New Zealand head coach Paul Henare said that he is honored to have coached against his former mentor Tab Baldwin during the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Manila, Philippines.
“It was an honor to coach against such a great friend and mentor of mine. I take pride in the fact that the two of us are coaching at this level,” Henare said Wednesday.
The Tall Blacks defeated Gilas Pilipinas, 89-80, on Wednesday night to tie France in Group B of the tournament with 1-0 records.
Four players scored in double-digits for New Zealand, which controlled the game from start to finish. Tai Webster led the Tall Blacks with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists while his brother Corey had 23 points on 50 percent shooting.
Henare, who played for Baldwin under the Auckland Stars in the past, also shared that as a companion, it was not easy seeing Baldwin end up on the losing end.
“It’s a little bit of mixed emotions. I’ve known Tab for a long time, 20 years. I’ve played for him,” Henare said.
Baldwin had coached in New Zealand for two decades, and led the Tall Blacks to the 2002 FIBA World Championship semifinals. Baldwin also produced an All-Star five member in that tournament in Pero Cameron, now one of Henare’s assistants.
“We started off as coach and player but we became really close friends so anytime, from a competitive point of view, you coach or compete against your friend, you want to have bragging rights, but at the same time, I am feeling for him right now,” Henare said.
Henare added he expected a difficult fight against the Philippines. The mentor felt grateful to have his team perform in front of a basketball-loving archipelago.
“Just the passion and excitement from the fans, it’s humbling to see this whole nation (rooting) for basketball and for their home team. We knew we are going to be in for a battle,” he said. “I just want to thank the people of Manila and the Philippines.”
