Henare eyes the future

He was the first New Zealand Breaker to have a number retired after a stellar playing career, but now Paul Henare is building an impressive coaching résumé.

Henare is currently coaching in Japan but has kept a close eye on the NBL, which has always left the door open about a potential return in the future.

“It’s definitely a place I would be open to coming back to, because the league is in such a great place,” he said.

“Larry (Kestelman) has done such an amazing job with the league, I’m a big fan of his work and what his team has been able to do as I’ve watched it grow.”

While his name recently popped up as a candidate in the Brisbane Bullets coaching search, Henare is no stranger to being in the mix over the last few years.

“After my first year here in Japan, I actually had a really good offer with an NBL club,” he said.

“If that had come the year before, I would have jumped at it.

“But I had just got to Japan, I was in the second division, and I wanted to see what I can do here. I wanted to see can I get to the first division and do it at that level.

“So, it just wasn’t the right timing.”

Henare’s name has been synonymous with success in the last 15 years, including winning an NBL championship as a Breaker in 2011 before he retired.

The next few years for New Zealand saw the club winning four championships in five years. When Dean Vickerman took over from Andrej Lemanis in 2014, Henare was named an assistant coach and helped lead the team to their most recent title in 2015.

“I remember we were going for a walk on the beach in Wollongong and he (Vickerman) said, ‘this is my last year, I’m done', and I couldn’t believe it,” Henare recalled.

“But he said I want you and Juddy (Flavell) to put your name in the hat. I really want one of you two guys to get the role.

“He was so awesome through that process.”

While he continued to accumulate accolades coaching in the NZNBL, Henare was named head coach of the Breakers in 2016, stepping into a dream role for the club he had poured his heart and soul into for over a decade.

After taking the next step in his career and moving overseas to Japan, Henare has enjoyed the challenge of embarking on something new since 2019.

“I had just finished with the Tall Blacks at the World Cup and had just done my first year with Dean (Vickerman) in Melbourne and was coming back for more,” he said.

“I had a conversation with the head coach of the Japanese national team and I said, look ... 'if you know of any opportunities, I’m really keen to test myself overseas'.

“Next thing I know, I’m sitting at an Italian restaurant with Ross McMains and this Japanese number calls my phone.

“It was second division, B2 ... but for me, I looked at it as a foot in the door.”

The 46-year-old is now the head coach of the Shimane Susanoo Magic in the B.League.

“My first video session, I usually plan for about 15 minutes or whatever ... that thing went for about 40 minutes because I hadn’t allowed for the translation,” Henare laughed.

“Then there’s obviously the communication part of it. It’s finding a way to communicate, and I found the best way to do that was through teaching and coaching. Grabbing a couple of guys and showing them the skills or an aspect of the game and building our relationship that way.”

The challenges for an international coach going overseas go further than just a language barrier, with the B.League very unique in the way the season operates.

“We play 60 games. Every weekend you play Saturday and Sunday. If you’re at home, you play that same team at home Saturday and Sunday, then they throw in Wednesday games as well.

“Being able to manage the players and the schedule, the fatigue and the travel, it’s a really unique challenge and it’s especially different from Australia.”

Japanese basketball is familiar with a lot of NBL talent in recent years, with an influx of both coaches and players throughout the country.

“Probably the guy I spend most time with is Shawn Dennis,” Henare said.

“He’s been a good friend, a mentor of mine for a long time. We catch up as much as we can.

“Then there’s the likes of Mody (Maor) who I’ve communicated with ever since he took over the Breakers and we’ve stayed in touch ever since.

“There’s definitely a good little NBL connection over here that’s for sure.”