Cameron played five seasons in the Australian National Basketball League, two for the New Zealand Breakers and three for the Gold Coast Blaze. He played for both clubs in their respective inaugural seasons (Breakers in 2003–04 and Blaze in 2007–08). In a total of 130 ANBL games, he averaged 8.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.[2]
Overseas
Cameron played six and a half seasons overseas; one for the Ipoh Red Eagles of Malaysia in 1995–96, four for the Chester Jets of England, one for Banvit of Turkey in 2005–06, and half a season playing for Mahram Tehran of Iran in 2007.
National team career
Cameron was first selected for the Tall 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 the 2002 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 make the All-Tournament Team. He was joined on this team by established NBA superstars Dirk Nowitzki and Peja Stojaković and NBA rookies-to-be Yao Ming and Manu Ginóbili.
In August 2017, Cameron became the first New Zealander to be inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame as a player,[3] with the official ceremony occurring on 30 September 2017 in Switzerland.[4]
Coaching career
Cameron began his coaching career with the Wellington Saints in 2010, 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 in 2011 and subsequently joined the Gold Coast Blaze's coaching staff as an assistant in 2011–12.
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 the 2014 season.[6] However, in November 2014, the Pistons pulled out of the 2015 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]
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 the Taranaki Airs.[14] He also served as the team's assistant coach in 2022.[15]
In December 2022, Cameron was appointed assistant coach of the Brisbane Bullets for the rest of the 2022–23 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]
Personal life
Cameron's mother, Mata, from the MāoriNgāpuhiiwi,[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 and Flynn, were part of the NZ Junior Tall Blacks team that competed at the 2017 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup.[25] Flynn is a member of the Tall Blacks senior team for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, which is coached by his father.
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