Bob Bishop has achieved excellence across many levels of the sport as a player, coach and administrator.
As a basketball coach of domestic and international teams over a 26-year span, Bob developed three qualities that aided his coaching:
He knew and understood how players learned from his teaching background and as a qualified sports scientist (Masters in Biomechanics from Iowa University) developed an understanding of mental and physical conditioning.
Bob’s teams were always fundamentally sound and well prepared. He won four out of a possible five National Championships in his time coaching for Canterbury.
He also coached the University of Canterbury Men’s team from 1979-1988 and then the Victoria University Men’s team from 1990-1996.
From there he went on to coach the New Zealand team at the 1986 FIBA Men’s World Cup in Spain, holding the head coach role from 1985-1987 and again 1992 and 1993.
He was an assistant coach for three years prior to the top job – the 1983 team won the Kirin Tournament in Japan and the same year a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Basketball Tournament.
Bob was also the President of the National Association of Coaches during the early ‘80s. He wrote and produced the Level 1 & 2 Basketball Coach Accreditation Courses which were utilised to train scores of coaches between 1980-2012.
In 1996, with increased professional responsibilities and travel commitments, he stood down from team coaching.
However eight or nine years ago he answered a call from Porirua High School and was thrilled to go back and work with young players again. The next year he assisted one of his former NZ players, Frank Mulvihill, in coaching the Porirua U15 Boys and for the last seven years has mentored Porirua representative coaches.
Bob takes great satisfaction from the feedback he has received from former players that the lessons and experiences they gained on the basketball court not only made them “winners” in games but also made a significant difference to their successes in life.
