August 9, 2025 • 11 mins
The Tall Blacks are quarter-final bound at basketball's Asia Cup, after a commanding 118-78 win over Chinese Taipei in Jeddah.
New Zealand led 49-35 at halftime, before outscoring their opponents 69-43 in the second half.
Tall Blacks star Flynn Cameron joined Piney to discuss.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News talks'b.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Three from three for the Tall Blacks and group play
at basketball's FEBA Asian Cup.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Wow. All I can say is this turned into pretty significant.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
High scoring win for New Zealand. My goodness, a very
comprehensive one hundred and eighteen to seventy eight win over
Chinese Taipei. It was a bit of a cagey start,
a close first quarter which the Tall Blacks led nineteen
eighteen after and then they stretched their legs in the
second and third quarters and ended up winning by forty points.
(00:48):
Very comprehensive. They go straight into the quarter finals as
a result of finishing top of their pool. Point guard
Flynn Cameron Yep, you'll recognize the surname. He's Pedow. Cameron's son,
of course, top scored for New Zealand with twenty eight
points and he joins us now. Flynn congratulations on the
then completing a clean sweep and pool play three from three?
(01:10):
Was this the team's best performance of the tournament so far?
Do you think?
Speaker 3 (01:15):
I don't even know how to answer that question. To
be honest, I thought we did as well as a team.
I thought we kept the intensely. We didn't come up
great the first quarter, but we stuck with it. Second quarter,
did a good lead to fourth quarter. They want to
play us by that time we kind of ran them
out the gym. So yeah, it was just good catalyzed
on that. But all in all, all the boys performed
(01:36):
well across the board.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah, tight first order, as you say, just nineteen eighteen
at quarter time, what do you think it took you
a bit of time to get into the game, Probably.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Just adjusting, Probably just adjusting to how how slow they
wanted to play and we wanted to get out and
they're pretty taxical at that point. And then also with
a late night game eleven o'clock, you know, we had
the energy flying, but it was nothing compared to the
Philippines game. Philippines put the energy, they had the crowd,
So it was more us just adjusting to new circumstances,
(02:08):
not having a big crowd being you know, we just
have to rely on one another bringing that energy. And
once we realize that it was you know, I mean
the scoreboard dictated.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
That how do you adjust to a team that wants
to slow things down like Chinese type painted.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
We use our energy on defense, we knuckle down, we'd
be vocal, our closeouts improved. We just feed off each
other's energy. You know, you can just you just tell
when one guy wants to guide the ball, everyone climbs
in and play by play, possession by a possession, you
just start to feeling it and the next thing you know,
(02:45):
we out running. Turn the lobs is good.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yeah, I'm looking at rebound numbers here, and I know
they only tell some of the story about sixty one,
twenty two in your favor, forty two at the defensive end.
You must be stoked without your dominated the boards tonight.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Yeah, we did amazing. We kept them to one shot,
and it was always tough contested shots. We had our
we had our scout in play making. The best players
take tough contested shots, and even there lesser players take
take shots. And then from there we just know we
just got a box out of big seven foot and
(03:21):
maintain those rebounds, and then that leads to our office.
So it's good.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Your stat line flown. I know you probably don't want
to talk about yourself too much, but twenty eight points
nine rebounds I assist a couple of steals. How pleaced
are you with the way you play personally?
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Uh, I mean it's a good, good performance, but you
always look at you always look at go back to
the film. So I'm never going to be too high
about that line. I'm always gonna look back at the film,
look at what I can improve on. And Yeah, at
the end of the day, we came to the Asia
Cup with one goal of mine. Then that's to win gold,
and we're not going to be satisfied to you know,
to that last day. Hopefully we were in that Grand
(03:57):
final game and we'll see what happens from there.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Well, those victory takes you straight into the quarter finals.
You don't have to worry about qualification around to make
the last night. How big an advantage is that you
get a few days off now to prepare for the
quarter finals.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Yeah, it's huge, huge advantage, especially the way we play.
