All roads lead to Rome for Tall Black Vukona

ROME (2015 FIBA Oceania Championship) - It's not every day that an athlete has a chance to live and compete in one of the world's most famous cities.

When New Zealand Tall Black star Mika Vukona, after leading his Breakers to the NBL title Down Under, received a call from the Italian capital and was offered a chance to move to the Eternal City and play for Acea Roma, it did not take him long to make a decision.

Vukona put pen to paper on a contract to play for the club for the remainder of the campaign and jetted off to Europe.

He's had good first impressions of Rome.

"Simply magnificent," he said.

"I've only known what I've read in books and seen in movies.

"It's very nice to walk through the streets of Rome, there is so much history here."

I can't wait to be able to discover the beauty of this city. - Vukona

Roma will be happy if Vukona soaks up a lot of history but more importantly for the club is that he bring the combative spirit that has made him one of New Zealand's most famous basketball players as the Italian side fights for a spot in the playoffs.

"My strengths are the ability to help the team defensively and in rebounding," he said, "playing aggressively and never giving up.

"This is the contribution that I want to give to Virtus [Acea Roma] in the last few games and hopefully the playoffs."

Vukona is well known for being a Tall Black.

And everywhere he goes, he hears the same question.

What about the Haka?

The Tall Blacks do the Haka before every game, including at last year's FIBA Basketball World Cup, before they faced the star-laden United States.

Doing the Haka before the US national team was crazy. - Vukona

"There was so much emotion because we faced the strongest team in the world and we poured all the energy and feelings we felt in that Haka," Vukona said.

"In New Zealand, the Haka is a traditional dance that serves to impress the opponent in front of you."

In August, Vukona will play with his national team again in the FIBA Oceania Championship against Australia.

The sides will meet in Melbourne 15 August and then in Wellington 18 August.

Right now, Vukona wants to help Roma reach the playoffs.

He played on Sunday at Dolomiti Energia Trento and Roma fell, 82-68.

Roma are in 10th place with two games remaining.

Only the top eight sides qualify for the post-season.

Giorgio Tesi Group Pistoia are eighth and Acqua Vitasnella Cantu are ninth, and each team has 13 wins and 15 defeats.

Roma are 12-16 and face Cantu in their last game.

FIBA