Shooting hoops and sharing life-changing nuggets of wisdom were on the agenda when Tauranga Intermediate School pupils were treated to a visit from the United States Ambassador on Monday.
Tauranga Intermediate principal Brian Diver said Ambassador Scott Brown was "blown away" by the "magnificent" full school assembly welcoming him to the school.
The ceremony was jam-packed with performances from the school's kapa haka group, Pasifika team, the AIMS Games hip-hop troupe, the school choir and rock band.
In return, Brown shared his personal story and some words of wisdom with the youngsters, before jumping on the basketball court to play ball with the school's AIMS Games gold medal-winning Huskies basketball team.