NBL Standings
AUCKLAND (NBL) - You could have been excused for thinking Brendon Pongia's presence in the St Laurence Wellington Saints' lineup was merely designed to raise the club's celebrity status.
For the first half of the 2006 National Basketball League season, the former Tall Black has been mostly a towel waver, injected into the action for a few cameo minutes here and there, but never long enough to really show any of his old skills.
But with the Saints' season teetering in the balance, the wily veteran emerged from the far reaches of the bench to remind everyone he is more than just a pretty face in front of a TV camera.
"I'm still buzzing," he gushed the morning after his 19 points (7/11 FG, 3/7 3pt, 2/2 FT), six assists, five rebounds and a block helped steer Wellington to a crucial 93-84 road win over Scenic Circle Canterbury.
"I got an opportunity to play last night - that's probably the best way to describe it - and just got in the zone. It was awesome.
"That's why I play the game ... to go out there and mix it up with some of these young bucks."
The importance of his performance should not be underestimated. When Saints star Brendon Polyblank limped off the court early in the game, finally succumbing to a nagging foot injury and a torrid playing schedule, someone had to fill the breach.
Polyblank had starred in Wellington's two previous outings, scoring 26 points in an upset win over NBS Nelson Giants on Wednesday and 21 in a jolting loss to the Otago Nuggets on Friday. Pongia had missed the trip to Nelson due to his commitments as co-host of TVNZ's Good Morning show the next day and then did not take the court in Dunedin.
The lapse against bottom-of-the-table Otago was a severe mathematical and psychological blow to Saints' semifinal aspirations. Another defeat in Christchurch would have left their hopes in tatters.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man.
At 36, Pongia relegates evergreen Terrence Lewis to second oldest on the Wellington roster by a few months. Over 12 NBL seasons, he has amassed 233 games and nearly 3000 points, shooting 36.2% from beyond the arc.
His playing days seemed to be winding down in 2002 when he wasn't wanted for the Tall Black squad to the FIBA World Championships, but finally won his first national league title with the Waikato Titans. After a disappointing season (9.1 points, 38.8% FG, 31.3% 3pt), he came off the bench to unleash 17 points (5/7 3pt) in a two-point final victory over Nelson, a fitting climax to a solid career.
His life took an unexpected turn when he went to Indianapolis anyway, as a spectator, and earned more face time on TV as leader of the supporters' haka than many of the players who had kept him off the roster. Someone in a boardroom somewhere decided he actually looked good on the small screen and, somehow, Pongia has stretched his 15 minutes of fame to a full two hours each weekday morning, when he discusses such topics as the interior design of nurseries, relationships with mother-in-laws and how to deal with noisy neighbours.
"Basketball has really opened up a lot of doors for me," agrees Pongia.
"When you look at where I've gone from SKY to now working with TVNZ, a lot of things in my personal life are going very well.
"Basketball is another outlet for me, another way I can express myself and do something I'm passionate about. This season was all about putting something back into the game, perhaps in a leadership role with the younger players, and I've enjoyed it.
"I have felt I could have offered a lot more on the court, but I've just had to wait for my opportunities. After last night, I feel just like a little kid again."
Pongia's performance may put the pressure on Saints coach Gordy McLeod for more playing time, starting with an exhibition game against Tall Black Craig Bradshaw and his touring Winthrop University Eagles on Monday night.
With the battle for NBL semifinal berths now red hot in intensity, the home team will probably rest some of their frontline players and Pongia has bullishly put the coaching staff on notice ...
"I'm starting."
Grant Chapman