Tall Blacks Head coach Pero Cameron. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Pero Cameron is standing down as Tall Blacks coach after five years in charge to take up a club coaching role in China.
Former playing great Cameron ends a coaching association with the men's national team that dates back to 2011, when he began serving eight years as assistant coach.
As head coach, he opened with a win over Australia and went on to amass a 22-16 win-loss record, with the highlights including a bronze medal finish at the 2022 Asia Cup in Jakarta and a 22nd overall placing at the World Cup in the Philippines last year.
With the end of the current Olympic cycle in sight, Cameron chose to accept an offer to coach the Ningbo Rockets in the Chinese Basketball Association for the 2024/25 season.
Pero Cameron of New Zealand takes part in a training session at the Basketball World Cup in China. Photo: Photosport
The 50-year-old paid tribute to a long list of people who had influenced his New Zealand coaching career.
"To all my coaches but especially Tab Baldwin, Nenad Vucinic and Pauli Henare, thank you for your unwavering support, mentoring and friendship over the years," Cameron said in a statement.
"To the players... thank you for embracing the culture that we have cultivated within the Tall Blacks programme and appreciating the value of what it means to wear the singlet and represent your country."
Basketball New Zealand chief executive - and Cameron's long-time former Tall Blacks team-mate - Dillon Boucher said Cameron created a culture of excellence within the Tall Blacks.
"Under Pero's guidance, the Tall Blacks have risen to 21st place in the FIBA basketball men's world rankings, and that's a massive achievement," Boucher said.
"Basketball is a global sport and it's continually growing across so many countries, so to be ranked as one of the 25 best teams in the world is something that Pero can be immensely proud of."