.jpg) Cameron in 2019 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1974-06-05)5 June 1974 (age 51) Tokoroa, New Zealand |
| Listed height | 200 cm (6 ft 7 in) |
| Listed weight | 130 kg (287 lb) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Whangarei Boys' (Whangārei, New Zealand) |
| Playing career | 1992–2010 |
| Position | Power forward |
| Coaching career | 2010–present |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1992–1993 | Waikato Warriors |
| 1994–2000 | Auckland Stars/Rebels |
| 1995–1996 | Ipoh Red Eagles |
| 1999–2003 | Chester Jets |
| 2001–2009 | Waikato Titans/Pistons |
| 2003–2005 | New Zealand Breakers |
| 2005–2006 | Banvit |
| 2007 | Mahram |
| 2007–2010 | Gold Coast Blaze |
Coaching | |
| 2010–2013 | Wellington Saints |
| 2011–2012 | Gold Coast Blaze (assistant) |
| 2014 | Waikato Pistons |
| 2015 | Wellington Saints |
| 2016–2017 | Gold Coast Rollers |
| 2022 | Taranaki Airs (assistant) |
| 2022–2023 | Brisbane Bullets (assistant) |
| 2024–2025 | Ningbo Rockets |
| Career highlights | |
As player:
As head coach:
| |
| FIBA Hall of Fame | |
Sean Pero MacPherson CameronMNZM (born 5 June 1974) is a New Zealandbasketball coach and former player. AFIBA Hall of Fame member, hecaptained theNew Zealand Tall Blacks from 2000 to 2010, helping lead New Zealand to the semifinal of the2002 FIBA World Championship, earning anAll-Tournament Team selection in the process.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Cameron played forMobil Marters Northland in theConference Basketball League (CBL) where he won a championship in 1991.[1] In 1992, Cameron began playing in the New ZealandNational Basketball League for theWaikato Warriors. He went on to win 11 championships (the most in New Zealand NBL history – nine as a player, two as a coach), made theleague's all-star five seven times, and wonthe Kiwi MVP award five times. During his career, he played for 11 seasons for theWaikato franchise (played under all three names – Warriors, Titans and Pistons) and seven seasons for theAuckland Rebels.
| NBL Championships (as player): | 9 –Auckland (1995–1997, 1999, 2000),Waikato (2001, 2002, 2008, 2009) |
|---|---|
| NBL Championships (as coach): | 2 –Wellington (2010, 2011) |
| NBL Rookie of the Year: | 1992 |
| NBL All-Star Five: | 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001 |
| Kiwi MVP: | 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999 |
| Outstanding Kiwi Forward: | 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999 |
| Outstanding Forward: | 1998 |
| Rebound Champion: | 1993 |
| Coach of the Year: | 2010 |
Cameron played five seasons in the AustralianNational Basketball League, two for theNew Zealand Breakers and three for theGold Coast Blaze. He played for both clubs in their respective inaugural seasons (Breakers in2003–04 and Blaze in2007–08). In a total of 130 ANBL games, he averaged 8.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.[2]
Cameron played six and a half seasons overseas; one for the Ipoh Red Eagles of Malaysia in 1995–96, four for theChester Jets of England, one forBanvit of Turkey in 2005–06, and half a season playing forMahram Tehran of Iran in 2007.
Cameron was first selected for theTall Blacks in 1994. In 2000, for the Sydney Olympics, he became co-captain of the side, and was elevated to sole captain the following year. His most memorable moment as captain of the Tall Blacks came in 2002 when the team stunned the basketball world by making the semi-finals of the2002 FIBA World Championship, eventually losing to Germany for fourth place. In the tournament, Cameron averaged 14.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game and became the only non-NBA player to makethe All-Tournament Team. He was joined on this team by established NBA superstarsDirk Nowitzki andPeja Stojaković and NBA rookies-to-beYao Ming andManu Ginóbili.
Cameron retired from international duties having played in twoSummer Olympic Games (Sydney 2000 andAthens 2004) and threeFIBA World Cups (2002,2006 and2010).
In August 2017, Cameron became the first New Zealander to be inducted into theFIBA Hall of Fame as a player,[3] with the official ceremony occurring on 30 September 2017 in Switzerland.[4]
Cameron began hiscoaching career with theWellington Saints in2010, going on to lead the club to a sixth NBL championship and winning the Coach of the Year award in his first year. He led the Saints to a second consecutive championship in2011 and subsequently joined the Gold Coast Blaze's coaching staff as an assistant in2011–12.
In June 2011, Cameron was named an assistant coach of the Tall Blacks.[5]
After two more seasons as the Saints' head coach, Cameron joined his beloved Waikato Pistons as the team's head coach/player development manager for the2014 season.[6] However, in November 2014, the Pistons pulled out of the2015 season due to financial reasons and he subsequently returned to the Saints head coaching position on a one-year deal on 14 January 2015.[7]
On 9 December 2015, Cameron joined theGold Coast Rollers as the men's team head coach for the2016 Queensland Basketball League season.[8] He continued on as coach of the Rollers in 2017.[9]
In December 2019, after eight years of being an assistant, Cameron was appointed head coach of the Tall Blacks.[10][11][12] In September 2021, he was reappointed Tall Blacks coach for three years.[13]
In October 2021, Cameron signed a one-year deal to be director of basketball for theTaranaki Airs.[14] He also served as the team's assistant coach in2022.[15]
In December 2022, Cameron was appointed assistant coach of theBrisbane Bullets for the rest of the2022–23 NBL season.[16] He parted ways with the Bullets following the season.[17]
In August 2024, Cameron parted ways with the Tall Blacks after five years as head coach.[18]
Cameron's mother, Mata, from theMāoriNgāpuhiiwi,[19] is an ex-New Zealand representative and a long-time coach of New Zealand age groups. His father is Scottish.[20][21] His sister, Jody, is a former Tall Fern, and represented New Zealand at the Olympic Games in Athens 2004.[22] His brother,Ray, is a former Waikato Titans/Pistons player. His other sisters, Jeannie and Zeta, also played basketball at a high level.[23]
Cameron and his wife Jennelle have three children.[24] His sons, Tobias andFlynn, were part of the NZ Junior Tall Blacks team that competed at the2017 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup.[25] Flynn is a member of the Tall Blacks senior team for the2023 FIBA World Cup, which is coached by his father.
Silver –2006Things have been just as eventual now in the weeks after the season with Melbourne United assistant Justin Schueller named the new head coach while assistants Peter Crawford and Pero Cameron have moved on.
