Pero Cameron helped write a famous chapter in New Zealand sports lore when he led the Tall Blacks on an unexpected run to the last four of the 2002 FIBA World Championship.

A team doesn't have to win a medal to capture the hearts of an entire nation, as the Kiwis proved in Indianapolis, USA.

Everyone back home in New Zealand marvelled at the discipline, determination and skill of Cameron and the Tall Blacks.

Cameron raised eyebrows with his play, size and smarts.

The 2.00m forward was a wide body.

He didn't look like like a basketball player to many, yet he was very effective.

Cameroon tipped the scales at 130kg, which made him incredibly difficult to compete against in the lane.

He was able to use his body to good effect.

Good rebounders know the most important thing is to establish position, so Cameron was always a tough opponent on the low blocks when he put his mind to it.

What stood out about him was his ability to help New Zealand spread the floor.

He connected on 24 of his 67 (35.8%) shots from long range in Indianapolis.

His 22-point explosion against Andrei Kirilenko and Russia in the first game helped pave the way for a journey to the last eight.

Then, in their Quarter-Final against Puerto Rico, Cameron had 16 points, five rebounds and five assists.

The Tall Blacks' run looked as if it might continue when in their next game, they opened up a 30-18 lead by the end of the first quarter against the former Yugoslavia.

Still on top 48-39 at halftime, the Tall Blacks caved in after the restart when the Yugoslavs outscored them, 27-10.

Svetislav Pesic's team held on in the fourth for an 89-78 victory to reach the Final, despite 16 points and eight boards from Cameron.

Germany then beat Cameron and Co in the Third-Place Game and the Yugoslavs edged Argentina in a thrilling Final.

Later that year in New Zealand, Cameron was named the Maori Sportsman of the Year.

In 2004, he showed up in Athens to play at his second Olympics with the Tall Blacks.

A 71-69 defeat to Italy in their first game served as a platform for a frustrating tournament.

After scoring just eight points in that opener, a Yao Ming-led China shut Cameron out in the next game and beat the Tall Blacks in a pivotal contest, 69-62.

Coached by Tab Baldwin, New Zealand breathed some life into their Olympic campaign and claimed revenge at the same time by upsetting Serbia and Montenegro, 90-87.

Most of the players in the Serbia and Montenegro squad had suited up for Yugoslavia two years earlier at the World Championship.

Cameron then put forth one of his most memorable performances in a Tall Blacks jersey, knocking down six three-balls against a star-studded Argentina but a close defeat was yet again on the cards for New Zealand as they fell to the eventual Olympic champions, 98-94.

In their last Preliminary Round game, Cameron and New Zealand went up against an unbeaten Spain side that was also loaded with talented players like Pau Gasol, Juan Carlos Navarro and Jose Calderon.

The Spaniards won, 88-84, despite 18 points and nine rebounds from Cameron.

Cameron continued to play the game after that Olympics.

He competed again at the FIBA World Championship in 2006 and then tried to help New Zealand make it to the Beijing Games but they came up short at the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Athens.

His final appearances among the world's very best was at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey, where he helped the Tall Blacks beyond the first round.

Cameron brought his playing career to a close in 2011.

FIBA