Former Tall Black Mark Dickel has defended Basketball New Zealand in the wake of a national backlash fuelled by criticism from Steven Adams.
In his autobiography Steven Adams: My Life, My Fight, Adams confirmed that he had snubbed New Zealand's national basketball team because of a grudge against Basketball NZ for not being able to financially support him at a young age.
"I couldn't afford it. To represent New Zealand as a young athlete costs a lot of money, not just in basketball but in all sports," the Oklahoma City Thunder star said.
"Some might expect me to be the Basketball New Zealand poster child, but I did the opposite of rising through the ranks of the junior national teams. Being in a national team is far too expensive for most kids – me included."
![Mark Dickel said many sports have the same issues as Basketball New Zealand. Photo / Getty](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/PKP2RDAIGJJNJ73O5XW73YPCLU.jpg?auth=21e0823e03657e5a19bc03648be6ded5c312b616aff5f114da01d44e576370c1&width=16&height=12&quality=70&smart=true)