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'I am going through with it': Breakers star Jackson-Cartwright confirms process underway to become Tall Black
Stephen Foote •  August 11th, 2026 3:22 pm
Parker Jackson-Cartwright was bang on target in the Breakers' win over the Sydney Kings | Photo: Jeremy Ward/Photosport
NBL superstar Breakers sparkplug and Parker Jackson-Cartwright has confirmed the process to make him eligible to wear the Tall Blacks singlet is underway.
The California product has been based in New Zealand since he joined the Breakers in late 2023. He's since become one of the club's longest tenured imports, while establishing himself on the court as one of the competition's premier players.
In December 2025, Jackson-Cartwright indicated he was "definitely interested" in representing New Zealand.
But speaking at Breakers HQ on Tuesday, he cautiously revealed that desire had gone one significant step further, with the wheels now officially in motion for his naturalisation.
"It's definitely in the process," Jackson-Cartwright said.Â
"I can't say too much. I don't know how far along it is. But I am going through with it. I definitely would like that opportunity."
Parker Jackson-Cartwright | Photo: Photosport
To play international basketball for a national team under FIBA regulations, a player must hold legal nationality (a passport) of the country they wish to represent and satisfy national-status rules.
This year, six-time NBL MVP winner Bryce Cotton made his debut for the Australia national side after undergoing a lengthy procedure of earning citizenship which began back in 2019.Â
Alongside Flynn Cameron and Shea Ili, the 31-year-old would further galvanise Tall Blacks coach Judd Flavell's already impressive point guard stocks.
The Tall Blacks head to the World Championships looming in Qatar in September, and although Jackson-Cartwright's inclusion would provide an enormous boost to their prospects, it seems highly unlikely he'd be available for selection by then.
In his 2025/26 campaign, Jackson-Cartwright boasted per game averages of 17.7 points, 7.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds, earning him a spot on the All-NBL Second Team.
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Fresh off spending a chunk of the off-season in his native Los Angeles, Jackson-Cartwright admitted returning to New Zealand to begin preparations for the upcoming season genuinely "felt like coming home".
"Somebody asked me what it felt like being away from home. And I said, this is home to me, being in Auckland, being in New Zealand.
"I feel like I came home from being in LA after all those months.
"The club, the city, the country, I feel so comfortable here and that's enough for me. I don't need a lot. I'm a simple guy. I love this league and it's given me so much, so I think the next step is to go out there and win. I want a taste of winning."
As to what kept him coming back, Jackson-Cartwright confided it was "bigger than basketball".
"It's a special place to me," he said of New Zealand. "I love living here. My family loves it when they come to visit me, especially my mum.Â
"I'm around great people and I think when a club wants you back like this and I love it already, it's just a perfect reunion.
"I'm just highly blessed and filled with gratitude that the Breakers love me this much because I love them right back."
The Breakers will begin their 2026/27 NBL season at home against the Illawarra Hawks on September 20.
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