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Paora Winitana
Teams: Bay Hawks & Adelaide 36ers (Australia)
Position: Guard
Born: December 6, 1976 in Hastings
Height: 1.95m
Winitana was NBL Rookie of the Year in 1996 and debuted for the Tall Blacks in 2002 after missing several seasons on a Mormon mission.
He chooses not to play Sunday for religious reasons and has been ordained as a bishop in his church.
Winitana was included in the ‘02 world championships roster when centre Tony Rampton withdrew injured and usually leads the Tall Blacks’ pre-match haka whenever selected.
Winitana enjoyed a career season to captain the Hawks to the 2006 NBL title, earning Outstanding Guard, Outstanding Kiwi Guard, All-Star Five and MVP honours for the season.
He was also named MVP of the championship final and shared Kiwi MVP honours with Taranaki forward Link Abrams in 2007.
A foundation member of the NZ Breakers, he re-signed with them for last season’s Australian NBL, but has moved to Adelaide for the 2008/09 summer.
International
| Year | Series | G | FGM | FGA | FG% | FTM | FTA | FT% | PTS | PPG | REB | RPG | AST | APG | STL | SPG | BLK | BPG |
| 2008 | FIBA Olympic Qualifying (Greece) | 3 | 1 | 7 | 14.3 | - | - | - | 3 | 1.0 | 6 | 2.0 | - | - | 1 | 0.33 | - | - |
| 2008 | NZ in Slovenia | 3 | 5 | 15 | 33.3 | 3 | 6 | 50.0 | 16 | 5.3 | 3 | 1.0 | 1 | 0.3 | - | - | 1 | 0.33 |
| 2008 | NZ in Canada | 3 | 8 | 13 | 61.5 | 2 | 4 | 50.0 | 23 | 7.7 | 7 | 2.3 | 1 | 0.3 | 1 | 0.33 | - | - |
| 2008 | NZ v Australia | 2 | 4 | 16 | 25.0 | - | - | - | 10 | 5.0 | 7 | 3.5 | 3 | 1.5 | 3 | 1.50 | 1 | 0.50 |
| 2007 | NZ in Australia | 2 | - | 2 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 100 | 2 | 1.0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2007 | Boris Stankovic Cup (China) | 4 | 7 | 21 | 33.3 | 5 | 8 | 62.5 | 20 | 5.0 | 5 | 1.3 | 1 | 0.3 | 4 | 1.00 | - | - |
| 2007 | Venezuela in NZ | 2 | 8 | 13 | 61.5 | 5 | 8 | 62.5 | 23 | 11.5 | 10 | 5.0 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 0.50 | - | - |
Three-point Goals 2008 Olympic Qualifying 1/4 (25.0%), Slovenia 3/8 (37.5%), Canada 5/6 (83.3%), Australia 2/10 (20.0%), 2007 Australia 0/2 (0.0), Stankovic Cup 1/7 (14.3%), Venezuela 2/5 (40.0%), 2006 World Championships 0/2 (0%), Qatar 0/1 (0%), Brazil 2/3 (66.7%), Australia 1/2 (50.0%), Comm Games 2/5 (40.0%), India 1/2 (50.0%), 2004 Turkey & Bulgaria 0/1 (0%), Australia 1/4 (25.0%), 2003 Czech Republic 2/6 (33.3%), 2002 Hungary 0/2 (0%), Total 23/71 (32.4%).
International Debut
2002
International Honours
Commonwealth Games Silver Medal - 2006
National Basketball League
| Year | Team | G | FGM | FGA | FG% | FTM | FTA | FT% | PTS | PPG | REB | RPG | AST | APG | STL | SPG | BLK | BPG |
| 2008 | Hawke’s Bay | 18 | 122 | 291 | 41.9 | 51 | 64 | 79.7 | 337 | 18.7 | 83 | 4.6 | 54 | 3.0 | 27 | 1.50 | 1 | 0.06 |
| 2007 | Hawke’s Bay | 18 | 115 | 240 | 47.9 | 65 | 80 | 81.3 | 343 | 19.1 | 94 | 5.2 | 51 | 2.8 | 22 | 1.22 | 3 | 0.17 |
| 2006 | Hawke’s Bay | 18 | 103 | 208 | 49.5 | 50 | 71 | 70.4 | 280 | 15.6 | 77 | 4.3 | 59 | 3.3 | 29 | 1.61 | 3 | 0.17 |
