Sport thriving two decades on from historic win over Russia

EXCITEMENT grew and a quiet confidence lingered among New Zealand basketball’s faithful.

It was 20 years ago today that those fans turned on their television sets, watching with anticipation as the Tall Blacks tipped off their 2002 world championship campaign against

Russia. The tournament, in Indianapolis, was the first time New Zealand had competed on the ultimate world stage since its only other showing in 1986.

The buildup had gone well, the Tall Blacks netting wins over several top opponents, including Yugoslavia and Germany.

It was their 9081 win on that fateful day, over the world’s fifthranked team, that set the next two weeks in motion.

By the time they tipped off against Yugoslavia in the semifinals, interest had spread much wider than just the faithful.

The star players had become household names and, for the first time, New Zealand saw it could compete with the basketball world’s best.

The Tall Blacks lost that semifinal, to the eventual champion, going on to finish fourth — ahead of both Spain and the United States.

Twenty years on, basketball is in a remarkably healthy state in New Zealand.

More and more people are playing the game, consuming the game and going places with the game. But it did not all happen straight away.

In our series, we will reflect on that glorious campaign and look at the subsequent evolution of New Zealand basketball through the lens of some of those closest to it.

This is the tale of the Miracle of Indy. But even more so, this is what happened next — the legacy of New Zealand’s finest basketball moment.

µ Jeff Cheshire finished as Otago Daily Times basketball writer on Friday. He bust a gut to get this feature series completed before he clocked off.