Eastern Bay basketballer Kaimarni Ngaheu cannot wait to show off his silky skills against some Australian counterparts.

The talented Trident High School basketballer has been selected in the HoopNation 2025 Classic under-18 squad to play in the Eltham-Dandenong tournament, to be held in Melbourne from January 24-27.

He’s the only player from the Eastern Bay who has been selected in the 20-man squad, which includes a few other players from the Bay of Plenty.

The 16-year-old said he was excited about this opportunity.

“I was speechless. It’s a surreal feeling. Only because of the amazing talent I saw throughout the tournament as well. It’s a cool feeling knowing I am going with other experienced players.”

The opportunity to head to Australia came about after Kaimarni was spotted playing in the Classic Tournament back in October, which saw 205 teams across 17 divisions and included 16 internationals.

“It was a huge feat making that team for the tournament and then I put in a lot of training when I could.”

He expects a high level of competition in Melbourne.

“More experience and exposure to help take my game further. Hopefully meet some new friends and experience top-level coaching sessions with experts.”

Arriving at Trident as a year nine student, Kiamarni was shoulder tapped by a teacher to give the sport a nudge.

“I was introduced to the sport by Mike Te Kurapa at Trident.”

Kaimarni, who idolises Michael Jordan, has some goals.

“I want to improve my performance, train hard, focus more on my weaknesses and use my strengths to push myself further up the ladder.

“I hope to continue growing in the sport and work towards a college scholarship in the United States. I also want to show my nephews what they can achieve and do but also inspire young players to love basketball as much as I do.”

Kaimarni loved his years of basketball under Te Kurapa and Steph Walker, winning numerous trophies, including 2023 and 2024 player of the year, and representing the senior team while still a junior. He also shone at a tournament in 2023, with a bucket-load of points highlighting his potential.

“I want to show others what you can achieve if you put in the hard work required.”

In Melbourne, he’s representing the HoopNation Classic under-18 side.

It’s a nine-day trip featuring training camps and the tournament in Melbourne.

Kaimarni has never experienced a trip like this before so he’s looking forward to the opportunity and being able to show off his basketball talents.

Following Australia, he’s back in New Zealand for a couple of months before heading away with the Malaysian Basketball New Zealand Select team to play in Malaysia.

Usually a point guard, Kaimarni, who could dunk at age 13, is happy to pop up all over the court.