NZL - Vukona joins Tall Blacks coach Vucinic in Lebanon

BEIRUT (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Mika Vukona has been a warrior in the trenches for New Zealand's Tall Blacks since 2005, when he made his first appearance at the FIBA Oceania Championship.

His coach on most of the Kiwi national teams, Nenad Vucinic, appreciates the combativeness of the 31-year-old forward as much as anyone.

That's why Vucinic has brought Vukona to the Lebanese club Byblos he is coaching in the domestic playoffs.

"It could be one week at the least or three weeks, tops," Vukona said.

Vukona, whose season with the Breakers in the Australian NBL ended 21 March, had been playing with the Nelson Giants in New Zealand's Basketball League when he got the call from Vucinic.

An American import player on the books of Byblos had left before the postseason, creating a vacancy.

Vukona, who in four games with the Giants had averaged 10.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists, told the Fairfax NZ News: "Things changed fast with this trip to Lebanon but I'm determined to get back to Nelson and finish the season out with the Giants... it's short term and it's a great chance to get some playoff basketball under my belt this season.

"Plus I can help out Nenad, who's been forced to juggle players at the last minute."

Vucinic is also the owner of the Nelson Giants franchise.

In Australia's NBL, Vukona averaged 11.2 points and eight rebounds.

His Breakers teammate, Thomas Abercrombie, also clinched a move overseas on 3 April when French club ASVEL signed him for the remainder of the season.

Both Vukona and Abercrombie are expected to be key men in the Vucinic-coached Tall Blacks squad at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

New Zealand will play in Group C in Bilbao against the United States, Ukraine, Turkey, the Dominican Republic and Finland.

FIBA