April 18, 2025 • 8 mins
Tall Blacks coach Judd Flavell is benefitting from the shake up at the Breakers.
The team's gone back to the future with many of the people that were involved in its "pomp" back in the mix as the organisation looks to get back to what made it one of the most successful franchises around.
Flavell’s returning to the team as assistant coach – six years after leaving the role he held for 13 seasons.
He joined Nick Bewley for a chat about his appointment and his excitement in returning to the Breakers.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, Nick.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Congratulations on your appointment as Breakers associate head coach. Can
you tell us a bit about how this has all
come about?
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Yeah, big news obviously. You know a few weeks ago
when with the change of ownership, and I guess along
with that we started to see a lot of familiar
names and certainly in the Breakers circle, but New Zealand
Basketball Dylan Bolger, you know, the president of basketball Operations,
Tom Abercromby as an advisor the Blackwells, along with that
(00:30):
became a real clear vision of this club, this ownership,
the change of ownership, you know, Mark Mitchell who's taken over,
really serious about what they're talking about. It wasn't on
my ray day at all. But I guess after talking
to Dylan initially and had a phone conversation with Tom
Abercromby as well, and the more that we kind of spoke,
(00:51):
the more it kind of felt like, yeah, this is
this is the place, and so it's a it's a
really cool feeling. And to go back to a club
that where it all started for me personally, you know,
my coaching journey, and in some ways it feels like
a coming home.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
I was going to say, it must feel like a
bit of a full circle moment for those of our
listeners unaware obviously from your time down here with the
Rams in the last few years, but you spent several
years there at the Breakers at Atlas Place on Auckland's
north shore, heading up the academy, and as you say,
a lot of familiar faces now reconnecting. It's like one
big reunion.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
It is, I think every day when even when I started,
you know, we had lots of conversations we're dealing with
the vision in which direction that they're heading, and it
just it was like all aligning to where those conversations
that we've had years ago and been part of the
furniture in some way, the Breakers and the old setup
we'd been there thirteen years, and seeing us go from
(01:45):
being sort of a bottom of the table team to
know a tremendous growth and seeing the obviously that the
championships speak for itself, but seeing so many other successes
with the juniors that were coming through the academy that
has been set up. In the first few years, it
was like, oh, we had to recruit from overseas to
be successful, and then now it was like, no, actually,
(02:06):
let's build our own and keep this sustainable, you know,
for a team that really truly belongs to New Yelenders.
And you know, I'm not saying that we of course
you need imports and you need Australians to make up
the roster, but just really exciting to see that the
direction of the club's thinking right now and we've done
that proven we had a great blueprint to that success
(02:28):
years ago and they've got me going, they got the
juices going, and yeah, really really excited to be a
part of it.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Jud Flavor with us here on the All Sports Breakfast.
How do you see it working? You mentioned the word
alignment just before, jud How do you see it working
with your role at the tool Blaze, because surely there's
crossover in terms of relationships and it ought to be
beneficial surely.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah. I mean that's a very good question, and that's
something that you know, I had to talk through and
really get a bit of an understanding how this, how
this could work. And I've been coaching the Rams and
since take from the tour backs roll I steps aside
from the head coaching of the Rams. You know, for
a number of reasons to allow the growth and development
of our coaching staff the Rams, but also for me
(03:09):
to put the full focused on Tour Blacks and what
needs to be set up there. I think anytime you
start somewhere it takes you know, a little bit of
heavy lifting to get things off the ground and frame
up what the program looks like. And with the Tourbacks
been in their role now for you know, over six months,
a lot of those pieces have fallen into place. If
there's one professional team, full time professional team that actually
(03:33):
aligns really well with the Tour Blacks, it is the Breakers.
And we really see this as a win win situation
in terms of you know, looking at the roster and
you talk about Taylor Britt being at the Breakers. I
mean there's a number of Kiwis that are sitting there
now that are currently in the Tool Blacks. I can
only see that there's going to be more and more
you know, coming through and in particularly if they're talking
(03:54):
about having an academy starting up again at the Breakers,
there's going to be great alignment and continuity. And for us,
for a small country like New Zealand, this is really
you know, we're going to be dependent upon this alignment
and bring out a bridge the two organizations together I
think can be a real strength and a real great
(04:15):
weapon for us for our junior basketball, but also for
our Tourblacks. So I really see it as something that
will find our way and find our group into it.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
We can't do absolutely everything, Judd, and something has to give. Obviously,
as you alluded to, when you took on the Tall Blacks,
you relinquished your roles and responsibilities as head coach of
the Canterbury Rams, but you're still very much been working
behind the scenes. Our listeners will be interested locally to
know formally at least ends your association with the Rams.
But look, I look at their position on the ladder.
(04:46):
I look at Quinn Clinton, a young head coach getting
this opportunity having done an apprenticeship. If you like under
yourself and you're leaving the place and really good hands,
that must fill you with a great deal of pride.