We play. We play ten eleven guys, but we're we're
running the whole time. We're playing full court defense. You know,
on the rise of the shot, we're jamming. So we'll
play we play a very taxing, uh game of basketball,
but we know that our opponents don't want to play
(04:32):
that style. That's why they always want to sew it
down to us getting three days off just would have
focused on our recovery and then get ahead start on
our scout, just knowing who we're going to play next,
and then yeah, I think that just gives us the advantages.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
There's some guys on this team from all over the world.
How do you how do you sit about meshing to
get the combinations you know, in a relatively short time.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Yeah, I'd say we're all from all over the world.
But one thing we have in common is, you know,
we've all come back to play. We we know the
Toll Blacks culture, the brotherhood. We've all got connections to
that family. So I mean, if you you're one of
the new guys, we know we've got a couple a
couple of players that just came into the team and
they're experiencing the culture. But I'd say it becomes relatively easy,
(05:20):
you know, when you when you're on long trips such
as these ones, it becomes how would you say, pretty
easy to just blend and be a part of the culture.
You know, it's effeless for us being from the gener
but say so we all know each other, you know,
basketball is a small world, but I'd say it becomes effortless.
(05:42):
You know, you feel like you just something that you've
always wanted to do, play high level basketball with guys
from the same country as you.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Love that. Love that man. Love that three point percentage
as well? Was good tonight forty thing more than good
forty four percent. How big a stand is that when
you're heading, you know, from beyond the arc and able
to score and big clumps as a team.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
As a team, it's amazing. But we we know how
good we We know each player is capable of hitting
those threes. We know the game style. Judd knows the
game style that we want to play. That's why a
recruited guys that can shoot a free and then also
be able to penetrate and finish out the room. So yes,
you know, it's obviously it's pleasing to see that we're
shooting at the at a high percentage, but at the
(06:24):
same time, it's we expect that because we know how
good we are.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Your your free throw routine really interesting. Yeah, just before
your shoot, you just is it just you bring your
hand down. Is that just to just to calm yourself
before you take the shot?
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Exactly? That exactly that. I feel like that's the only
time in the game where everything's on your time, you know,
so you can really just I just I've been without
routine for the past I don't even know since how
the college, since how that my last year at high school.
Instead of rushing it, I just thought, you know what,
this is my time to just you know, set her
(07:02):
down and it's just me and the hoop.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Well, it's working, man, it's working. How big an influence
has your dad been on you?
Speaker 3 (07:09):
Now? It's been awesome, you know, ever since a young kid,
you know, I've just was all I've known is the
toll Blacks be on us, you know, I'd go watch it. Well,
we didn't know much one more grown up. We just
knew how dad played for the Tour Black Student, how
good he was. But I'd say that's probably his biggest
influence on me and my brother, you know, just remaining
(07:29):
humble at all times, and it always uh you know,
trying to be present and then trying to always have
that uh that ain't goal of mind in terms of
us becoming you know, game from gold, why can't we win?
Why can't we won't go? So yeah, but definitely the
biggest influence on uh myself as a basketball player, but
(07:53):
also as a man. And then it's just awesome because
he's part of the commentary team, so you know, he's
never he's never that far from the Toll Blacks. To
be honest, it's.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Ess actially really interesting listening to on commentary because I
think he's you know, he probably doesn't want to. He
probably doesn't want to, like, you know, to show favoritism.
He hardly talks about you at all. You're getting twenty
eight points and he's trying to deflict to other guys
on the team.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Yeah, you know, that's my dad. But it's funny as
just hearing him talk even in the other games, you know,
like because he's got a great relationship with all of us.
You know, he's he was the head coach previously, and
then before the games or giving him dap ups and
hugs like not just me. I think the first Dame
when I saw him, I gave him a dap up
in a hug. But then I asked me, I saw
Dante give him a dap up in a hug, and
(08:39):
then Taylor Brick gave him a dap up in a hug.
You know that's just that Tour Black's culture. Every time
you see uh one of the alumni part of it,
you always want to, you know, show respect, and that's
that's a big part of the Toll Blacks. Respecting the past,
honoring the prison, setting it.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Up well for the future, absolutely right, or I may
well just for you go so the next three days
or so, you'll you'll have some some refreshment and recuperation.
