Basketball: Family feel for 'local' Aussie

By PETER JESSUP

The statistics say Adrian Majstrovich is the best basketball player in the New Zealand league.

He's certainly been driving the assault of the Hawkes Bay Hawks, who share a lead of the competition.

And their form has attracted attention from across the Tasman.

Majstrovich was Turangi-born to Croatian parents and raised in Carnarvon, north Western Australia, on his grandparents' banana plantation. He has a basketball pedigree that includes the Australian juniors and two seasons in European leagues in Germany, then Austria.

At 2.03m he's one of the biggest Kiwi-born players in the league but he's ineligible for the Tall Blacks, unfortunately, because the rules of world governing body FIBA prevent any switches of allegiance.

That's okay with Majstrovich. He considers himself an Aussie anyway, though he's enjoying his time in Hawkes Bay and finding out more about relatives and connections over here as time passes.

"I grew up in Australia and I've spent 90 per cent of my life there and my family is still there. The family connection didn't play much part in me coming to Hawkes Bay but now I'm here I'm feeling a bit more attachment to the country."

The Hawks are trying to build a dynasty and Majstrovich, at the front of the court, and Tall Black point guard Paul Henare, at the back, are the main components. Both are already signed for next year.

There's a family atmosphere down there, with Majstrovich, who is technically an import but officially flies under the regulations because of his birth here, flatting near Westshore Beach with former Aucklander Daryl Cartwright.

Next door is Aussie import Gary Boodnikoff, who was sharing with American Morgan Bell until his axing this week, the in-coming Scott McGregor is his new roomie. Assistant coach Kirsten Daly owns the property and lives around the corner.

It might be a bit too cosy for some but Majstrovich finds it just right and with little to do here other than play ball or indulge his love of movies, it's handy to have others driving you, to train and play half-court with.

He considers himself a good shooter and works on that for an hour a day, just hoops, to sharpen his delivery.

The team's defensive weakness that was cited by coach Shawn Dennis as reason for cutting Bell is accepted by Majstrovich, who admits he needs to work on his own.

"We were pretty soft at times I guess and the management is always going to look at the import first for a quick-fix. It's been the weaker part of our game and it's what we've been working on, to solidify the centre and not let teams get easy points on us inside."

He also loses too many balls and needs to cut his turnover rate, average three a game, but is otherwise sound.

Majstrovich signed for the Hawks last year in order to sharpen up his game and work back into the NBL but the plan came unstuck when he broke a wrist bone mid-season and had to withdraw. The Hawks' finals push stumbled at that point.

This season he has been averaging 20 points and 12 rebounds a game at forward, consistently in the top-scorers from the weekend. He is top of Basketball New Zealand's player power rankings.

It's form like that that has attracted attention from the Perth Wildcats and he is completing a contract to join them next season, a start that will be delayed a month if the Hawks stick to form and make the playoffs.

"When you consider his numbers are considerably better than opponents like, say, Mike Chappell who is the Breakers' import in the Australian NBL, you realise how significant an improvement he's made," says new Perth coach Scott Fisher of Majstrovich. "He's a multi-position player whom I expect to rotate between three and four."

It's a tough wrench living in small-town New Zealand while his mum Maja and father Ozren, big brother Ivan and girlfriend Jamie are all back in Perth. But it's all part of the basketballing plan which, with the Perth deal, appears to be working out.

"The league is tougher this year," Majstrovich said, partly because of the input of extra Australians. "The locals are improving. It's a good lead-in to the Australian NBL."

Adrian Majstrovich

Born: Turangi to Croatian parents, mother Maja and father Ozren.

Raised: In Australia from age 13 months.

Age: 24.

Height: 2.03m.

Career: Australian Institute of Sport 1997/98, Australian juniors 1997/98.

1998-2000 at Perth Wildcats.

2001 Brisbane Bullets.

2002/03 Germany, then Austria.

2003/04 Hawkes Bay.

2004/05 Perth Wildcats, Hawkes Bay.

2004 stats: Played 13, made 101 of 187 field goal attempts, 11/27 three-point attempts and 50/62 free-throws; 157 rebounds, 17 assists. 42 turnovers.