Cameron lands coaching role

This week will go down as definitely one to remember for Northland basketball trail-blazer Pero Cameron, after adding a couple more significant accolades to an already lengthy list.
On top of being named on the Queens Birthday honours list as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, Cameron was named an assistant coach of the New Zealand team, the Tall Blacks.
After applying for the role a couple of months ago, it was confirmed on Thursday he would take on the role as right-hand man to his former Tall Black's team-mate Nenad Vucinic.
"Oh yeah, they called me earlier and said I got it ... I'm stoked," Cameron admitted in his usual carefree manner when asked if he had heard news of his application.
"Out of everything that has happened over the last few weeks, this is the one I wanted the most ... it's something I have been gunning for and it's going to be a big learning mission for me.
"Hopefully I can contribute some experience and knowledge about the culture ... I'm really looking forward to it," he said.
Since calling it quits on an illustrious playing career, during which he won nine NZ NBL Championships, and captained the Tall Blacks from 2000-2010 at two Olympic Games, and three World Championships, Cameron tried his hand at coaching and gained instant respect.
He coached the Wellington Exodus Saints to last year's NBL title in his debut season, and the Saints winning streak has continued this year under Cameron's direction, winning nine from 11 games.
They currently sit in second place on the ladder.
The former forward is also an assistant coach with Australian National Basketball League franchise the Gold Coast Blaze.
Cameron reckoned he could easily juggle all three coaching roles although it meant spending more time in New Zealand, away from his home and family on the Gold Coast.
Cameron will join forces with Vucinic after the NBL concludes in late July.
The Tall Blacks will head into camp in Auckland to commence preparations for a three-match series against Australia in September, with the winners securing a berth at next year's London Olympics. This week, the Northland raised 37-year-old took some rare free time out to visit Whangarei.
He said it was good to touch base with his family including his mother Mata Cameron, the Basketball NZ player/coach development officer for Zone 1 (Auckland to the Far North) and interim coach of Tai Tokerau Under-19 Boys and Under-13 Girls.
"Mum keeps busy doing her thing up there ... and dad reckons she loves being out of the house," he quipped.
"She keeps me informed - I hear there are some good things happening in age group basketball in Northland - and I keep up to date with the Northland Suns via Facebook," he added.
Mata Cameron said she was grateful for her son's success, along with the fact he was keen to follow in her in coaching and growing the game, something she was passionate about.
"It's a natural progression for him - we always thought he would go into coaching.
"He's more technical than anyone else - if there are a few people in a room watching a game, others don't see what he's sees.
"He could have gone into sports science or something like that, but he's an action man not a sit on your bum man," she said.