Nelson's new basketball recruit

From player to commentator to national team selector, Huw Beynon’s basketball journey has been anything but orthodox.

Growing up in the United Kingdom where basketball is often an afterthought, Huw’s sporting future was destined to involve an oval ball.

His Welsh father had him playing rugby as a youngster but would unintentionally create his basketball obsession, returning from business trips to the United States with various NBA team hats.

Huw was then invariably staying up until 10pm on a Sunday night to catch a 30-minute NBA highlight show.

After moving to New Zealand as a teenager, the 6’6” Huw switched from the field to the court and never looked back.

Though his dreams of playing professionally were never reached, Huw has made a living from basketball and was recently appointed Tall Blacks team manager.

“It was a real surprise, but I am absolutely stoked. I love the Tall Blacks, they mean a lot to me so when they offered me the chance to work with them and travel with them it was a no brainer.”

Prior to his Tall Blacks assignment, Huw’s highest administration role was manager of his local tennis club in Auckland.

“It is a bit daunting and will be a bit of a challenge.”

Huw says he just wants to help the team win as much as possible.

“I am a very small cog in the Tall Blacks machine. My job is to make sure the tour is as easy as possible for players so they can just focus on basketball.”

With his new appointment, Huw and his wife Mandy made the decision to move to Nelson with their young children Brooke, aged one, and Brodie, aged two.

After 12-years in Auckland, the couple say they no longer needed to live on the country’s largest city so began to look elsewhere.

“I had always joked whenever anything ‘Aucklandy’ happened like we would get stuck in traffic or it rained. I would always say we are moving to Nelson because I have always loved coming down here for the Giants.”

Huw says it took less than 15 minutes sitting at the top of Trafalgar St before Mandy said, ‘yep, Nelson it is’.”

Just four days later, the couple had sold and bought a house and relocated to the Top of the South.

“What a great place for kids to grow up. We want to raise a couple of Nelsonians, it’s going to be a great spot for them.”

Huw says his passion for the Nelson Giants was a big drawcard of the region.

He will join the Giants board for the 2021 season as he hopes the franchise can recapture the imagination of locals.

“It is such a great basketball city, the history is phenomenal, and we just need to build that back up and get people to rediscover their love for the Giants.”

Huw says the Giants have been doing it tough the last couple of years, particularly financially, but they have since turned it around.

“Of all the teams to make the most out of 2020 the Giants did just that. Without a proper league they managed to get their finances in order, and I think will really attack 2021.”

He says one of the side’s greatest assets is head coach Mike Fitchett.

“He is one of a few really top-quality coaches in New Zealand and he is a homeboy - he is drawn here, he wants to be here.”

Huw rates the Trafalgar Centre as the best basketball stadium in the country and there is nothing like the energy of a packed house.

“With the Mako doing so well, it’s hard. It’s a small market of fans you’re fighting for. The Giants have to start matching that to get them through the doors and get the excitement around them, and I think they can.”

Huw is well known in New Zealand sporting circles from his work with media.

His broadcasting career started with him labelling tapes as an intern at TV3.

Soon he would be working on Sports Tonight with Howard Dobson before going on to produce one of New Zealand’s most popular sports shows in the Crowd Goes Wild for three years.

Huw says when he started out as a journalist, veterans would be in his ear about how his role watching sport had changed but he refused to listen.

“Some of the older crustier types would say, ‘you’re not a fan anymore’ but of course we are still fans.”

After a decade living his dream, which included covering the Breakers’ three-peat and writing a book about Tall Black centurions, Huw is content at this point in his career.

“If ESPN called and wanted me to come to America to commentate the NBA, I’d say no. Kids are now the priority, I am exactly where I want to be.”