Henare Hits 200
Tagged in: NBL
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Go back 13 years and Paul Henare was just a 16-year-old Napier Boys’ High scrub trying to make it with the big boys.
His first two seasons in the National Basketball League with the Hawke’s Bay Hawks involved just eight games, six field goal attempts, eight free throws, nine points and a whole lot of time warming the bench.
“I didn’t see a whole lot of court time back in ’95,” Henare said.
“I was just a young guy, just trying to make it, playing with guys that I’d been watching growing up, guys like Willie Burton, Kerry Boagni, Judd Flavell and Byron Vaetoe.
“It was quite cool for a young guy. It made you grow up pretty fast as a player. I remember training for two hours at Napier Boys’ High School and then heading straight to Hawks training after that.
“I’d just bust my arse and do all the right things and try to get a break.”
That break came in 1997, when Henare played in 19 games backing up Flavell at the point, tipping-off a career that has included two Olympics, two world championships, a Commonwealth Games silver medal and 150-plus games in the Australian NBL.
And Thursday night in round three of the Dominion Finance NBL when his Easy LPG Bay Hawks visit the Appliance Shed Harbour Heat at the North Shore Events Centre, Henare will add another milestone to his career, playing his 200th game in the League.
Game number 200 could have come in game three of the 2007 NBL Finals if the Hawks had forced a decider in game two against the Nelson Giants. Instead, it will come Thursday night, something Henare was unaware of until Tuesday.
“It wasn’t until the other day that I found out it was my 200th game,” the 29-year-old point guard said.
“I was wondering how many games I’d played when I got the 150 for the Breakers earlier this year but then I just left it.”
Henare moved to Auckland for the 1998 season, playing four seasons with the Tab Baldwin Stars Dynasty – winning two championships in 1999 and 2000 and losing one final in 1998 – before returning to his hometown Hawks in 2002, where he won his third NBL title in 2006.
The Tall Black, who made his international debut in 1998, is a two-time NBL All-Star Five selection in 2003 and 2005 and a four-time assists champion.
“Your first championship is always a fond one, and we were able to win it the next year as well.
“But my best memory would be winning the championship with the Hawks. Being a hometown boy, winning it for the first time for Hawke’s Bay and beating a pretty good Auckland team, that’s probably my best memory.”
Henare had arthroscopic surgery on both knees last September and has made himself unavailable for the Tall Blacks Olympic qualifying campaign to reduce the workload on his still-recovering knees.
His contract with the Harvey Norman NZ Breakers – who he has played a club-record 157 ANBL games for – expires after the 2008-09 season and, while conceding he would have to get smarter about how he maintained his body, said he wanted to keep playing as long as he could.
With the Hawks retaining Breakers team-mate Paora Winitana, import Kareem Johnson, Callum Baynes and Everard Bartlett, and adding American Kevin Smith and Damien Ekenasio, Henare was enthused about his 14th season.
“It’s always a good time to come home and play with friends that I’ve been playing with for years and years. It’s good to be able to come back to the Hawke’s Bay and play in the NBL.
“This year’s going to be special. There’s a lot of good teams, it’s going to be tight, and with the top-six making the playoffs, it makes it more exciting for those teams that have missed out the last few years.”
Thursday night’s game should also see Henare pass another individual milestone, with 2000 NBL points just three away.
“I might just shoot a three straight away to get that out of the way. Will they stop the game for me if I do that?,” he joked.
Henare’s NBL statistics after 199 games read: 40.6% FG (664-of-1635), 69.5% FT (451-of-649), 31.2% 3pt (219-of-702), 1997 points (10.0 PPG), 604 rebounds (3.0 RPG), 866 assists (4.4 APG), 279 steals (1.4 SPG) and 22 blocks.
Paul Henare
Position: Point guard
Age: 29
Clubs: Bay Hawks, Auckland Stars
Season: 14th
NBL Statistics
199 games
1997 points (10.0 PPG)
604 rebounds (3.0 RPG)
866 assists (4.4 APG)
279 steals (1.4 SPG)
22 blocks
40.6% FG
31.2% 3pt
69.5% FT
