Rob Loe Talks About New Zealand National Basketball Team During Las Vegas #NBASummerLeague (Photo: Ryan Brown | LetsGoWarriors.com)
After voluntary workouts Sunday morning, Golden State Warriors #NBASummerLeague team center Rob Loe spoke with LetsGoWarriors.com and answered a few questions about his involvement with the Tall Blacks, New Zealand’s national basketball team, and about the growth of the sport in his home country.
If Loe makes an NBA roster, he’ll be the third Kiwi to play in “The Association”. Sean Marks played for six different NBA teams and is now Director of Basketball Operations with the San Antonio Spurs. Steven Adams currently plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Kirk Penney had brief stints with the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers.
“I think it’s grown a lot in the past few years,” Loe said. “In 2002, I think it was when we went to the World Cup and came in 4th, that’s when it really started to grow and it’s just been growing ever since.”
Loe said that he thinks it’s a new generation of fans and players that’s helped take the game to a new level for Kiwis.
“Now we’ve got the children, like me, that grew up watching that tournament growing into 20-year-olds and it’s really showing that basketball is really growing,” he explained.
Since joining the Warriors’ summer league squad, Loe has appeared in one game, where he logged 10 minutes and recorded 1 point and 2 rebounds.
After playing with the Warriors this summer, Loe hopes to rejoin his national team in time for the FIBA World Championships.
The 6’11” Loe has been a part of New Zealand’s national team since 2010, when he was just a teenager.
“I’ve been on and off since I was 17, just with my availability with college and things,” Loe said. “I’m really excited to join the guys up.”
The past four years, Loe has played college ball at St. Louis University, where he started as a senior and averaged 10.3 points and 5.7 rebounds, while also knocking down 38 threes, an uncommon skill at his height.
He said he’s looking forward to the the team’s games this summer.
“They’ve got a few games. I think they’ve got one tomorrow against South Korea,” Loe said with a smile. “It’s the first home game we’ve had in a while. So I’m really excited to join the team and show coach what I can do, and see where it goes.”
Loe said that playing at St. Louis and in NBA Summer League is a different experience than playing at home because basketball is a much more popular sport in the United States.
“I think it’s just the fans here really show their support,” Loe said. “In New Zealand, we have great fans, but a lot of people don’t really follow basketball.”
He went on to explain that it’s important for New Zealand to continue the natural growth of the sport.
“It’s something we really need to work on in New Zealand. Promotions, things like that. As the game grows so will our fan base and that’s really the only difference I see.”
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