Basketball New Zealand says it will find the $25,000-plus needed to clear the path for Steven Adams to become a Tall Black, the rest is up to the persuasive powers of coach Nenad Vucinic.



"It's down to the coach and the player now, we'll look after the administration aspect of insurance and travel costs," said Basketball NZ chief executive Ian Potter yesterday.



"I've told Nenad if you can get him to play for you, we'll find the money."



Potter received a dose of good news when the insurance quote to cover Adams' potential participation in the Oceania series against Australia came back significantly under the amount that had been anticipated at $25,000.



They had feared it could be two or three times that.



"It was a pleasant surprise," added Potter. "On the one hand we can find $25,000 and make it happen if Steven is available. On the other hand, it's $25,000 more we have to find, and we started in January with nothing."



As has been well documented, Basketball NZ has had to come up with the entire $375,000 it needs to run this year's Tall Blacks and Tall Ferns programmes on a shoestring budget because it received nothing in High Performance Sport NZ's annual round of funding.



That contrasts with more than $A5 million the Australians have courtesy of their government funding programme.



Basketball NZ had to scrape and scrounge and go cap in hand to its constituency to finance this year's campaign on the smell of an oily rag. The squad is staying in budget accommodation and will build up for the Boomers series with a trip to China mostly funded by the hosts.



But Potter said it was vital to do everything possible to allow the ground-breaking Adams - the first Kiwi to be picked in the first round of the NBA draft - to play for the Tall Blacks, should he and his new employers at the Oklahoma City Thunder see it as beneficial to his development.



Vucinic has said Adams has made it clear to him he wants to play for the Tall Blacks if he can, and now it is up the Tall Blacks coach to persuade the Thunder that it will be in their best interests to have him continue to hone his game in the international arena.



Potter said it would be "absolutely fantastic" to have Adams part of the Tall Blacks campaign this year, especially with his huge profile in New Zealand on the back of being drafted No 12 overall by the Thunder recently, and backing that up with a series of solid performances in the Orlando summer league.



But the most important thing is that Adams and the rest of what is being called a "golden generation" of Kiwi hoops talent - Isaac Fotu, Rob Loe, Tai Webster, Reuben Te Rangi and now 17-year-old schoolboy sensation Jack Salt - are all available for next year's World Cup in Spain.



"If this is a golden generation of talent we've got to seize the day," said Potter. "There's no doubt we could potentially have a very exciting side next year. That's why it's important to get Steven involved as soon as possible."



Tall Blacks assistant coach Paul Henare has raised the possibility of a benefactor covering Adams' insurance costs and Potter would certainly be grateful for any financial help he could get. But he's well aware that he needs regular funding streams to ensure ongoing sustainability.



The Tall Blacks are currently ranked 18 in the world, while the Boomers are 10th. Both will qualify for next year's World Cup.

Meanwhile, Vucinic will this morning unveil his squad of 13 to tour China in the main shakedown ahead of the series against Australia. Salt is expected to be the fourth straight 17-year-old schoolboy to get the national callup, following Loe, Fotu and Webster from the previous three years.

There's also likely to be a spot for 16-year-old Wellington schoolboy Izayah Leafa in a squad tipped to include four debutants all told. The withdrawal of veteran point guard Lindsay Tait through injury opened up a spot for the youngster who impressed with his poised trials display for one so young.

With a number of key players unavailable -- Kirk Penney, Fotu, Loe and Leon Henry also all out of the picture -- and Alex Pledger also a possibility to miss the Chona trip for "personal" reasons, it's shaping as a young and raw group. Adams' presence at some stage would be a huge boost.