Saintly Tait
Tagged in: NBL, Tall Blacks
Tall Blacks guard Lindsay Tait will launch his comeback from injury in the Dominion Finance NBL in the nation’s capital.
Tait’s signing was confirmed by the Century City Wellington Saints on Thursday, following on the heels of former import Nick Horvath obtaining his New Zealand citizenship on Wednesday and becoming eligible as a non-restricted player.
Tait, who has played eight seasons and won three NBL titles with the Auckland Stars, has been out of action since December after dislocating his shoulder, which required reconstruction surgery, while playing for the Wollongong Hawks in the Hummer Championship NBL.
His signature to a deal for the remainder of the 2008 season, where he will team up with former Boomers guard Luke Martin, ended a long courtship for Saints owner Nick Mills.
“I think this is the fourth consecutive year of trying to sign Lindsay,” Mills said.
“It’s fantastic to have him become a Saint and I think the combination of Luke and Lindsay is going to be Saintsational.”
The 26-year-old is unlikely to make his Saints debut for at least another two weeks as he completes his rehabilitation and awaits clearance from his Sydney-based specialist before taking on full contact practice.
“In the situation I’m in with the injury I had been talking with Nick Mills and I felt Wellington was the best option for my family and me,” he told the Dominion Post, after arriving with his two-year-old son Mikaere and fiancee Anna-Maria.
“The team they have put together is another reason I wanted to come and I think this will be the best environment to come back from the injury.”
To be eligible for the NBL Playoffs, Tait would have to be on the Saints playing roster for five regular season games. The latest his debut could come would be the Saints round 12 home game against the CPS Nelson Giants on May 15.
Tait is a five-time All-Star Five selection, every season since 2003, a four-time best New Zealand guard award winner, three-time outstanding guard, and was the Kiwi and League Most Valuable Player in 2005, leading the Stars to the title.
Before his injury, Tait averaged 12.3 points, 4.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game in eight games for the Hawks. In the 2007 NBL, he averaged 24.0 points and 5.6 assists per game for the Stars.
The livewire guard joins a stacked Saints team that includes Martin, Horvath, American imports Ernest Scott and Kevin Owens, former Tall Blacks Troy McLean, Terrence Lewis and Brendon Pongia, Leon Henry, Arthur Trousdell, Matt Te Huna, Randall Bishop, with another former Tall Black, Brendon Polyblank, possibly returning from Switzerland next month.
