New Zealand does Haka dance in Matthew Dellavedova’s grill
Aug 15, 2015, 2:53 PM
Tradition says that New Zealand will do the Haka dance before a competition. How it’s done varies.
In the FIBA Championships last summer, New Zealand kept its distance and went through the performance to an intrigued but ultimately unimpressed USA Basketball squad from a quarter-court away. James Harden looked either confused or amused … we can’t tell.
But Saturday at the 2015 FIBA Oceania tournament, there was no doubt that playing Australia would bring the best out of New Zealand’s pregame ritual.
This became especially humorous because of who is on the Australian squad. That would be Matthew Dellavedova, well-known pest and member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
New Zealand got about as in Delly grill as you can get. Maybe he learned what it’s like when other players take exception to his controversial style.
It turns out Dellavedova hasn’t exactly used this summer to silence critics of his, um, tactics. He got in a fight with Lithuania’s Domantas Sabonis during a friendly just two weeks ago.
