NZL - Abercrombie nearly lost to basketball

ISTANBUL (FIBA World Championship) - People around the world have enjoyed the aerial exploits of New Zealand’s Thomas Abercrombie at the FIBA World Championship in Turkey, but most aren’t aware how close he came to not being a professional basketballer at all.

“What most people don’t know is that Tom Abercrombie was nearly lost to the sport of basketball,” Lebanon coach Tab Baldwin, the man in charge of Tall Blacks basketball from 2001-06, said after his team’s clash with New Zealand.

It seems the dream of college basketball in the USA at Washington State had turned into a nightmare, with no playing time and little enjoyment. "When he received a scholarship to go and play college basketball he was one of the most excited young men on the planet.

"A year later he was one of the most disillusioned young men," Baldwin said. "In a long phone call from him I found out just how close he was to walking away."

Abercrombie spent just one year in Pullman and returned home to New Zealand. Thankfully, Baldwin was able to put the wheels in motion for the youngster to regain his love of the sport, and he also gives much of the credit to current Tall Blacks coach Nenad Vucinic.

Vucinic is very glad the young jumping jack swayed from his intended course of action, and believes the best of Thomas Abercrombie is still years away. “He is still a young player. A New Zealand 23 year old is like a European 18 year old really, in terms of physical and basketball maturity.

“There are a lot of people who want to take credit for Tom’s development, but the only person who can really take credit is Tom.”

There is a lot to take credit for in a very short time.

Abercrombie is now one of the rising stars of international basketball, currently seventh in the FIBA World Championship in rebounding and 32nd in scoring, and he captured worldwide attention with his remarkable one-handed alley-oop against Lebanon.

He is very thankful to the New Zealand Breakers - the nation’s only professional team who play in the Australian NBL - who took him in during his hour of need, and agrees the result is him living out a dream in Turkey. “Absolutely, the results speak for themselves.

“I was lucky to have a team like the Breakers in my home town. Obviously the organisation is very good and they really supported me through that transition period, and I owe a great deal to the club,” he said.

“We had Phill Jones there, and we have CJ (Bruton) and Kirk (Penney) there in my positions,” he said. “When you are training with guys like that every day you can’t help but improve. They have been around for a long time and they are well proven players on every stage, and it’s been great to rub shoulders with them.”

While the Breakers are a one of the favourites to win the NBL title next season, the only thought on Abercrombie’s mind is beating Russia on Monday night.

“Russia are a very good team, well coached and they have very smart players,” he said. “We know they’ll have a game plan ready to defend us and our challenge is to make sure we are able to stick to our game plan which we know works.”

Whether Russia or the Tall Blacks prevail on Monday night, expect to see a lot more of Thomas Abercrombie.

FIBA