Beatlemania hit Rosmini High School - but instead of long-haired crooners, a teenaged basketball hot property was causing the stir.
American basketballer RJ Hampton, bill as one of the top picks for the 2020 NBA draft, has decided to skip college ball and play for the NZ Breakers.
Since he and his family arrived in New Zealand earlier this month, RJ has been out recruiting fans - scoring points with selfies at Westlake Boys High School.
- Basketball: NBA prospect RJ Hampton signs for the New Zealand Breakers
- ANBL: Breakers buoyant over RJ Hampton 'experiment'
- ANBL: RJ Hampton ready to lead NZ Breakers back into title picture
Hampton, 18, wants to win the Australian NBL [National Basketball League] championship this year. The Breakers have won four titles, but were ranked seventh of the nine teams last season, so he may have his work cut out for him.
The teen could have gone anywhere for his year-long "break" between education and the NBA, but RJ was set on playing for New Zealand.
"I chose here, because I felt like it is a really competitive league," the young basketballer told The Project on Thursday. "The coaches and teams are also really good.
"The NBA will not allow you to go straight out of high school into the NBA, so you have to do something for one year after you graduate.
"It could be college, the NBL, sitting at home... but I decided to come to the NBL."
Hampton reassured Kiwi basketball fans that - despite Mark Richardson's concern over him "getting worse" by playing here - New Zealand basketball was "actually really good competition".
- ANBL: Breakers recruit RJ Hampton fails Kiwi, Aussie slang test
- ANBL: Breakers RJ Hampton crosses paths with fellow 'Next Star'
The 18-year-old said his friends in America had been supportive of the big move - once they realised where New Zealand was.
"They really didn't know where New Zealand was at," he told The Project. "But they looked it up and thought it was super cool."
When it comes to Hampton's biggest culture shock, it wasn't the language, the weather or the slang.
"I just want to know why everybody's so nice?" he asked the hosts. It could be worse, then.
The point guard has already had a taste of Kiwi culture, watching the All Blacks play the Wallabies for the Bledisloe Cup.
"I liked the intensity and the crowd," he said. "I just didn't really understand it.
"I don't understand why they keep throwing it back and back and back."
So a change in sporting career isn't on the cards anytime soon.
Yet despite a slight aversion to the country's national sport, Hampton is happy for New Zealand to claim him as a Kiwi for the rest of his promising career.
"I'm looking forward to it," he said, smiling.
His debut in the Breakers shirt is against the Sydney Kings on October 18.
Newshub.