But then you'll you'll look ahead to whoever it is
that you got in the quarterfinals and start scouting exactly that.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
You know. Number one goal of mine is just making
sure we're all or a healthy or prime now soldery
for when when we do play in three days. But
number one goal right now is just try to get
some great sleep, get some great food into our bodies
and then start the recovery process.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Congrat on another great win, Flynn, and a great performance
from you, mate. Really appreciate you taking the time for
a chat.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Bang.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Have a good bet you have a good day too,
although I guess it's night there now you might be
off to bed. Thanks Flynn. Flynn Cameron there. Game high
twenty eight points as New Zealand Beach Chinese Taipei one
eighteen seventy eight this morning has stat lines so good.
Twenty eight points, nine rebounds, eight assists, a couple of
steals as well. Mahave King was the other one who
(09:53):
stood out in terms of the stats twenty two points,
eight rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block and
just contributions you know here and there. Max Darling with
nine points, Ben Gold good, Tara Boy fourteen points for him,
Taylor Britt with fourteen points. So it's a real team
effort for this tall black side. So as mentioned, what
(10:13):
that does is qualify them direct for the quarterfinals. The
way this tournament is set up as there are four
groups of four the top side, and each of the
groups goes directly into the quarterfinals and the teams that
finish second and third go into some sudden death qualification
to make it through to the quarterfinals. And just checking
(10:35):
the schedule, New Zealand's quarterfinal isn't until Thursday, so whatever
today Sunday, so they've got a bit of time to,
as Flynn said, to refresh and recuperate and then to
scout whoever is they will be playing. They won't know
that of course, until after those qualification games, but they
are through directly to the quarterfinals, as are China. Australia
(10:55):
are looking good as well. They've got one more game
to go tomorrow. They will probably also go straight through
to the quarterfinals and would be you'd have to think
the favorite for the whole thing. But I just love
the way Cameron was talking there. We're here to win it,
We're here to win the Asia carp and why can't we?
I watched them play this morning and yeah, Chinese Taipei
didn't offer a heck of a lot, but I thought
(11:16):
New Zealand was tremendous, really really good. Looking forward to
seeing how they go in their quarterfinal on Thursday.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
For more from Weekends Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk said B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News talks'b.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Three from three for the Tall Blacks and group play
at basketball's FEBA Asian Cup.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Wow. All I can say is this turned into pretty significant.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
High scoring win for New Zealand. My goodness, a very
comprehensive one hundred and eighteen to seventy eight win over
Chinese Taipei. It was a bit of a cagey start,
a close first quarter which the Tall Blacks led nineteen
eighteen after and then they stretched their legs in the
second and third quarters and ended up winning by forty points.
(00:48):
Very comprehensive. They go straight into the quarter finals as
a result of finishing top of their pool. Point guard
Flynn Cameron Yep, you'll recognize the surname. He's Pedow. Cameron's son,
of course, top scored for New Zealand with twenty eight
points and he joins us now. Flynn congratulations on the
then completing a clean sweep and pool play three from three?
(01:10):
Was this the team's best performance of the tournament so far?
Do you think?
Speaker 3 (01:15):
I don't even know how to answer that question. To
be honest, I thought we did as well as a team.
I thought we kept the intensely. We didn't come up
great the first quarter, but we stuck with it. Second quarter,
did a good lead to fourth quarter. They want to
play us by that time we kind of ran them
out the gym. So yeah, it was just good catalyzed
on that. But all in all, all the boys performed
(01:36):
well across the board.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah, tight first order, as you say, just nineteen eighteen
at quarter time, what do you think it took you
a bit of time to get into the game, Probably.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Just adjusting, Probably just adjusting to how how slow they
wanted to play and we wanted to get out and
they're pretty taxical at that point. And then also with
a late night game eleven o'clock, you know, we had
the energy flying, but it was nothing compared to the
Philippines game. Philippines put the energy, they had the crowd,
So it was more us just adjusting to new circumstances,
(02:08):
not having a big crowd being you know, we just
have to rely on one another bringing that energy. And
once we realize that it was you know, I mean
the scoreboard dictated.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
That how do you adjust to a team that wants
to slow things down like Chinese type painted.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
We use our energy on defense, we knuckle down, we'd
be vocal, our closeouts improved. We just feed off each
other's energy. You know, you can just you just tell
when one guy wants to guide the ball, everyone climbs
in and play by play, possession by a possession, you
just start to feeling it and the next thing you know,
(02:45):
we out running. Turn the lobs is good.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yeah, I'm looking at rebound numbers here, and I know
they only tell some of the story about sixty one,
twenty two in your favor, forty two at the defensive end.
