Basketball: Celebrations muted by off-court tension

WELLINGTON - Olympic qualification for any New Zealand team or athlete would routinely be acknowledged with enthusiasm - but that achievement this year in basketball was greeted with a distinct lack of hoopla.

And that really was the good news, considering the sport's governing body, Basketball New Zealand, ended the year insolvent.

Both the men's and women's teams' passage to Sydney 2000 was confirmed in October, but absence from the qualifying matches of Australia - as hosts and therefore automatic entrants - made New Zealand basketball's Olympic debut a virtual certainty.

The Tall Blacks swamped a technically - and vertically - challenged Guam 125-43, while American Samoa pulled out of the women's showdown at the last minute.

"You obviously think - wow, we're going to the Olympics, great! But there was a lot of anger as well," women's team manager Kim Lucas said.

"The players worked very hard, taking time off work at considerable financial cost, and they wanted to play and show they were worth their place."

The men didn't moan about the ease of their advancement, influenced perhaps by trepidation at the task they face next September.

The draw has not been finalised but will include Australia, Yugoslavia, Angola, the United States, Canada, China, Italy, Spain, France, Lithuania and Russia.

Coach Ken Mair could not take much solace from the third-placing the Tall Blacks clinched at the William Jones Cup in Taiwan in June.

Two of the teams New Zealand struggled with - South Korea and Taiwan - were soundly thumped by China at the recent Asian championships.

The Tall Blacks shared a testy home series with Canada 1-1 in June, ending the season with a difficult trip to the United States where college opposition prevailed in all but one of the eight matches.

Mair's US squad was missing several key overseas-based players and was designed to develop inexperienced players.

Sean Marks was among the experienced heads missing. He recently started his second season with the Toronto Raptors in the elite National Basketball Association.

The women also ended their season Stateside, fashioning a four-win, six-loss record. Earlier they were runners-up at the William Jones Cup and beat China 5-1 in a home series in March.

While the national sides will struggle to make an impression at the Olympics, Basketball New Zealand enters the new millennium with its own battle to maintain credibility.

The organisation landed in dire financial trouble, revealing a $171,694 loss for the financial year.

Delegates at the annual meeting this month were told the reason for the budget blowout was two-fold - Basketball New Zealand originally intended a nil cost for national teams but a tour by the Chinese women cost them about $63,000.

Also, income expected from a new player registration system was over-estimated - $215,000 in fees were expected, but only $157,000 received.

Surprisingly, the board of Basketball New Zealand escaped unscathed, with the three executive members up for re-election retaining their positions for another two years.

Australian David Crocker, current deputy general manager of Canberra Basketball, inherits the mess when he starts as general manager in February.

The National Basketball League also underwent change, with Wellington businessman Ray Strickland appointed acting general manager.

The 2000 league will be missing the Taranaki Oilers, who quit on financial grounds this month, while Palmerston North only clinched a sponsorship deal to ensure their participation at the last minute.

Auckland won this season's NBL, beating Canterbury in the final. Pero Cameron led the side to a 79-72 victory and was named player of the year.

Canterbury's loss spelt the end of long-serving coach Bert Knops' regime. He was ditched when a new administration took over early this month.

Otago won the women's NBL from Taranaki and Counties-Manukau. Jennifer Gardiner (Otago) was named most valuable player while Taranaki provided the young player of the year (Lisa Pardon) and best forward, Leonie Erb.

Another feature of the domestic season was the retirement of veteran Glen Denham, citing his age (35) and an inability to devote his time exclusively to basketball among factors influencing his decision. - NZPA