The Wellington Saints will wrap up round robin of the National Basketball League on Sunday when hosting Southland at TSB Arena.
The Saints have already secured a home playoff game on Friday July 19th in Wellington.
Sunday's game will see the Saints’ full roster available for the first time this season, including the return of Izayah Le'afa from Tall Blacks duties, and Troy Plumtree's return from New Zealand's historic fourth place at the Under 17 Basketball World Cup.
Le'afa joined Adam Cooper to talk about the experience at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Wellington's All Sport Breakfast, tweeted Adam Cooper thanks to Rutherford
and Bond Toyota and King Toyota on News Talk ZB
twenty seven past eight talking Saints basketball now hair on
the Allsport Breakfasts and the team has secured already with
(00:20):
a Round to spare a home playoff in the National
Basketball League. That'll be this coming Friday, the nineteenth at
TESP Arena. Their opponents still to be determined after this
weekend's games, but great that the Saints can be back
at home playing playoff basketball after the format was slightly tweaked. Obviously,
Previously it had been the sort of neutral venue for
(00:40):
a whole few days of playoff basketball, but yeap, things
are separate now home and away playoff NBL basketball fixtures brilliant.
So it'll be back in Wellington this coming Friday night
and the Saints will wrap up round robin though tomorrow
afternoon against Southland at TSB Arena. And quite remarkably, the
(01:01):
Saints will be having their first game of the season
with their full roster. Everyone that's part of the squad
and available will be there for the Saints for the
first time this year. There's been players away on representative duties,
national duties. There's been injuries and things, but finally the
Saints will have the chance to have their full roster
on show for this final regular season game of the season.
(01:21):
And one of those players back after a pretty awesome experience,
is Isaiah Leafa. Isaiah was with the Tall Blacks last
week at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece. Fortunately, the
All Blacks didn't get through in the end with that
one spot up for grabs, but an amazing win over Croatia,
but then an incredible experience when the Tall Blacks lost
(01:42):
to Slovenia, they were up against five time NBA All
Star Luca don checho Is from the Dallas Mavericks. He
put a triple double on the Tall Blacks. But an
experience that I'm sure most of those team members in
the Tall Blacks will not forget. I caught up with
Isiah Learf yesterday about that experience and the Saints run
(02:03):
to the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Isaiah, welcome back home.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
What an amazing couple of weeks on a lot of
levels over and over in Grace.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Have you sort of circle it all up as you
come back here.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Yeah, it's definitely in the amazing experience.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
I mean, going away putting on the black jersey's always
special and always blessed and grateful to be able to
do that.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
And no, I mean it was an amazing experience.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
The group we had was like tight and just being
able to play against you know, some of the best
in the world. Obviously Luca Donta has been one of
those players. He's just an amazing player. And it was
a tough game against them, but you know, the game
before that, we played Croatia and no one really thought
we were going to win it at all, and even
the commentators everyone, you know, kind of picked us out
and we're always going to be the underdog. So you know,
it was a good win for us as a team
(02:42):
and just as a country too.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
So it was an amazing experience.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Yeah, how special was that, especially when you look at
the scoreboard and you see so many guys like yourself
contributing some real big figures.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Yeah, I mean, credit to the team. You know, we
kind of put in the work. We had a pre
pre camp in Finland and Poland and being able to
just learn the system obviously new system coming in and
being able to do that and translate it to you know,
actual game when it matters. I thought it was an
amazing opportunity and took every piece by hand.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
You talked about the commentators, the people around. I'm sure
you heard some of the noise. People kind of wrote
a lot a lot of the time would write the
tall blacks off in a game like that.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Does that play on your minds and inspire and motivate?
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Yeah, I didn't really.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
As a group, we didn't even pay attention to kind
of the outside noise. We just believe that we were
going to win. And you know, that was our mindset
going into the game, into the tournament, as you know,
this is our game to win. And obviously there was
a tight game, up and down, up and down, but
you know, the end results were kind of able to
come well with the wind, and I thought it was
huge for us as a team and just as a
nation being able to kind of beat the team like that.
(03:41):
And they had a few NBA players too, so it
was kind of an amazing opportunity to do that.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Didn't have much time to celebrate because it was that
very daylight at Slovenia and Luca don chich As you
mentioned how do you even prepare for a game like
that against a five time NBA all start.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Yeah, that was crazy. It was just surreal. You know.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Obviously playing against Luca was I mean dream come true,
you know, just kind of for any any kid you
know that's been watching obviously the NBA Finals and seeing
how he plays. And it was a quick turn around
for us, So we didn't really have much preparation, but
we did what we could have and obviously the result
didn't go our way, but we still gave it everything
and fall to the very end. And being able just
to play a Green's greats like that. Even in the hotel,
(04:19):
you know, you're walking around and you just see him.
