New Zealand men's national basketball team

At the 2006 FIBA World Championship, the Tall Blacks were not to repeat their fourth-place finish from 2002. After an 0–3 start, the Tall Blacks rallied into the second round, with two straight wins to close out the group stage. However, they would fall in the round of 16 to the defending Olympic gold medalists Argentina, 79–62. After that disappointment, Tab Baldwin resigned as the head coach of the Tall Blacks, and was replaced by Nenad Vučinić, his longtime assistant coach.

The squad competed at the 2011 Boris Stanković Cup in China. They played 3 games against difficult opposition, China, Russia, and Angola. After going down to Russia in the first game by just 3 points, the Tall Blacks quickly put that behind them, to smash China in their second game, which led to a good win against a strong Angolan team. The Tall Blacks came up against a strong Russian team in the final, but the Russians were no match for Tall Blacks star shooting guard Kirk Penney, as he scored 30 points, to give the Tall Blacks the win and the gold medal for 2011.

• 2000 Summer Olympic Games: 11th
• 2004 Summer Olympic Games: 10th

• 1986 FIBA World Championship: 21st
• 2002 FIBA World Championship: 4th
• 2006 FIBA World Championship: 16th
• 2010 FIBA World Championship: 12th
• 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup: 15th
• 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup: 19th
• 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup: TBD

• 2006 Commonwealth Games: Runners-up
• 2018 Commonwealth Games: Third Place

• 2007 Stanković Cup: Fifth Place
• 2011/2 Stanković Cup: Champions
• 2015 Stanković Cup: Champions

• 2000 William Jones Cup: Champions

• 2019 AusTiger International Basketball Tournament: Third Place

Roster for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

New Zealand national basketball team – 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club Ctr. G 0 Webster, Tai 24 – (1995-05-29)29 May 1995 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) Galatasaray F 3 Delany, Finn 24 – (1995-08-12)August 12, 1995 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) New Zealand Breakers PG 5 Ili, Shea 26 – (1992-10-06)October 6, 1992 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) Melbourne United PG 6 Kenny, Jarrod 33 – (1985-09-17)17 September 1985 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) Cairns Taipans SG 9 Webster, Corey (C) 30 – (1988-11-29)29 November 1988 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) New Zealand Breakers SF 10 Abercrombie, Thomas 32 – (1987-07-05)5 July 1987 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) New Zealand Breakers C 14 Loe, Robert 28 – (1991-08-05)5 August 1991 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) New Zealand Breakers PF 16 Smith-Milner, Tohi 23 – (1995-10-06)October 6, 1995 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) Melbourne United SF 20 Ngatai, Jordan 26 – (1993-03-07)March 7, 1993 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) New Zealand Breakers SG 25 Rusbatch, Ethan 27 – (1992-05-04)4 May 1992 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) Hawke's Bay Hawks C 35 Pledger, Alex 32 – (1987-03-27)March 27, 1987 2.15 m (7 ft 1 in) Melbourne United PF 42 Fotu, Isaac 25 – (1993-12-18)18 December 1993 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) Universo Treviso Basket	Head coach Paul Henare Assistant coach(es) Pero Cameron Ross McMains Legend (C) Team captain Club – describes last club before the tournament Age – describes age on 31 August 2019

Probably the most well-known former New Zealand Tall Black player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) is former San Antonio Spurs forward Sean Marks. Another New Zealand player, former University of Wisconsin star Kirk Penney, briefly played in the NBA, and later played in the EuroLeague with Maccabi Tel Aviv and Žalgiris, after being released by the New Zealand Breakers. In past generations, players such as Stan Hill and Glen Denham, were well revered and respected players, who were the face of New Zealand basketball.

• Ed Book – National Basketball League and Tall Blacks legend
• Pero Cameron – 2002 FIBA World Championship All-Tournament Team, 2-time assistant coach (reappointed for his second stint in 2015, served as assistant to predecessor, Nenad Vucinic), named Head Coach in December, 2019.
• Glen Denham – Tall Blacks legend
• Mark Dickel – Tall Blacks star
• Paul Henare – Former New Zealand Breakers captain, head coach from 2015 to 2019
• Dillon Boucher – Former New Zealand Breakers player, General Manager of the New Zealand Breakers, Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit
• Stan Hill – Tall Blacks legend
• Phill Jones – Former Cairns Taipans captain
• Sean Marks – Former National Basketball Association player
• Kirk Penney – Former National Basketball Association player
• Frank Mulvihill – Tall Blacks legend
• Paora Winitana – Tall Blacks star, changed the Haka in 2006, only player to not play on Sundays due to religious reasons. [Other than (at least) Byron Vaetoe and Tony Smith.]

