Basketballer Lindsay Tait has been one of New Zealand’s most consistent performers over the last decade.

He’s had several seasons in the Tall Blacks since his international debut in 2003; has a string of Most Valuable

Player awards from the New Zealand Basketball League; and has played for three teams in the Australian

Basketball League, including three seasons with the New Zealand Breakers. This year he’ll be lining up with the Wellington Saints in the New Zealand League and is hoping to make the

Tall Blacks for the 2014 season. Injury ruled him out of the national team last year.

Sporting success is not a new feature in Lindsay’s whānau. His grandmother Jane Te Hira (née Maxwell) made history as the first woman to represent New Zealand in three different sporting codes. In the 1950s, she represented New Zealand in hockey, softball and basketball. She was inducted into the Māori Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.

“She’s been a major influence my whole life,” says Lindsay. “And I’m very thankful for the great genes”.

But while he’s played at many large tournaments, and was part of the New Zealand’s silver medal Commonwealth Games team in 2006, being part of the New Zealand Māori Basketball team has provided him with a whole new dimension to the game, and his life. Being part of the team inspired him to head to Ahipara and find out more about his Ngāti Rarawa whakapapa.

“I’ve really enjoyed the basketball, and the chance to learn more about Māori culture.”

“It’s not something I was really brought up with, but it’s been really good,” he says. Māori Basketball New Zealand actively encourages players to value their whakapapa and te reo Māori.

“We want to reinforce the value of whakapapa, te reo Māori and kaupapa Māori in basketball,” says Māori Basketball New Zealand Convenor Willie Taurima.

The organisation was established last year to foster the growth of basketball as a sport of choice for Māori players, coaches, administrators and officials

Activities included organising last year’s Pacific Basketball Championships in Porirua. Supported by Te Puni Kōkiri, the New Zealand Māori Team took out the men’s competition and the women’s team was runner’s up. This month New Zealand Māori Basketball is organising a national Māori tournament in Rotorua, and plans are in the pipeline for age group national Māori teams. “We want to reinforce the value of whakapapa, te reo Māori and kaupapa Māori in basketball,” Willie Taurima .

image: Lindsay Tait (second from left) and team mates. Caption: NZ Māori Mens Team – winners of 2013 Pacific Championships. Lindsay is wearing #4. Photo courtesy of Masanori Udagawa