And while there's a the sadness confidence that the Rams
are going places.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Yeah, I've been extremely fortunate to sort of land in
the situation of working down here with the Rams and
obviously with the Parkey and the Eagles program as well.
When I first got down here, you know, I had
a lot to learn about the region and the people
down here, and there was Alignment's probably a good word
that we've been talking about, but there was really good
alignment from the Harrison family and myself, and probably a
(05:27):
lot of that was value s based and we managed
to sort of bring out the best in each other
and they had a very clear vision of what they
wanted down here, and it was a lot of focus
on local development and growth, but also for anyone that
was coming into the programs, can they help in building
the pathway to whatever's next for for that individual? And
(05:48):
it really aligned really well with me. And it's been
a fun journey. As always with professional sport and certainly
a competitive business like this, you have ups and downs.
But looking back on it, really proud to I guess
what we've managed to achieve and hopefully it's something that
I think it's going to be sustainable for for many
years to come. And you know, you talk about Clint
(06:10):
Clinton obviously in the opportunity, you know there's other young
coaches there too, with Ben Sheet and Leam Connolly and
let alone you know, like the players that have come
through as high school players playing in the high school
league and then putting on a ramsling that seeing them
go from being a high school student to working their
way up into you know, talk about Tomas Isaac putting
(06:30):
on the tourbacks and that, you know, as I've just
in February. So this is the one club that has
their vision very clear and the results are amazing and
I've been fortunate enough to be given that opportunity to
help stare that. I do believe that in a way
that people can make their think, you know, leave their
(06:50):
trademark and leave their fingerprints on the club as well.
So timing wise, it fits in really well. And during
the course of this season, I've actually started probably more
on the court, and they're slowly as more pieces come in,
I've started to slip more into the background. And yeah,
I think, yeah, the time is right.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Absolutely well. I think it goes without saying that the
organization has been fortunate to have you steering the ship
in the last few years, and those banners at cal
Stadium speak to your commitment and your drive and getting
the best out of a young group. And no doubt
you'll always have a home here in Christ here at
jud Flavor we might call it there, because you've got
(07:32):
plenty more to cover here on the All Sports Breakfast.
But congratulations and I'll see you around. Of course, I
still need you to commentate some games with me over
the next few weeks.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Yeah, I've still I've got some other jobs to do.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Absolutely, no, thank you very much. And I guess one
final message for me is that I absolutely loved it
down here. It's been a huge part of my group,
and yeah, I wouldn't be in the position I am
and today, I don't think necessarily without having the opportunity
to be that I've been given down here in can
So yeah, and that's a big thank you for me
to to the public of Canterbury as well. For more
(08:05):
from news Talks at b listen live on air or online,
and keep our shows with you wherever you go with
our podcasts on iHeartRadio.
Good morning, Nick.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Congratulations on your appointment as Breakers associate head coach. Can
you tell us a bit about how this has all
come about?
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Yeah, big news obviously. You know a few weeks ago
when with the change of ownership, and I guess along
with that we started to see a lot of familiar
names and certainly in the Breakers circle, but New Zealand
Basketball Dylan Bolger, you know, the president of basketball Operations,
Tom Abercromby as an advisor the Blackwells, along with that
(00:30):
became a real clear vision of this club, this ownership,
the change of ownership, you know, Mark Mitchell who's taken over,
really serious about what they're talking about. It wasn't on
my ray day at all. But I guess after talking
to Dylan initially and had a phone conversation with Tom
Abercromby as well, and the more that we kind of spoke,
(00:51):
the more it kind of felt like, yeah, this is
this is the place, and so it's a it's a
really cool feeling. And to go back to a club
that where it all started for me personally, you know,
my coaching journey, and in some ways it feels like
a coming home.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
I was going to say, it must feel like a
bit of a full circle moment for those of our
listeners unaware obviously from your time down here with the
Rams in the last few years, but you spent several
years there at the Breakers at Atlas Place on Auckland's
north shore, heading up the academy, and as you say,
a lot of familiar faces now reconnecting. It's like one
big reunion.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
It is, I think every day when even when I started,
you know, we had lots of conversations we're dealing with
the vision in which direction that they're heading, and it
just it was like all aligning to where those conversations
that we've had years ago and been part of the
furniture in some way, the Breakers and the old setup
we'd been there thirteen years, and seeing us go from
(01:45):
being sort of a bottom of the table team to
know a tremendous growth and seeing the obviously that the
championships speak for itself, but seeing so many other successes
with the juniors that were coming through the academy that
has been set up. In the first few years, it
was like, oh, we had to recruit from overseas to
be successful, and then now it was like, no, actually,
(02:06):
let's build our own and keep this sustainable, you know,
for a team that really truly belongs to New Yelenders.
And you know, I'm not saying that we of course
you need imports and you need Australians to make up
the roster, but just really exciting to see that the
direction of the club's thinking right now and we've done
that proven we had a great blueprint to that success
(02:28):
years ago and they've got me going, they got the
juices going, and yeah, really really excited to be a
part of it.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Jud Flavor with us here on the All Sports Breakfast.