1986 World Championship: finished 21st among 24 teams

Gilbert Gordon, Peter Pokai, Stan Hill, Neil Stephens, Dave Edmonds, Ian Webb, Dave Mason, Tony Smith, Colin Crampton, Frank Mulvihill, Glen Denham, John Rademakers (Head Coach: Robert Bishop)

2000 Olympic Games: finished 11th among 12 teams

Sean Marks, Pero Cameron, Mark Dickel, Phill Jones, Kirk Penney, Robert Hickey, Nenad Vučinić, Tony Rampton, Paul Henare, Brad Riley, Ralph Lattimore, Peter Pokai (Head Coach: Keith Mair)

2002 World Championship: finished 4th among 16 teams

Sean Marks, Pero Cameron, Mark Dickel, Phill Jones, Kirk Penney, Robert Hickey, Dillon Boucher, Damon Rampton, Ed Book, Paul Henare, Paora Winitana, Judd Flavell (Head Coach: Tab Baldwin)

2004 Olympic Games: finished 10th among 12 teams

Sean Marks, Mark Dickel, Phill Jones, Pero Cameron, Kirk Penney, Dillon Boucher, Ed Book, Paul Henare, Paora Winitana, Tony Rampton, Aaron Olson, Craig Bradshaw (Head Coach: Tab Baldwin)

2006 World Championship: finished 16th among 24 teams

Kirk Penney, Pero Cameron, Phill Jones, Mark Dickel, Casey Frank, Paul Henare, Dillon Boucher, Paora Winitana, Tony Rampton, Craig Bradshaw, Aaron Olson, Mika Vukona (Head Coach: Tab Baldwin)

2010 World Championship: finished 12th among 24 teams

Thomas Abercrombie, Benny Anthony, Craig Bradshaw, Pero Cameron, Michael Fitchett, Casey Frank, Phill Jones, Jeremy Kench, Kirk Penney, Alex Pledger, Lindsay Tait, Mika Vukona (Head Coach: Nenad Vučinić)

New Zealand Tall Blacks – 2015 FIBA Oceania Championship roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club PG 0 Ili, Shea 22 – (1992-10-06)6 October 1992 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) New Zealand Breakers G/F 1 Te Rangi, Reuben 20 – (1994-10-14)14 October 1994 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) Brisbane Bullets PG 4 Tait, Lindsay 33 – (1982-01-08)8 January 1982 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) Super City Rangers SG 5 Bartlett, Everard 29 – (1986-02-06)6 February 1986 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) Southland Sharks PG 6 Kenny, Jarrod 29 – (1985-09-17)17 September 1985 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) Perth Wildcats F 7 Vukona, Mika (C) 33 – (1982-05-13)13 May 1982 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) New Zealand Breakers G 9 Webster, Corey 26 – (1988-11-29)29 November 1988 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) New Zealand Breakers SF 10 Abercrombie, Thomas 28 – (1987-07-05)5 July 1987 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) New Zealand Breakers F/C 11 Wynyard, Tai 17 – (1998-02-05)5 February 1998 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) Kentucky Wildcats F/C 12 Fotu, Isaac 21 – (1993-12-18)18 December 1993 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) CAI Zaragoza G/F 13 Prewster, Dion 25 – (1990-01-10)10 January 1990 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) Wellington Saints C 14 Loe, Robert 24 – (1991-08-05)5 August 1991 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) New Zealand Breakers	Head coach Paul Henare Assistant coach(es) Pero Cameron Ross McMains Mike Fitchett Video analyst Judd Flavell Scout Tim Fanning Strength and conditioning coach Gavin Cross Doctor Dr. Sam Mayhew Physiotherapist Anousith Bouaphone Team manager Andrew Dewhurst Operations manager Peter Kadar Groupie/Ball bag Greg Elliot Cultural ambassador Paora Winitana Legend (C) Team captain Club – describes last club before the tournament Age – describes age on 15 August 2015

2015: Peak[2]