You must be stoked without your dominated the boards tonight.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Yeah, we did amazing. We kept them to one shot,
and it was always tough contested shots. We had our
we had our scout in play making. The best players
take tough contested shots, and even there lesser players take
take shots. And then from there we just know we
just got a box out of big seven foot and
(03:21):
maintain those rebounds, and then that leads to our office.
So it's good.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Your stat line flown. I know you probably don't want
to talk about yourself too much, but twenty eight points
nine rebounds I assist a couple of steals. How pleaced
are you with the way you play personally?
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Uh, I mean it's a good, good performance, but you
always look at you always look at go back to
the film. So I'm never going to be too high
about that line. I'm always gonna look back at the film,
look at what I can improve on. And Yeah, at
the end of the day, we came to the Asia
Cup with one goal of mine. Then that's to win gold,
and we're not going to be satisfied to you know,
to that last day. Hopefully we were in that Grand
(03:57):
final game and we'll see what happens from there.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Well, those victory takes you straight into the quarter finals.
You don't have to worry about qualification around to make
the last night. How big an advantage is that you
get a few days off now to prepare for the
quarter finals.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Yeah, it's huge, huge advantage, especially the way we play.
We play. We play ten eleven guys, but we're we're
running the whole time. We're playing full court defense. You know,
on the rise of the shot, we're jamming. So we'll
play we play a very taxing, uh game of basketball,
but we know that our opponents don't want to play
(04:32):
that style. That's why they always want to sew it
down to us getting three days off just would have
focused on our recovery and then get ahead start on
our scout, just knowing who we're going to play next,
and then yeah, I think that just gives us the advantages.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
There's some guys on this team from all over the world.
How do you how do you sit about meshing to
get the combinations you know, in a relatively short time.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Yeah, I'd say we're all from all over the world.
But one thing we have in common is, you know,
we've all come back to play. We we know the
Toll Blacks culture, the brotherhood. We've all got connections to
that family. So I mean, if you you're one of
the new guys, we know we've got a couple a
couple of players that just came into the team and
they're experiencing the culture. But I'd say it becomes relatively easy,
(05:20):
you know, when you when you're on long trips such
as these ones, it becomes how would you say, pretty
easy to just blend and be a part of the culture.
You know, it's effeless for us being from the gener
but say so we all know each other, you know,
basketball is a small world, but I'd say it becomes effortless.
(05:42):
You know, you feel like you just something that you've
always wanted to do, play high level basketball with guys
from the same country as you.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Love that. Love that man. Love that three point percentage
as well? Was good tonight forty thing more than good
forty four percent. How big a stand is that when
you're heading, you know, from beyond the arc and able
to score and big clumps as a team.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
As a team, it's amazing. But we we know how
good we We know each player is capable of hitting
those threes. We know the game style. Judd knows the
game style that we want to play. That's why a
recruited guys that can shoot a free and then also
be able to penetrate and finish out the room. So yes,
you know, it's obviously it's pleasing to see that we're
shooting at the at a high percentage, but at the
(06:24):
same time, it's we expect that because we know how
good we are.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Your your free throw routine really interesting. Yeah, just before
your shoot, you just is it just you bring your
hand down. Is that just to just to calm yourself
before you take the shot?
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Exactly? That exactly that. I feel like that's the only
time in the game where everything's on your time, you know,
so you can really just I just I've been without
routine for the past I don't even know since how
the college, since how that my last year at high school.
Instead of rushing it, I just thought, you know what,
this is my time to just you know, set her
(07:02):
down and it's just me and the hoop.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Well, it's working, man, it's working. How big an influence
has your dad been on you?