| 2005 | Hawke’s Bay | 16 | 90 | 193 | 46.6 | 46 | 57 | 80.7 | 242 | 15.1 | 70 | 4.4 | 29 | 1.8 | 20 | 1.25 | 3 | 0.19 |
| 2004 | Hawke’s Bay | 18 | 95 | 196 | 48.5 | 30 | 45 | 66.7 | 247 | 13.7 | 81 | 4.5 | 28 | 1.6 | 18 | 1.00 | 3 | 0.17 |
| 2003 | Hawke’s Bay | 17 | 135 | 296 | 45.6 | 42 | 51 | 82.4 | 340 | 20.0 | 77 | 4.5 | 26 | 1.5 | 35 | 2.10 | 1 | 0.06 |
| 2002 | North Harbour | 15 | 101 | 203 | 49.8 | 36 | 49 | 73.5 | 250 | 16.7 | 90 | 6.0 | 31 | 2.1 | 30 | 2.00 | 2 | 0.13 |
| 2001 | North Harbour | 1 | 2 | 5 | 40.0 | - | - | - | 4 | 4.0 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 1.0 | 2 | 2.00 | - | - |
| 2001 | Hawke’s Bay | 9 | 56 | 137 | 40.9 | 22 | 35 | 62.9 | 142 | 15.8 | 32 | 2.6 | 19 | 2.1 | 14 | 1.56 | 2 | 0.22 |
| 1998 | North Harbour | 20 | 77 | 141 | 54.6 | 42 | 58 | 72.4 | 200 | 10.0 | 49 | 2.5 | 34 | 1.7 | 21 | 1.05 | 5 | 0.25 |
| 1997 | North Harbour | 12 | 35 | 69 | 50.7 | 13 | 17 | 76.5 | 83 | 6.9 | 31 | 2.6 | 21 | 1.8 | 16 | 1.33 | 3 | 0.25 |
| 1996 | North Harbour | 18 | 17 | 47 | 36.2 | 23 | 37 | 62.2 | 58 | 3.2 | 25 | 1.4 | 12 | 0.7 | 13 | 0.72 | 4 | 0.22 |
| Total | 180 | 948 | 2026 | 46.8 | 420 | 564 | 74.5 | 2526 | 14.0 | 758 | 4.2 | 365 | 2.0 | 247 | 1.37 | 30 | 0.17 |
Three-point field goals 2008 42/114 (36.8%), 2007 48/96 (50.0%), 2006 24/61 (39.3%), 2005 16/57 (28.1%), 2004 27/60 (45.0%), 2003 28/84 (33.3%), 2002 12/37 (32.4%), 2001 8/32 (25.0%), 1998 4/11 (36.4%), 1997 0/8 (0%), 1996 1/11 (9.1%), Total 168/457 (36.8%)
Playoffs
| Year | Team | G | FGM | FGA | FG% | FTM | FTA | FT% | PTS | PPG | REB | RPG | AST | APG | STL | SPG | BLK | BPG |
| 2008 | Hawke’s Bay | 1 | 2 | 9 | 22.2 | - | - | - | 4 | 4.0 | 6 | 6.0 | 2 | 2.0 | 1 | 1.00 | - | - |
| 2007 | Hawke’s Bay | 2 | 14 | 31 | 45.2 | 6 | 6 | 100 | 36 | 18.0 | 5 | 2.5 | 3 | 1.5 | 2 | 1.00 | - | - |
| 2006 | Hawke’s Bay | 1 | 4 | 10 | 40.0 | 2 | 3 | 66.7 | 12 | 12.0 | 4 | 4.0 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 1.00 | - | - |
| 2005 | Hawke’s Bay | 2 | 7 | 21 | 33.3 | - | - | - | 15 | 7.5 | 11 | 5.5 | 3 | 1.5 | 3 | 1.5 | - | - |
| 2004 | Hawke’s Bay | 1 | 4 | 12 | 33.3 | 1 | 1 | 100 | 9 | 9.0 | 4 | 4.0 | 2 | 2.0 | 1 | 1.00 | - | - |
| 1998 | North Harbour | 3 | 8 | 16 | 50.0 | 2 | 4 | 50.0 | 18 | 6.0 | 12 | 4.0 | 6 | 2.0 | 2 | 0.67 | - | - |
| 1997 | North Harbour | 2 | 8 | 20 | 40.0 | 6 | 9 | 66.7 | 23 | 11.5 | 9 | 4.5 | 4 | 2.0 | 1 | 0.50 | 2 | 1.00 |
| 1996 | North Harbour | 4 | 2 | 2 | 100 | 4 | 4 | 100 | 8 | 2.0 | 3 | 0.8 | 1 | 0.3 | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 14 | 35 | 90 | 38.8 | 15 | 21 | 71.4 | 89 | 6.4 | 49 | 3.5 | 19 | 1.4 | 9 | 0.64 | 2 | 0.14 | |
| Career | 194 | 983 | 2116 | 46.5 | 435 | 585 | 74.4 | 2615 | 13.5 | 807 | 4.2 | 384 | 2.0 | 256 | 1.32 | 32 | 0.16 |
Three-point field goals 2008 0/4 (0%), 2007 2/11 (18.2%), 2006 2/4 (50.0%), 2005 1/4 (25.0%), 2004 0/4 (0%), 1998 0/1 (0%), 1997 1/2 (50.0%), Total 4/19 (21.1%); Career: 172/476 (36.1%)
NBL Titles (1)
2006 (Hawks)
NBL Awards
Rookie of the Year - 1996
Most Valuable Player - 2006
Outstanding Guard - 2006
Outstanding Kiwi Guard - 2006
All-Star Five - 2006
Final MVP - 2006
Kiwi MVP - 2007
