Basketball: Kiwis scared to say 'we're good' - Lemanis

Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis. Photo / Getty Images

Building a culture where reticent New Zealand athletes are not afraid of saying they're good has been one of the keys to the winning Breakers basketball team, coach Andrej Lemanis says.

The Breakers became the first New Zealand team to win a major Australian professional sports league when they beat the Cairns Taipans 71-53 on Friday night, taking the three-game Australian National Basketball League (ANBL) final series 2-1.

Their success came with a team largely of New Zealanders - only Australian CJ Bruton and Americans Gary Wilkinson and Kevin Braswell were from overseas.

Lemanis, an Australian who was appointed coach six years ago, said one of the challenges he's faced has been getting the team to embrace success.

"I think sometimes New Zealanders are scared to say 'we're good'. They're embarrassed by it and I don't know why," he said.

"As a club we've gone through that process and we've accepted that being good's okay. So we should go and embrace this as a club and go and enjoy it for what it is."

Despite this fear, Lemanis said building on the strengths of New Zealand character was also important.

"One of the things I think is special about this club and about New Zealand, something from the other side that I've always admired, is the passion with which New Zealanders play sport together and for each other.

"In my time here I've certainly got to understand and appreciate that to the point where I value that we need a lot of New Zealanders in the team to be successful here. There's something special about that synergy that you just can't create by throwing bunches of people together.

The New Zealand Breakers have sometimes been dismissed as too reliant on Kirk Penney, but it was their strength in depth that allowed them to secure the ANBL title.

While Penney was heavily marked, New Zealanders Tom Abercrombie (named the finals series' most valuable player), Alex Pledger and Mika Vukona came to the fore.

They also got great value out of Bruton, who scored two consecutive three-pointers in the final quarter to make the title safe.

"CJ has been just outstanding all season in keeping us focused and on track and knowing the right thing to say at the right time," Lemanis said.

He also paid tribute to the team ethic displayed by Wilkinson and Braswell through the season.

"You don't always get that with imports. The nature of the job is that they're maybe thinking of the next job, so they often look for numbers, sacrifice the team for their own goals," he said.

"But Kevin and Gary have been just sensational. How many people who've done what KB's done accept coming off the bench, accept that role and contribute out of that role all year and not once ... moan about it?"

The Breakers have yet to approach Braswell and Wilkinson about staying on, but the only player definitely not returning is the retiring Paul Henare, the only player left from the first Breakers squad in 2003-04.

Henare said he hoped other New Zealand sports franchises in Australian competitions would take heart - and advice - from the Breakers.

"Maybe the other sport codes should come and talk to Andrej, look at what we've been through in the year, then I guess try and learn from the experiences we've been through."

- NZPA