As Tom Abercrombie sat in front of a microphone looking out at the media assembled on the practice courts at Breakers HQ in Mairangi Bay, he struggled to hold back his tears.
After 16 years, more than 420 appearances, four championship banners and achieving the club record in just about every statistical category possible, it was time to bring the curtain down on his basketball career.
“Let’s see if I can get through this,” he began, before thanking the assembled group of media, family and teammates for their attendance.
Abercrombie launched into his prepared speech; making sure to mention everyone from teammates to owners to staff to fans.
He thanked every one of his coaches by name. Andrej Lemanis, Dean Vickerman, Paul Henare, Kevin Braswell, Dan Shamir, Mody Maor.
A simple gesture, but one that drove home just how much a piece of the fabric Abercrombie has been with the Breakers. The franchise has had eight head coaches since being established in 2003; Abercrombie played under six of them.
When it came time to thank his family, Abercrombie felt the emotion of the moment. Taking a beat to feel but retain composure in doing so, he resumed his speech; voice softer than before as he thanked his parents.
The tears filled his eyes as he addressed his three children.
“Thanks for letting your dad live out his dreams. It’s time for me to be there for you now.”
As tough a goodbye as it was for Abercrombie to get through, it was one he knew was coming.
At the end of the 2022-23 season, in which the Breakers came up one win short of a fifth championship, there were questions as to whether or not the veteran forward would return.
Had they got that last win, things might have been different, but he agreed to a one-year contract for what has turned out to be a final ride with the team.
“I’ve known for a while,” Abercrombie admitted. “I think going into the season I knew it would be my last one. I’ve tried to not think about it as much as possible.
“Halfway through the season was where I probably made that decision in my head and talked to my family about it. It’s been a tough one knowing that it will be the last one.”
Abercrombie made his Breakers debut in 2008 as a fresh-faced 21-year-old. At that time, the team’s roster featured the likes of local legends Kirk Penney, Dillon Boucher and Paul Henare, as well as star guard C.J. Bruton.
Abercrombie absorbed as much knowledge from those veterans as he could while continuing his own development, both as a Breaker and a member of the Tall Blacks.
Through the 2010s, his talents took him further afield. He joined several NBA teams for mini-camps and made six Summer League appearances for the Phoenix Suns in 2013, while he also took the opportunity for a few post-NBL-season stints in France (2014), Spain (2015) and Turkey (2016 and 17).
But as the saying goes, home is where the heart is and Abercrombie made the Breakers his home for almost two decades.
In 2011, he was named Grand Final MVP as the side hoisted the NBL championship trophy for the first time. It was the first of three titles the club would win in a row (2011-13), while they added a fourth in 2015.
He’s seen the club in many incarnations, from championship runs to ownership changes to navigating the pandemic and finally a return home.
Along the way, he became a household name in New Zealand and the face of the club. Be it as one of the stars of the show or a role player, Abercrombie has always been one to put the team first.
He remains as such as he prepares for what could be his final home game with the side when they host the Brisbane Bullets at Spark Arena on Friday night. The Breakers remain in the playoffs hunt, but a win over the Bullets is crucial if they are to play in the post-season.
Even if they do qualify for the playoffs, there’s no guarantee they will finish high enough to secure home-court advantage for the play-in round.
While Abercrombie could have waited until the season was over to announce his retirement, he said it was important that he had a chance to acknowledge those who helped him throughout his career in a proper capacity.
“In a lot of ways, I don’t like the attention. I’m not one for the spotlight, but there are so many people that have been part of my journey that it’s not just about me,” he said.
“It would feel wrong not to have a chance to acknowledge that and give all those people I thanked - and what will be many more and many that I’ve probably forgotten - their proper thanks over the coming weeks. This journey has been about so much more than just me and what I’ve done. There are so many other people who have helped me get here and they deserve as much thanks as I do.”
There are two games left in the Breakers’ regular season, with a trip to Adelaide on Sunday following Friday’s tussle against Brisbane, with post-season fixtures still in reach. At least two more games in which Abercrombie will give every ounce of sweat his team needs from him. Like his former teammates Boucher, Henare and Bruton, it’s only a matter of time before Abercrombie’s No 10 singlet hangs in the rafters at Spark Arena on game day.
Whether his long and winding journey comes to an end on Sunday or there is one more chapter still to be written beyond the regular season’s end, Abercrombie said there were some of life’s small pleasures that he was looking forward to in post-basketball life.
“I’m not retiring because I want to spend more time with my kids, but I’m very excited to do so.
“I’ve missed out on summer holidays for 16 years, basically. I’m still yet to attend any of my friends’ weddings. Everyone wants to get married in the summertime for some reason - it’s not a good time for me.
“I’m excited to do little things like that. Those are special times you only get once or twice and my kids are starting to get a little bit older now, but they know what dad’s done now and they’re always my biggest supporters. I’m pleased and proud that I’ve been able to set a good example for them.”
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
Two-time NBA champion forward Kevin Durant has been traded to the Houston Rockets.