Yana's just around eating dinner like food common area was
just crazy. Have being in the elevator with Jana's too
was you know, he's definitely a huge, huge body, And no,
it's definitely it's a real moment.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
I mean, And then being on the receiving end of
the Luca Dantre at triple double, I mean, no one
ever wants to be on the loser's shape, but is
that somewhat of a special experience.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Obviously being able to watch him on TV and be
one of the best players in the world at the moment.
Being able to go against him is obviously an amazing opportunity.
And yeah, he had a crazy triple double against us,
but I mean that's kind of what he does, and
just kind of grateful for the opportunity to be able to,
you know, go against him because you do watch him
on TV and then all these kids do watch him
and like, wow, he's just an amazing So no, definitely
(05:01):
been able to do that was surreal moment.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
It's so tough getting into the Olympics.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
You know, there was only one spot up for grabs
at that whole tournament itself. Do you feel with you know,
the younger talent coming through in New Zealand that it
will be an achievable goal one day for New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
To be back at the Olympics for basketball.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
I mean, obviously it's the twelve best teams that go
to it, you know, every four years, and I think
we just got to the way that the under seventeenms
whin at their World Cup. I think the future is
definitely bright and bust will just continues to grow in
New Zealand and US be in a small country, it's
always going to be the underdogs and be overlooked from everyone,
So just being able to kind of have that as
the back pocket type thing and chip on your shoulder,
I think. I think it's in a great place right now,
(05:36):
and it's obviously just going to keep getting better and
better with more you know, kids going over to college
and playing professional at a young age and just being
able to get the exposure.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
I think, yeah, it's definitely in a great.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Hands and also in a great space your own to
the form and career. Obviously, Sidney kings for you this
upcoming season, one of the AMBL heavyweights. How excited a
you to be to be joining them of it later.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
In the year.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Yeah, definitely super excited.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
Obviously got business here to finish, but definitely grateful for
the opportunity to be able to go to Sydney and
obviously two years ago played them in the final and
lost in the game five against them, But I mean
the organization's top of the top and just their fan
base looks amazing, So no, I'm definitely excited to go
there and be coached under Brian Gorgon. Obviously, the Australian
legend and just see what it's like over there. And
(06:18):
I'm definitely excited.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
All they'll be like coming to tear spare in for
that game against the Breakers, but not only your old team,
but yeah, yeah you're Wellington home ground.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
Yeah, I'm definitely excited for that. That was you know,
one one game that Jordi and Paul kind of told
me about that was in the works and working, and
once you know, they confirmed that, I was like over
the moon just being able to come back home, you know,
obviously playing at home and playing against you know, a
former team, and I think it's going to be a
special moment. And there's also other two other dudes on
(06:45):
Sydney that played for the Saints too, so it's definitely
going to be a I mean a surreal moment just
being other, you know, one of the NBL games in Wellington.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
And he's on an EBL crunch time Saints begger last
time game against Southland.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
How how important is this and how have.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
You sort of slotted back in and he'd have hopefully
a few more games to come once playoff start.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
Yeah, it's going to be a you know, obviously when
I build some momentum going into the playoffs and those
games are important just kind of get the chemistry back.
And this is the first time I think in a
while we've actually had a full squad. Kind of had
so many injuries throughout the year and people away, people win,
So I think this will be the first match that
we're actually all together at once, and I think we're
looking forward to it just to kind of regroup and
(07:23):
reconnect and get familiar with the players again and then
you know, heading to the playoffs. But no, the game
is definitely important, just to get some momentum going forward.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
What do you conduce to schedule? How do you sort
of make sure you're staying in good shot? You know,
you went straight from AMBL he zeal on NBL Tall Blacks.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
You know.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
How's the body getting through the year?
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Yeah, yeah, it's definitely.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
I like to think myself as being young and just
being able to get through it, but kind of just
recovery and making sure the body stays right and trying
to get forward and just be mentally strong in a way.
But no, definitely it's been a lot of basketball over
the past year or two, just from World Cup to
here to NBL and But no, I mean it's always good,
going to work with a good group of guys. They
make it so much easier and just being able to
(08:01):
enjoy the time on court and off the court. So
I mean they make it pretty easy.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
And how special does it just be able to reconnect
with your friends and family when you are spending a
bit of time back here on my Lincoln for the year.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Yeah, it's always good. And you know, I love coming
back to Wellington and so obviously home. I was brought
up here and went to score over here, So I
mean it's always good to be able to play in
front of my family when whenever they want to come
to the games. It's you know, always special. Always take
those moments, you know, never take it for granted. So
I'm always blissed awody. Thanks for chatting and go we
all this weekend.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Appreciate it. Thank you for.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
More from News Talks at b Listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcast on iHeartRadio.
