Hoops has taken Waardenburg all across the Globe, and he’s loved every second of it.

As a professional, Melbourne United stretch-big Sam Waardenburg has hooped in almost every continent where there’s a basketball and a ring. In his Junior years for the New Zealand national team, he played in tournaments in Cairo, Fiji and Kazakhstan. 

For the Tall Blacks senior squad, Waardenburg has laid his hat in countless cities, and in turn has seen just as many different cultures. 

For clubs, he has competed in Germany, Puerto Rico and of course, Australia. 

Ahead of United’s Multicultural Game this Sunday October 25th against the Sydney Kings at home, the 27-year-old spoke on his gratitude to the game, and the surreality of the globetrotting that basketball has provided him with. 

“The most beautiful thing about basketball is the places that it takes you, the people that you get to meet,” Waardenburg explained. 

“From an early age, it's taken me to many countries that I probably wouldn't have thought [to go to] as a young teenager, And now in life, you know, getting to play off seasons in Puerto Rico where my partner's from. 

“Getting to embrace her culture and then [us] being here and she sees, kind of a bit of [my culture] and that similarity between New Zealand and Australia…getting to experience those things is awesome.”

Growing up in West Auckland in the Waitākere Ranges, Waardenburg’s world was plenty big for him as a child. His home, an area full of lush greenery and vast mountainous ranges provided him with a world ripe for exploration. 

“It was a pretty open area, lots of forests. So as a little kid [I was] climbing trees, and in nature and whatnot,” he said. 

“It's kind of nice that you can go to the West Coast and East Coast pretty quickly. I grew up surfing as well. So that was pretty awesome.  Got some pretty good surf spots out there.”

In between swinging branches and crashing waves, the kiwi found his love for basketball in what he says was the biggest scene for the sport in New Zealand at the time. 

“Growing up and in my time, Auckland was probably one of the biggest spots for basketball,” he explained. 

“[There was] a lot of good talent there and the Breakers Academy was probably the hot spot for development in my age group. It was the start of growing basketball in New Zealand, and now it's just kind of taken off and it's throughout the whole country.

“You can see that now, you get immense talent it… was great growing up in Auckland and having that.” 

Now in Melbourne, he will represent his home country by wearing United’s custom Multicultural Game jersey, which will have the New Zealand flag in prime position on it. 

To celebrate Waardenburg, Melbourne United, and your own diverse culture, make sure to get your tickets to this Sunday the 25th of October’s matchup against the Sydney Kings, here via AXS. Tip off is at 5:00pm. 

If you can’t make it on the day, the matchup will be broadcast live on ESPN via Kayo or Disney+.

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