Basketball: Beyond the comfort zone

By RICHARD BOOCK

Aaron Olson expects to be taken out of his comfort zone when the Breakers begin their inaugural season in the ANBL - and wouldn't want it any other way.

The Canadian-born 25-year-old, ruled out of the Tall Blacks' Olympic qualifying series against Australia on eligibility criteria, will not only serve the Breakers as a No 2 guard but also as a point guard during the 33-round campaign.

The Breakers are reasonably well served in the back court with Phill Jones, Paul Henare and Paora Winitana but would have even greater flexibility if Olson was able to further develop his ball-handling role.

He was in strong shooting form in a warm-up match against the Melbourne Tigers on Tuesday night and is welcoming the chance to chime in at point when the Breakers square off against the Adelaide 36ers at the North Shore Events Centre next Wednesday.

"Just lately, for the Tall Blacks in Turkey, I started playing a little bit as a point guard and it was enjoyable," Olson said. "I've started playing both roles a bit for the Breakers too, and I don't mind handling the ball. The combinations are coming along well. We had a few interruptions with the Tall Blacks for a while, but the last few weeks we've all been together and it's been promising."

Olson said despite only watching the Australian league on television and video and not being overly familiar with its strengths and features, he was positive the competition would be of high quality, and good entertainment value.

The 1.95m-tall guard has played in Canada, the United States, Europe and New Zealand.

He had seen enough Australian players abroad to know that the Breakers were facing a stiff assignment.

"I don't know a whole lot about the Aussie league but I've seen a bit on tape and I've seen some of those Australian players, so I'm guessing it's got to be pretty solid. All the teams have a lot of tall timber and it won't be a matter of just chucking it to our big guy [Ben Melmeth]. It's a step up from New Zealand's NBL, and you have to have more to your game than that."

Olson's father Buddy, who taught him the basics of the game, lives in Victoria, Canada, and his mother Mary lives in Nelson, leading to the dilemma that forced him out of the September qualifying series against Australia.

New Zealand has appealed against the decision on the basis that Olson was entitled to New Zealand residency when he was born to a New Zealand mother, not when he applied for a New Zealand passport at age 21.

"There's an appeal against the decision and we're still fighting it," he said. "I've got to get some information from my parents and I think they [the officials] should be able to turn the decision around.

"I'm very hopeful still. I think I've still got a good chance."

Olson, who made his debut for the Tall Blacks in July against the Czech Republic, said he had his heart set on playing against the Australians and was distraught to be ruled out six hours before the first game.

"I'd made the 10, which was great. So to be pulled at that stage was a heart-breaker. I've never felt anything like it in my career before. It was out of my control and there wasn't a lot I could do about it, personally. I just hoped for the best."

As for the challenge of playing at point guard, it was always unlikely that Olson would be disconcerted by the prospect, given his worldliness and experience around the traps.

After playing for the University of Victoria (British Colombia), he moved to Eastern Washington University and was in the team that finished runner-up in the NCAA Big Sky Conference. Then there were stints at Auckland and North Harbour and a season in Finland, before returning to New Zealand for the Tall Blacks and, eventually, Breakers duty.

"It's been a great time, I've been loving it. I've just been taking it year by year and enjoying things as I go. I love playing professional basketball, it's excellent.

"I like travelling, seeing different cultures. I like it a lot. But I've still got a few more things I'd like to do. Haven't got anything mapped out but maybe play next year's New Zealand NBL and then, who knows?"