Selepe embraces inner coach and leading MBB to the BAL

DURING his playing days at Jeppe High School for Boys, Lebesa Selepe says he learnt he had an inner coach in him, something he took time to warm up to. In a full-circle moment, Selepe has embraced his ability to impart basketball knowledge from the sidelines at his former school.

The MBB player explains that he is not new to the stressful job of being a coach, which has formed part of his love for the game.

“I have coached basketball before in 2009, 2010, and 2011. So I can say is it feels good to be back (to coaching),” said the former Jeppe High pupil. “It feels good to be back at my old school because of the passion I have (for the school) and the game. It’s an emotional thing and I can feel my blood pressure boiling on game day.”

The 33-year-old Selepe is not sure when the coaching bug bit – what he does remember is his love for executing the plan and coaches telling him he can become one. “I don’t know exactly… Whenever I play, I am the type of player who implements whatever the coach wants us to do. Also, some of my coaches used to say to me I am one of those guys who can be like a player/coach… I can’t say this is when the bug bit… Maybe it’s something I have always had in me,” said Selepe.

The South African international says he is in coaching for the long haul and has also taken to being a mentor to the younger players.

“Coaching and commentating are things I see myself doing when I stop playing basketball… I am enjoying it. When I was younger I did not like it as much as I do now,” said the South African international. “I think I have a lot more to teach now than back then. I definitely want to do it for as long as possible and to keep on imparting knowledge given the different levels of basketball I have played.”

Selepe is a seasoned hooper. He played for South Africa in the 2017 AfroBasket. Before joining last year’s national champions MBB, he had already played in two Basketball Africa League (BAL) tournaments in the colours of the defunct Cape Town Tigers.

This year, he will make a third appearance at the BAL in the Blue of MBB, and what makes the journey fulfilling for Selepe is that he is achieving his milestone with a South African-owned outfit.

“It feels great. MBB is a South African product, a homegrown club and they are also close to my heart. So going there (to the BAL) with them is absolutely amazing,” said Selepe.

MBB got a taste of things to come in the BAL during the Road To BAL Elite 16 in Nairobi, Kenya, last year. iTeam Yase Dladleni (The Home Team) managed one victory in the group stages and did not progress to the next round.

Reflecting on his fourth Elite 16 tournament, Selepe cited administrative matters and a lack of preparation as MBB’s stumbling blocks. Despite the challenges, the former Jozi Nuggets player believes things will improve.

“The two games we lost, one against the hosts Nairobi City Thunder – in that game, we did not have enough depth because some of our players could not play because of registration, so we were thin (in the game against the Thunder) and ran out of gas. The lesson there is to make certain the house is in order in terms of paperwork and admin and to ensure our conditioning is at a higher level,” said Selepe. “Against Kriol Star, I think it is a game we should have won. We had numerous opportunities to win that game. So we have to stay locked in to win basketball games.

“The results may not look that way, but we were competitive as MBB… We are on the right track.”

Having the evergreen Neo Mothiba and the battle-hardened Pieter Prinsloo in the team solidifies the spine, and a good run of preparatory matches will see MBB raring to go.

Selepe spoke on teaming up again with his 2017 AfroBasket teammates. “Neo Mothiba is a warrior. You can go to war with him any day. He is ageing in reverse. It’s always great to play with him. He is a super leader, a guy that commands a lot of respect. He plays the game at a high level despite his age so that is the type you want to go into battle with,” said Selepe. “Pieter is a high-calibre player. He is a 6-foot-10 guy who can knock down the three and secure the middle. He is a treasure to have on any team.”

For Selepe and Co. the work to be ready for the BAL continues. Hopefully, by the start of the tournament, the Blue Soldiers will be well-armoured for continental battle.