Coach: Tab Baldwin
Lets start with the top. Coach Tab Baldwin was born in America and moved here to coach several of our domestic teams. In 2001 he was appointed coach of the Tall Blacks and really began making a name for himself. The team defeated Australia that year to qualify for the 2002 World Championships where they went on to defeat such names as Russia, China and Germany to finish fourth - two places higher than the United States. He later moved to the Middle East where he coached in the Turkish league and also the Lebanese and Jordan national teams before returning home, to New Zealand.Centre: Steven Adams
Sure he's only 19 but last year he was being talked about as a top-10 NBA draft pick. Since then his stock may have fallen and he will likely end up around 19th, but 19th in the NBA is still good enough any day to walk onto my New Zealand starting five. Oh, and he is also 7 foot.Power Forward: Sean Marks
The most NBA experienced Kiwi ever, Sean Marks played for six NBA clubs over fourteen seasons before retiring in 2011. A Mr fix-it man, he played in 230 games but only started eleven. He was part of the 2004-05 champion San Antonio Spurs, whose singlets look a little like the Tall Blacks. Coincidence? Probably.Small Forward: Kirk Penney
A product of Westlake Boys' High School, Penney also spent some time in the NBA, for Miami and the Clippers. More recently he spent four seasons with the New Zealand Breakers but now ply's his trade in the Turkish league.Shooting Guard: Thomas Abercrombie
Like the other three, Abercrombie attended college in America. He returned home in 2008 to join the Breakers, where he has remained since. Abercrombie is easily one of the best three players in the Australiasian league but, while there have been whispers now and then of scouts and trials, it doesn't appear as if he will ever make the pros in America.Point Guard: Phill Jones
The highest New Zealand point scorer in the Australasian league, Jones was deadly with his three point shoot and was one of the stars of the Tall Blacks run in 2002. An original Breaker, Jones went on to have success with the Cairns Taipans.Bench
Pero Cameron (Centre/Forward): More the size of a rugby union prop forward, Cameron didn't let that stop him and was the captain of the 2002 side.Paul Henare (Guard): An original Breaker, Henare was the first player to have his number retired by the club when he retired in 2011.
Dillon Boucher (Foward): Proving that being hard working is more important than being talented, Boucher's will likely be the next number retired when he hangs it up at the end of this season.
Mika Vukona (Forward): The current captain of the Tall Blacks,Vukona played his 200th game for the Breakers this year.
Angela Marino (Guard): A former Tall Fern, Marino is mainly in the team because it allows me to leave you with these;
