Ben Simmons’ role in fierce rivalry that’s set to be reignited as Boomers take on Tall Blacks for World Cup qualification
This article was originally published by basketball.com.au and is reproduced with permission
The stage is set for another instalment in the great rivalry between the Australian Boomers and New Zealand Tall Blacks.
With an incredible history behind them, the two teams will face-off in a two-game series starting Friday night in Hobart before the return clash in New Zealand on December 1.
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The heated rivalry has featured everything from upset wins with a World Championships spot on the line, all-in brawls and playing in front of an NBA-type crowd, so in the lead up to another series, we took a look at the top five moments in the Boomers vs Tall Blacks history.
5. A FIERY 2011 CLASH IN MELBOURNE
There’s no secret that sometimes this heated rivalry can lead to physical confrontation, and a clash in Melbourne in 2011 might have been one of the most fiery meetings between the Boomers and Tall Blacks.
In a battle at the Victorian State Netball Centre to qualify for the Olympic Games, the Boomers easily won the opening game of the FIBA Oceania Championship series 91-78. But that wasn’t the story of the game.
Tensions simmered from the opening tip before a spate of incidents throughout the game, with several involving Tall Blacks enforcer Mark Dickel, who was ejected after launching at a young Matthew Dellavedova before skipper Matthew Nielsen stepped in. It was Dickel’s second incident in the game.
Matthew Nielsen clashes with Mark Dickel in a physical altercation in the fiery 2011 match. Getty
There was also another clash between big men Mark Worthington and Casey Frank.
Australia, led by Patty Mills, won the series and went on to the 2021 London Olympic Games but if there was ever a game which was typical of the nature of the rivalry between the Boomers and Tall Blacks, this was it. No matter how uneven the sides are, it is a battle from the tip-off to the final siren.
4. ROD LAVER ARENA SELL-OUT – 2015
More than 15,000 people packed into Rod Laver Arena to watch a FIBA Oceania Championships clash between the Boomers and Tall Blacks, in the biggest attendance to watch a meeting between the two teams.
Excitement was at an all-time high with the Boomers featuring NBA stars Andrew Bogut, Patty Mills and Matthew Dellavedova. Despite the excitement, fans weren’t treated to an offensive masterclass with Australia winning a low-scoring 71-59 defensive slug.
Corey Webster was exceptional for the Tall Blacks while Mills, David Andersen and Dellavedova led the way for Australia, who then went on to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Boomers players look on as the Tall Blacks perform the Haka in the 2015 game in Melbourne. Getty
3. BEN SIMMONS’ BOOMERS DEBUT – 2013
It left all Australian basketball fans wanting more, a dream that hasn’t come true, but Ben Simmons’ debut for the Boomers in the 2013 FIBA Oceania Championship series was one to remember.
Taking to the court at 17-years-old, Simmons showed a glimpse of what was to come, playing limited minutes off the bench but making the most of that time. He took the court alongside the likes of Patty Mills, Joe Ingles, David Andersen, Matthew Dellavedova, Dante Exum and more.
The Australian team would feature eight talents who had or would go on to have NBA experience.
Australia won the series 2-0, with the opening game at Auckland’s North Shore Events Centre, where Tall Blacks forward Reuben Te Rangi went nose-to-nose with Simmons during the Haka. The man, who would go on to become a three-time NBA All-Star, showed no signs of fear, even wiping his nose after the confrontation in an iconic scene for the Boomers vs Tall Blacks rivalry.
For the record, Patty Mills top-scored in both games with 21 points and 20 points respectively.
A 17-year-old Ben Simmons gives a rare glimpse of his talent in a Boomers jersey. Getty
2. NEW ZEALAND’S HISTORIC UPSET SERIES WIN – 2001
It will go down as arguably the greatest win in the history of the New Zealand Tall Blacks.
A rivalry that had been lopsided for so many years, the Tall Blacks turned the tide in 2001 winning an epic FIBA Oceania Championship series 2-1 to qualify for the 2002 FIBA World Championships and keep the Boomers out of the tournament.
The Tall Blacks, led by New Zealand legends such as Pero Cameron, Paul Henare and Dillon Boucher, completed a fairytale series win where they won the opener 85-79, let the second game slip as Australia took an 81-79 overtime victory, then bounced back in game three with a memorable 89-78 win over Australia.
Australia didn’t field a first-choice team, it needs to be said, but the green and gold still included stars such as Brett Maher, Darryl McDonald, Glen Saville and Matthew Nielsen.
Darryl McDonald couldn’t prevent a huge upset loss for the Boomers. Getty
It was a historic moment for the Tall Blacks, who would then go on to make it all the way to the FIBA World Championship semi-finals in Indianapolis in 2002, losing to eventual champions Yugoslavia. The tournament is famously known in New Zealand basketball history as the Pero Cameron tournament, where he put himself on NBA radars after making the All-Tournament Team.
1. JASON SMITH’S CLUTCH TRIPLE IN ’06 COMMONWEALTH GAMES FINAL
Another instalment of the great trans-Tasman rivalry was the final of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
Everyone knew before the tournament, it was going to be an Australia vs New Zealand final, and the decider did not disappoint.
Both teams featured some absolute legends of the sport in their country and it showed the way the final trended. Australia started hot with a double-digit lead after the first quarter in front of a raucous crowd but the Tall Blacks battled right back in the second quarter. It then went basket-for-basket for much of the second half and the game sat on a knife’s edge, with a 76-76 tie for minutes late in the fourth quarter.
That was until Jason Smith hit a clutch three-pointer to break the tie, which was then enough for Australia to record an 81-76 victory and take away the gold medal on home soil.
Jason Smith celebrates his golden game winner at the Commonwealth Games with PM John Howard. Getty
