New Zealand's 3x3 Basketball Team Wins Gold on Brotherhood

Four guys from different cities across New Zealand just proved that friendship might be the ultimate competitive advantage in basketball.

The New Zealand men's 3x3 basketball team stormed through the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup earlier this year, going completely undefeated on their way to gold. But ask them what made the difference, and they won't talk about tactics or training hours first. They'll tell you about brotherhood.

"I love these dudes so much," says Christian Martin, one of the team's three sharpshooters. "We get along even more off the court than we do on the court."

That closeness matters more in 3x3 basketball than almost any other sport. With only four players on the entire squad and three always on the court, there's nowhere to hide. Every possession counts, every decision gets magnified, and the game moves at lightning speed.

Aidan Tonge, the team's "big fella," says their chemistry turns chaos into poetry. "The reads become more obvious, things start to flow and look more polished." His job isn't racking up points. It's making his three shooters look brilliant through screens and assists.

The quartet doesn't even live in the same city. Josh Book calls Christchurch home, Martin lives in Dunedin, Tonge in Rotorua, and Te Tuhi Lewis in Tauranga. But constant group chats and time together on tour keep them tight.

Book credits coaches Piet Van Hasselt and Nikolay Mikhalchuk for building that culture. "They put in some crazy hours. We want to put in just as much work to get the results for us and for them."

The banter flows freely. Book says roommate Martin is "most likely to lose his swipe card," and Tonge jokes, "I get sick of these boys as well." But he quickly adds, "It's not like it's a chore. We actually really enjoy hanging out with each other."

Why This Inspires

Lewis says their friendship creates a rare kind of trust. "We understand each other so well that we can talk to each other straight. You don't get offended because everyone has the same goal."

That honesty extends to the court, where everyone knows their exact role. Martin sums it up perfectly: "We've built a basketball system that allows everyone in the team to excel in their particular role."

For Book, whose father Ed won Commonwealth Games silver in basketball, the upcoming Glasgow 2026 Games carry special meaning. "It's always a special feeling putting on the fern, no matter how many times you do it."

Their Asia Cup highlight reels went viral on social media, but those spectacular plays came from something social media can't capture: hours of building trust, understanding each other's strengths, and genuinely caring about your teammates' success.

In a sport measured in split seconds, New Zealand proved the longest-lasting advantage is the one built on friendship.