Pero Cameron will go down as one of New Zealand’s most celebrated players after leaving his mark on the international stage as well as on home soil.
The list of achievements is a long one but there are some historic moments that we will all remember. Pero captained the Tall Blacks to an incredible 4th place finish at the 2002 FIBA World Cup, New Zealand’s highest ever finish at this event. At the conclusion of the tournament, he was named in the All-Star 5 alongside NBA stars Dirk Nowitzki and Manu Ginobili. He went on to represent New Zealand at two more World Cups in 2006 and 2010.
Pero is a two-time Olympian having played for the Tall Blacks at the 2000 Sydney Games and 2004 Athens Games. Pero also led the Tall Blacks to their highest finish at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, claiming silver.
Back home in the domestic NBL league, he burst onto the scene in 1992 and was named Rookie of the Year. He would then go on to dominate the league for the next 15 years, winning nine NZNBL titles and five MVPs during his spells with Waikato and Auckland.
He also spent time overseas playing in Turkey, Iran, Australia and the UK, where he won a British League title with the Chester Jets.
Pero has transitioned into coaching and is now a member of the Tall Blacks staff and Head Coach of the New Zealand U17 Girls Team. It is an exciting time for basketball in this country and Pero’s involvement with our current stars will ensure the game’s future is in good hands.
In 2011 he was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Six years later he was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame. The only New Zealander to have ever received this accolade.