Wellington's All Sport Breakfast, tweeted Adam Cooper thanks to Rutherford
and Bond Toyota and King Toyota on News Talk ZB
twenty seven past eight talking Saints basketball now hair on
the Allsport Breakfasts and the team has secured already with
(00:20):
a Round to spare a home playoff in the National
Basketball League. That'll be this coming Friday, the nineteenth at
TESP Arena. Their opponents still to be determined after this
weekend's games, but great that the Saints can be back
at home playing playoff basketball after the format was slightly tweaked. Obviously,
Previously it had been the sort of neutral venue for
(00:40):
a whole few days of playoff basketball, but yeap, things
are separate now home and away playoff NBL basketball fixtures brilliant.
So it'll be back in Wellington this coming Friday night
and the Saints will wrap up round robin though tomorrow
afternoon against Southland at TSB Arena. And quite remarkably, the
(01:01):
Saints will be having their first game of the season
with their full roster. Everyone that's part of the squad
and available will be there for the Saints for the
first time this year. There's been players away on representative duties,
national duties. There's been injuries and things, but finally the
Saints will have the chance to have their full roster
on show for this final regular season game of the season.
(01:21):
And one of those players back after a pretty awesome experience,
is Isaiah Leafa. Isaiah was with the Tall Blacks last
week at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece. Fortunately, the
All Blacks didn't get through in the end with that
one spot up for grabs, but an amazing win over Croatia,
but then an incredible experience when the Tall Blacks lost
(01:42):
to Slovenia, they were up against five time NBA All
Star Luca don checho Is from the Dallas Mavericks. He
put a triple double on the Tall Blacks. But an
experience that I'm sure most of those team members in
the Tall Blacks will not forget. I caught up with
Isiah Learf yesterday about that experience and the Saints run
(02:03):
to the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Isaiah, welcome back home.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
What an amazing couple of weeks on a lot of
levels over and over in Grace.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Have you sort of circle it all up as you
come back here.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Yeah, it's definitely in the amazing experience.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
I mean, going away putting on the black jersey's always
special and always blessed and grateful to be able to
do that.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
And no, I mean it was an amazing experience.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
The group we had was like tight and just being
able to play against you know, some of the best
in the world. Obviously Luca Donta has been one of
those players. He's just an amazing player. And it was
a tough game against them, but you know, the game
before that, we played Croatia and no one really thought
we were going to win it at all, and even
the commentators everyone, you know, kind of picked us out
and we're always going to be the underdog. So you know,
it was a good win for us as a team
(02:42):
and just as a country too.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
So it was an amazing experience.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Yeah, how special was that, especially when you look at
the scoreboard and you see so many guys like yourself
contributing some real big figures.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Yeah, I mean, credit to the team. You know, we
kind of put in the work. We had a pre
pre camp in Finland and Poland and being able to
just learn the system obviously new system coming in and
being able to do that and translate it to you know,
actual game when it matters. I thought it was an
amazing opportunity and took every piece by hand.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
You talked about the commentators, the people around. I'm sure
you heard some of the noise. People kind of wrote
a lot a lot of the time would write the
tall blacks off in a game like that.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Does that play on your minds and inspire and motivate?
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Yeah, I didn't really.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
As a group, we didn't even pay attention to kind
of the outside noise. We just believe that we were
going to win. And you know, that was our mindset
going into the game, into the tournament, as you know,
this is our game to win. And obviously there was
a tight game, up and down, up and down, but
you know, the end results were kind of able to
come well with the wind, and I thought it was
huge for us as a team and just as a
nation being able to kind of beat the team like that.
(03:41):
And they had a few NBA players too, so it
was kind of an amazing opportunity to do that.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Didn't have much time to celebrate because it was that
very daylight at Slovenia and Luca don chich As you
mentioned how do you even prepare for a game like
that against a five time NBA all start.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Yeah, that was crazy. It was just surreal. You know.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Obviously playing against Luca was I mean dream come true,
you know, just kind of for any any kid you
know that's been watching obviously the NBA Finals and seeing
how he plays. And it was a quick turn around
for us, So we didn't really have much preparation, but
we did what we could have and obviously the result
didn't go our way, but we still gave it everything
and fall to the very end. And being able just
to play a Green's greats like that. Even in the hotel,
(04:19):
you know, you're walking around and you just see him.
