‘Looking at the big picture’

“We should talk about how we can lift the standard of basketball. It is a popular game but we have to capitalize on that popularity and make it grow.”

These were the words of FIBA Oceania secretary general Steve Smith, who arrived on island yesterday to meet with officials of the Basketball Association of the Northern Mariana Islands, as well as government and private sector officials, to talk about basketball development in the Commonwealth.

Smith said his main goal during his brief two-day visit is to talk to BANMI and other basketball organizations and to look at the big basketball picture.

He also discussed with officials, led by BANMI president Mike Muna during a luncheon meeting yesterday at the Aqua Resort Club, on the need to have a strategic plan in place and from there determine which goals are realistic each and every year.

“Basketball is played recreationally for many young people,” he said. “It’s played in schools, throughout the community…at the moment, what we need to have is somebody that’s looking at the total basketball picture and making sure that all of those basketball activities are leading towards some final goal, which is raising the standard of basketball in the CNMI. I spoke today with executives about sitting down and looking at a strategic plan and taking the sport of basketball forward in the [CNMI] in a few years time.”

Smith further explained that the local basketball scene may receive financial assistance from FIBA to employ a person, whose main focus will be assisting organizers of the various leagues with a mindset of promoting the sport and developing and improving its standard.

“One issue is the need to have a paid employee to help the [Division of Sports and Recreation] people to run some basketball programs, help the school people run school leagues, and we have some financial assistance that we’re prepared to help make that happen,” he said.

Smith, however, said FIBA should not be made to shoulder the entire expense of employing that person and that support from the community, the government, and the private sector is key.

“We don’t have enough money to make it all happen,” he said. “We won’t be able to pay the whole salary, but it’s also a deliberate policy because we believe that unless people on Saipan own the program, they’re not going to be concerned and on the long run it won’t be successful. [But] if the basketball association or some local sponsors are involved in putting some money into employing that person, then they’ll be working pretty hard to make sure that person is doing the job they want. If it’s my money they’re spending, they don’t care if it’s wasted, so I think it will be interesting to see what will happen after my visit.”

He also disclosed that FIBA is developing television products and competitions and continuing to work with sponsors to help improve the standard in the region.

“I really believe that in the next five years, the amount of money that’s involved in international basketball that is available to help develop the sport will increase,” he said. “We do a really good job in the Oceania region so if there’s money available, we’ll certainly get a good share of it.

This is Smith’s first visit to the NMI. He is the highest-ranking FIBA Oceania official to ever visit the Commonwealth.