Speaker 3 (07:09):
Now? It's been awesome, you know, ever since a young kid,
you know, I've just was all I've known is the
toll Blacks be on us, you know, I'd go watch it. Well,
we didn't know much one more grown up. We just
knew how dad played for the Tour Black Student, how
good he was. But I'd say that's probably his biggest
influence on me and my brother, you know, just remaining
(07:29):
humble at all times, and it always uh you know,
trying to be present and then trying to always have
that uh that ain't goal of mind in terms of
us becoming you know, game from gold, why can't we win?
Why can't we won't go? So yeah, but definitely the
biggest influence on uh myself as a basketball player, but
(07:53):
also as a man. And then it's just awesome because
he's part of the commentary team, so you know, he's
never he's never that far from the Toll Blacks. To
be honest, it's.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Ess actially really interesting listening to on commentary because I
think he's you know, he probably doesn't want to. He
probably doesn't want to, like, you know, to show favoritism.
He hardly talks about you at all. You're getting twenty
eight points and he's trying to deflict to other guys
on the team.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Yeah, you know, that's my dad. But it's funny as
just hearing him talk even in the other games, you know,
like because he's got a great relationship with all of us.
You know, he's he was the head coach previously, and
then before the games or giving him dap ups and
hugs like not just me. I think the first Dame
when I saw him, I gave him a dap up
in a hug. But then I asked me, I saw
Dante give him a dap up in a hug, and
(08:39):
then Taylor Brick gave him a dap up in a hug.
You know that's just that Tour Black's culture. Every time
you see uh one of the alumni part of it,
you always want to, you know, show respect, and that's
that's a big part of the Toll Blacks. Respecting the past,
honoring the prison, setting it.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Up well for the future, absolutely right, or I may
well just for you go so the next three days
or so, you'll you'll have some some refreshment and recuperation.
But then you'll you'll look ahead to whoever it is
that you got in the quarterfinals and start scouting exactly that.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
You know. Number one goal of mine is just making
sure we're all or a healthy or prime now soldery
for when when we do play in three days. But
number one goal right now is just try to get
some great sleep, get some great food into our bodies
and then start the recovery process.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Congrat on another great win, Flynn, and a great performance
from you, mate. Really appreciate you taking the time for
a chat.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Bang.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Have a good bet you have a good day too,
although I guess it's night there now you might be
off to bed. Thanks Flynn. Flynn Cameron there. Game high
twenty eight points as New Zealand Beach Chinese Taipei one
eighteen seventy eight this morning has stat lines so good.
Twenty eight points, nine rebounds, eight assists, a couple of
steals as well. Mahave King was the other one who
(09:53):
stood out in terms of the stats twenty two points,
eight rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block and
just contributions you know here and there. Max Darling with
nine points, Ben Gold good, Tara Boy fourteen points for him,
Taylor Britt with fourteen points. So it's a real team
effort for this tall black side. So as mentioned, what
(10:13):
that does is qualify them direct for the quarterfinals. The
way this tournament is set up as there are four
groups of four the top side, and each of the
groups goes directly into the quarterfinals and the teams that
finish second and third go into some sudden death qualification
to make it through to the quarterfinals. And just checking
(10:35):
the schedule, New Zealand's quarterfinal isn't until Thursday, so whatever
today Sunday, so they've got a bit of time to,
as Flynn said, to refresh and recuperate and then to
scout whoever is they will be playing. They won't know
that of course, until after those qualification games, but they
are through directly to the quarterfinals, as are China. Australia
(10:55):
are looking good as well. They've got one more game
to go tomorrow. They will probably also go straight through
to the quarterfinals and would be you'd have to think
the favorite for the whole thing. But I just love
the way Cameron was talking there. We're here to win it,
We're here to win the Asia carp and why can't we?
I watched them play this morning and yeah, Chinese Taipei
didn't offer a heck of a lot, but I thought
(11:16):
New Zealand was tremendous, really really good. Looking forward to
seeing how they go in their quarterfinal on Thursday.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
For more from Weekends Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk said B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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