Yana's just around eating dinner like food common area was
just crazy. Have being in the elevator with Jana's too
was you know, he's definitely a huge, huge body, And no,
it's definitely it's a real moment.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
I mean, And then being on the receiving end of
the Luca Dantre at triple double, I mean, no one
ever wants to be on the loser's shape, but is
that somewhat of a special experience.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Obviously being able to watch him on TV and be
one of the best players in the world at the moment.
Being able to go against him is obviously an amazing opportunity.
And yeah, he had a crazy triple double against us,
but I mean that's kind of what he does, and
just kind of grateful for the opportunity to be able to,
you know, go against him because you do watch him
on TV and then all these kids do watch him
and like, wow, he's just an amazing So no, definitely
(05:01):
been able to do that was surreal moment.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
It's so tough getting into the Olympics.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
You know, there was only one spot up for grabs
at that whole tournament itself. Do you feel with you know,
the younger talent coming through in New Zealand that it
will be an achievable goal one day for New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
To be back at the Olympics for basketball.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
I mean, obviously it's the twelve best teams that go
to it, you know, every four years, and I think
we just got to the way that the under seventeenms
whin at their World Cup. I think the future is
definitely bright and bust will just continues to grow in
New Zealand and US be in a small country, it's
always going to be the underdogs and be overlooked from everyone,
So just being able to kind of have that as
the back pocket type thing and chip on your shoulder,
I think. I think it's in a great place right now,
(05:36):
and it's obviously just going to keep getting better and
better with more you know, kids going over to college
and playing professional at a young age and just being
able to get the exposure.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
I think, yeah, it's definitely in a great.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Hands and also in a great space your own to
the form and career. Obviously, Sidney kings for you this
upcoming season, one of the AMBL heavyweights. How excited a
you to be to be joining them of it later.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
In the year.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Yeah, definitely super excited.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
Obviously got business here to finish, but definitely grateful for
the opportunity to be able to go to Sydney and
obviously two years ago played them in the final and
lost in the game five against them, But I mean
the organization's top of the top and just their fan
base looks amazing, So no, I'm definitely excited to go
there and be coached under Brian Gorgon. Obviously, the Australian
legend and just see what it's like over there. And
(06:18):
I'm definitely excited.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
All they'll be like coming to tear spare in for
that game against the Breakers, but not only your old team,
but yeah, yeah you're Wellington home ground.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
Yeah, I'm definitely excited for that. That was you know,
one one game that Jordi and Paul kind of told
me about that was in the works and working, and
once you know, they confirmed that, I was like over
the moon just being able to come back home, you know,
obviously playing at home and playing against you know, a
former team, and I think it's going to be a
special moment. And there's also other two other dudes on
(06:45):
Sydney that played for the Saints too, so it's definitely
going to be a I mean a surreal moment just
being other, you know, one of the NBL games in Wellington.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
And he's on an EBL crunch time Saints begger last
time game against Southland.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
How how important is this and how have.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
You sort of slotted back in and he'd have hopefully
a few more games to come once playoff start.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
Yeah, it's going to be a you know, obviously when
I build some momentum going into the playoffs and those
games are important just kind of get the chemistry back.
And this is the first time I think in a
while we've actually had a full squad. Kind of had
so many injuries throughout the year and people away, people win,
So I think this will be the first match that
we're actually all together at once, and I think we're
looking forward to it just to kind of regroup and
(07:23):
reconnect and get familiar with the players again and then
you know, heading to the playoffs. But no, the game
is definitely important, just to get some momentum going forward.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
What do you conduce to schedule? How do you sort
of make sure you're staying in good shot? You know,
you went straight from AMBL he zeal on NBL Tall Blacks.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
You know.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
How's the body getting through the year?
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Yeah, yeah, it's definitely.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
I like to think myself as being young and just
being able to get through it, but kind of just
recovery and making sure the body stays right and trying
to get forward and just be mentally strong in a way.
But no, definitely it's been a lot of basketball over
the past year or two, just from World Cup to
here to NBL and But no, I mean it's always good,
going to work with a good group of guys. They
make it so much easier and just being able to
(08:01):
enjoy the time on court and off the court. So
I mean they make it pretty easy.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
And how special does it just be able to reconnect
with your friends and family when you are spending a
bit of time back here on my Lincoln for the year.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Yeah, it's always good. And you know, I love coming
back to Wellington and so obviously home. I was brought
up here and went to score over here, So I
mean it's always good to be able to play in
front of my family when whenever they want to come
to the games. It's you know, always special. Always take
those moments, you know, never take it for granted. So
I'm always blissed awody. Thanks for chatting and go we
all this weekend.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Appreciate it. Thank you for.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
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