Basketball New Zealand

Tall Black guard Phill Jones shoots against China at the 2002 FIBA World Championships (FIBA)

It took a summer of agonizing and a last-minute change of heart, but Phill Jones could finally delay the decision no longer.

The veteran sharpshooter has pulled on the Tall Black singlet for the last time.
Jones (34) will be missing from the list of trialists to be announced this week by national coach and longtime mentor Nenad Vucinic for the upcoming FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Athens.

His announcement won’t come as a surprise to his former team-mates, a couple of whom have already beaten him to the punch. Jones foreshadowed his decision during last year’s FIBA Oceania Championships against Australia, but wisely took the summer to reconsider his priorities.

Last week, he seemed ready to retain his spot on the Tall Black roster … but ultimately could not put long-suffering wife Kat through the ordeal again.
“This has been such a huge part of my life, but it is time to settle down and stay at home with the family,” says Jones.

“We’ll be moving up to Auckland soon for the Breakers and that’s a really big move. If I was away, my wife would be making that move by herself … it’s something she’s had to do for such a long time.

“If it was me, I’d be saying it was time I settled down and spent some time with the kids. I think I’m playing reasonably well and can still compete at that level, but as far as motivation goes, family is now definitely first.”

Jones debuted for his country in 1994, attending two Olympic Games and two FIBA World Championships. His career highlights have mirrored the greatest moments of Tall Black basketball over the past decade.

With trusty ally Pero Cameron, he was their leading scorer (16.7 points) when they upset Australia to qualify for the 2002 FIBA World Championships in Indianapolis and once there, averaged 18.2 points, shooting 41.7% 3pt, to guide them to the bronze medal game.

Perhaps his crowning achievement was the 33-point (6/8 3pt) outburst that dragged New Zealand out of a 20-point hole against China and into the quarterfinals of that tournament.

Jones ranked second among all scorers two years later at the Athens Olympics, averaging 21.0 points, and was again on fire – 28 points, 8/16 3pt – as the Tall Blacks inflicted their biggest ever defeat on the Boomers (72-53) in Napier, July 2006.

Even as he was relegated to bench status last year, he produced a 17-point/12-rebound double double in the Kiwis’ 67-58 win over Australia in Brisbane, a performance that will now go down as a fitting finale.

“For me, the Sydney Olympics were the highlight,” says Jones. “It was probably the first experience we had as an international team in a huge tournament … the biggest sporting event in the world.”

But the temptation of attending a third Olympics was not enough to lure him back on the road with the Tall Blacks in 2008.

“Really, that didn’t come into it,” he says. “I’ve enjoyed being in that team environment and representing my country … the Olympics have just been icing on the cake.”

His departure, along with the retirements of Dillon Boucher and Tony Rampton and unavailability of Mark Dickel and Paul Henare, leaves the national team well and truly in rebuilding mode as they attempt to qualify for Beijing.

“Their decisions didn’t have any affect on mine at all,” says Jones. “I knew most of those guys were probably going to be finished after the series in Australia.

“I had some time to think about it, to make sure it was the right decision for me and I’m happy with that decision.

“There is now an opportunity for some younger guys to step up and show what they’re capable of. Even if they can’t compete at this tournament, they will still get to see what level they need to be at … it’ll be good for them.”

Vucinic is philosophical about the announcement.

“It makes me sad, but I totally understand Phill’s reasons and respect his decision. It must have been a tough decision after all those years.

“He has been one of only a handful of players, if that, who have never missed a camp, tour or trial when it was time to represent his country. He has been a key player in all our successes that we have ever had as Tall Blacks.”