Basketball: They've got tabs on our Mr Baldwin

By JENNI RUTHERFORD in Indianapolis

Thomas Anthony Baldwin - better known as Tab - is the target of talent scouts after coaching tournament underdogs the Tall Blacks to the quarter-finals of the world basketball championships.

At least one rival regards the New Zealanders as the best-coached team in the competition.

It is an accolade not lost on Basketball New Zealand, which is determined to hang on to its inspirational coach.

After yesterday's dramatic 94-88 win over China, which put the team into the top eight in the world, Basketball New Zealand chief executive David Crocker said it would do all it could to prevent the Florida-born Baldwin being lured to wealthier overseas contracts.

German coach Henrik Duttman this week called New Zealand "the best-coached team in the competition".

He is now the target of United States college teams and European clubs.

Baldwin, who took charge of the Tall Blacks in 2000, is contracted to Basketball New Zealand for one more year.

He was named coach of the year at the last Halberg awards after leading the team to a series win over Australia to qualify for the world championships.

Crocker said Baldwin was vital to future plans for the team, including a tilt at making the Athens Olympics in 2004.



"Our resource levels are pretty limited and a bidding war on money alone wouldn't be something we'd be able to win," he said. "But we would certainly like to put before him opportunities to coach at the Olympics."

The Tall Blacks booked their berth in the top eight after a thrilling comeback over China yesterday, and now have the tantalising prospect of being able to automatically qualify for the 2004 Olympics if they finish in the top six.

The New Zealanders trailed by 22 points after a slow first quarter, but an 11-point scoring run early in the final spell set up the victory.

They play Puerto Rico in the quarter-finals today.

Baldwin admitted that even he had felt the tension on the sideline against China. "It is probably the first time in my coaching career that I felt a lot of pressure," he said. "It is pressure born of a country that is desperate to believe in their sports men and women, and this team did something special.

"There is nothing better than a celebration in New Zealand and we want to give them some more."

New Zealand's progress at the world tournament is described as "amazing" on the official championship website.

New Zealand has a playing population of just 170,000 in one of the world's truly global sports, which boasts 450 million players within the 212 countries affiliated to the International Basketball Federation. In contrast, rugby can muster just two million players.

- NZPA

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