Cricket World Cup in Australia.
She said the wider range of opportunities cricket presented was what persuaded her to eventually let basketball go.
"Basketball was my first love, I just love basketball. It's what I did in the winter, played cricket in the summer," she said. "There was probably just more opportunities in New Zealand that kept me in cricket.
"It wasn't loving one more than the other, it was just the opportunities that came about."
