Former Tall Black and Otago Nuggets stalwart Andrew Parke answered an SOS from the franchise and made a return to top-level basketball at the Edgar Centre on Saturday night.
With the Nuggets' leading player, Antoine Tisby, sidelined with a foot injury, the team was left without a genuine centre for its game against the Southland Sharks.
Parke, the team's 37-year-old assistant coach, had planned to fill in if needed this season, but an injury set his training back.
However, with the Nuggets in a pickle, he laced up his shoes and took his place on the bench.
The 1.99m veteran got his chance early in the second quarter and made an immediate impact, grabbing a rebound.
"I would have taken the court a lot sooner if I hadn't had a few injuries," he said.
"With Tisby out, we needed a rebounder and we needed an inside presence."
With so many inexperienced players on the roster, Parke said he was keen to pass on his experience and help out where he could.
"My role was to go out there, rebound, box out and show these guys how to play hard."
Parke, who last played for the Nuggets in 2003 and the Tall Blacks in 1999, played a little over 6min - which he joked felt more like 20min - and grabbed four rebounds.
He got a loud cheer from the Otago section of the 900-strong crowd every time he entered the game.
"I loved it. It was fabulous for my kids to see me play at this level. But it was a big step up from the last game I played which was in the Masters Games."
Parke's wife, former Otago Rebels midcourter Megan Parke, and his daughters, Lilly (6) and Daisy (4), watched.
"The kids loved it. I'm not sure about the wife. I got the hard word - don't fall over and don't get in any altercations. I did everything she said not to."
Cam McBride led all scorers with 26 points as the City Rise Bombers beat the St Kilda Saints 88-75 in the feature A grade game on Saturday.
Ethan Carruthers added 18 for the Bombers, who took control of the game by scorching to a 57-32 lead at halftime.
The Saints roared back through Tyler Harrison-Hunt (18 points) and veterans Dean Ruske and Jeremy Blair, who each scored 12, but there was too much ground to make up.
Tim Coudret accumulated 21 points to pace the Andy Bay Falcons to an 83-59 win against Otago Boys' High School.
Tom Giles added 19 for the Falcons, who won the first quarter 21-17 and backed it up with a 24-15 second quarter.
Chris Hood (17) and Jesse Te Tau (12) led the scoring for Otago Boys'.
Earlier in the week, Samara Gallaher had poured in 25 points to lead Ajax to a 67-26 win against Ajax Black in the women's competition.
Soraya Jensen scored 22 points to guide Magic to a 74-47 thumping of Varsity.
