Basketball New Zealand is honoured to be represented in the list of finalists for the upcoming Halberg Awards, with the youngest ever player to pull on the Tall Blacks singlet named in the finalists for SKYNEXT Emerging Talent for 2015.
Tai Wynyard is at University of Kentucky, as he works hard to impress during the early weeks of his scholarship at the leading American College basketball programme and sent a message back home upon hearing of his inclusion in the list of finalists.
“This is an honour for me, for my family and for those that have helped me progress to where I am now in basketball. There are so many people who have played a part, from everyone at Rangitoto College, to the Breakers family, to Basketball New Zealand and of course my own family – without their support and guidance I would not be where I am today. Mum and Dad are a constant inspiration to me in everything I am trying to achieve.
“I am just starting out in my career and have so many goals to achieve in the years ahead. Right now I am just concentrating on working hard every day to improve and impress my coaches and teachers at the Wildcats (University of Kentucky), but this is a great honour and very humbling to be recognized back home on a night when the best in New Zealand sport will be on stage.”
Wynyard enjoyed a stellar 2015, being a part of the Breakers wider roster that won the Australian National Basketball League, leading his Rangitoto College team to the National Secondary Schools title and touring with the Tall Blacks to win the Stankovic Cup in China along the road to the Oceania Series against Australia. He was also a member of the World Championship winning U18 3X3 team, alongside Matt Freeman, Sam Timmins and Nikau McCullough, with the 17 year old being named Tournament MVP.
Basketball New Zealand CEO Iain Potter said Wynyard is deserving of his place amongst New Zealand’s best sporting talent at the Halbergs.
“Tai is an incredible young man from an amazing family. He is one of a number of emerging young players, men and women, who are going to take our game to the next level over the next ten years or so. Given all he has achieved in the game already, we sometimes forget just how young he is and at 17 he has the world at his feet. We wish him every success on the night at the Halbergs and of course in his new environment at Kentucky and wherever the game will take him in the future.
“This is yet another reminder of the place that our sport can play in the hearts and minds of New Zealanders. The Tall Blacks and Tall Ferns programmes were both successful and well received by the public in 2015 and we won a second FIBA U18 World 3X3 Championships. Add to that recent coverage of the huge numbers of young players heading to America on scholarships and then on to professional leagues around the world highlights the strides our game is taking on a truly global stage, not to mention the success closer to home with the Breakers.”
