After 13 years in the Tall Blacks singlet, point guard Lindsay Tait has announced his retirement from international basketball, ruling him out of the Tall Blacks' Olympic qualifying campaign.
Former Tall Black Lindsay Tait Photo: PHOTOSPORT
At 34-years-old, Tait said the time is right to call an end to a career that started back in 2003.
"Here am I, a skinny kid from West Auckland, I travelled the world playing the game with my friends, all experience I never would have had without the game. It is those memories and the relationships I will take with me, the people I hold closest to me in my life are my family and those in basketball."
Tait played in the 2010 and 2014 Basketball World Championships and was part of the Tall Blacks side that won silver at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
Tall Blacks Head Coach Paul Henare paid tribute to a man he was proud to play alongside and then coach in recent years.
"Lindsay has had an outstanding international career - one that he and his whanau can be extremely proud of. For me it's been great to see his growth from a raw teenager as teammates with the Auckland Stars to coaching him as one of the true leaders of our Tall Blacks team last year.
"Undoubtedly he will go down in history as one of New Zealand's greatest players. I look forward to watching his progress as he enters the next stage of his life and career."
The Tall Blacks squad will be named later this week for the Olympic qualifying tournament in the Philippines in July.
-RNZ