How do you see it working? You mentioned the word
alignment just before, jud How do you see it working
with your role at the tool Blaze, because surely there's
crossover in terms of relationships and it ought to be
beneficial surely.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah. I mean that's a very good question, and that's
something that you know, I had to talk through and
really get a bit of an understanding how this, how
this could work. And I've been coaching the Rams and
since take from the tour backs roll I steps aside
from the head coaching of the Rams. You know, for
a number of reasons to allow the growth and development
of our coaching staff the Rams, but also for me
(03:09):
to put the full focused on Tour Blacks and what
needs to be set up there. I think anytime you
start somewhere it takes you know, a little bit of
heavy lifting to get things off the ground and frame
up what the program looks like. And with the Tourbacks
been in their role now for you know, over six months,
a lot of those pieces have fallen into place. If
there's one professional team, full time professional team that actually
(03:33):
aligns really well with the Tour Blacks, it is the Breakers.
And we really see this as a win win situation
in terms of you know, looking at the roster and
you talk about Taylor Britt being at the Breakers. I
mean there's a number of Kiwis that are sitting there
now that are currently in the Tool Blacks. I can
only see that there's going to be more and more
you know, coming through and in particularly if they're talking
(03:54):
about having an academy starting up again at the Breakers,
there's going to be great alignment and continuity. And for us,
for a small country like New Zealand, this is really
you know, we're going to be dependent upon this alignment
and bring out a bridge the two organizations together I
think can be a real strength and a real great
(04:15):
weapon for us for our junior basketball, but also for
our Tourblacks. So I really see it as something that
will find our way and find our group into it.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
We can't do absolutely everything, Judd, and something has to give. Obviously,
as you alluded to, when you took on the Tall Blacks,
you relinquished your roles and responsibilities as head coach of
the Canterbury Rams, but you're still very much been working
behind the scenes. Our listeners will be interested locally to
know formally at least ends your association with the Rams.
But look, I look at their position on the ladder.
(04:46):
I look at Quinn Clinton, a young head coach getting
this opportunity having done an apprenticeship. If you like under
yourself and you're leaving the place and really good hands,
that must fill you with a great deal of pride.
And while there's a the sadness confidence that the Rams
are going places.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Yeah, I've been extremely fortunate to sort of land in
the situation of working down here with the Rams and
obviously with the Parkey and the Eagles program as well.
When I first got down here, you know, I had
a lot to learn about the region and the people
down here, and there was Alignment's probably a good word
that we've been talking about, but there was really good
alignment from the Harrison family and myself, and probably a
(05:27):
lot of that was value s based and we managed
to sort of bring out the best in each other
and they had a very clear vision of what they
wanted down here, and it was a lot of focus
on local development and growth, but also for anyone that
was coming into the programs, can they help in building
the pathway to whatever's next for for that individual? And
(05:48):
it really aligned really well with me. And it's been
a fun journey. As always with professional sport and certainly
a competitive business like this, you have ups and downs.
But looking back on it, really proud to I guess
what we've managed to achieve and hopefully it's something that
I think it's going to be sustainable for for many
years to come. And you know, you talk about Clint
(06:10):
Clinton obviously in the opportunity, you know there's other young
coaches there too, with Ben Sheet and Leam Connolly and
let alone you know, like the players that have come
through as high school players playing in the high school
league and then putting on a ramsling that seeing them
go from being a high school student to working their
way up into you know, talk about Tomas Isaac putting
(06:30):
on the tourbacks and that, you know, as I've just
in February. So this is the one club that has
their vision very clear and the results are amazing and
I've been fortunate enough to be given that opportunity to
help stare that. I do believe that in a way
that people can make their think, you know, leave their
(06:50):
trademark and leave their fingerprints on the club as well.
So timing wise, it fits in really well. And during
the course of this season, I've actually started probably more
on the court, and they're slowly as more pieces come in,
I've started to slip more into the background. And yeah,
I think, yeah, the time is right.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Absolutely well. I think it goes without saying that the
organization has been fortunate to have you steering the ship
in the last few years, and those banners at cal
Stadium speak to your commitment and your drive and getting
the best out of a young group. And no doubt
you'll always have a home here in Christ here at
jud Flavor we might call it there, because you've got
(07:32):
plenty more to cover here on the All Sports Breakfast.
But congratulations and I'll see you around. Of course, I
still need you to commentate some games with me over
the next few weeks.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Yeah, I've still I've got some other jobs to do.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Absolutely, no, thank you very much. And I guess one
final message for me is that I absolutely loved it
down here. It's been a huge part of my group,
and yeah, I wouldn't be in the position I am
and today, I don't think necessarily without having the opportunity
to be that I've been given down here in can
So yeah, and that's a big thank you for me
to to the public of Canterbury as well. For more
(08:05):
from news Talks at b listen live on air or online,
and keep our shows with you wherever you go with
our podcasts on iHeartRadio.
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