THE story of skills trainer Nica Nicolae is one of determination, commitment and love for his craft, especially in the most difficult circumstances.
A pioneer of individual skills training in South Africa, Nicolae remained true to his calling in basketball even when it was hard to make a living from it, and his hustle and grind eventually paid off.
Last year, around September, a great opportunity knocked at his door, and Nicolae didn’t hesitate to seize it. It was all thanks to the networking he did on a 2024 trip to Rwanda.
During that visit, Nicolae put the national team and REG (Rwanda Energy Group) player Odile Tetero through the paces, which started a conversation with the club’s leadership. But it would take almost a year for the skills coach to get his break.
“In 2024, I managed to meet Odile Tetero, the point guard of the national team and REG, and I managed to network with her, and I met the management of the club, which is different now,” said Nicolae. “I stayed in touch with them, and I was trying to secure a job at that time, but it didn’t happen. In July last year, the new (REG) president reached out to me, and I managed to secure a deal and I arrived there in September.”
Rwanda, a basketball hub on the continent, fits his career ambitions, and by the time he left in 2024, he knew he wanted to return.
The passion people have for the game and the efficient running of basketball is attractive for anyone wanting to be involved in Rwanda’s basketball, and Nicolae is no different.
“Definitely. Sooner or later, I knew it was going to happen,” said Nicolae. “Since my visit in 2024 and seeing the love people have for the game, how the ecosystem is so structured, I didn’t think it would happen in 2025, but I knew I would be back and I am happy to be doing what I love and spreading the knowledge from a skills training perspective.”
Throughout his career, Nicolae has shared knowledge in one-on-one sessions with star players from the continent and up-and-coming hoopers from South Africa.
So, for Nicolae, being part of a team setup was a break from the norm, and he described it as “a good shock.”
“It’s definitely been a good shock for me. It being my first time in a team setting… Seeing how things are done in a collective, because when you are an individual, your approach is different and how you do things,” said Nicolae. “Being an open person, I can blend in different situations, so the transition has been pretty smooth into the team setting. It’s been interesting to see how teams see us as skills trainers and how they value us.
“Sometimes there are those clashes, especially when it comes to ideas in high-pressure situations, like when we have to win a trophy; it’s been interesting to see everyone from players, coaching staff and management have to be on the same page.”
While finding his feet in the demanding world of team basketball, his training regimen has to fit with the REG coaches’ ideas. How has Nicolae navigated that situation?
“Definitely smooth at times and challenging because every coach has their ideology, philosophies on how they do things on how they do things. You have to adapt and make the situation work as a skills trainer,” said Nicolae. “To point and pick out what the player needs within that particular set of plays. See where they are most efficient, what they lack, what they can improve and keep track of that particular player’s progress throughout the season and not just at practice.”
He hit the ground running when he arrived in Rwanda last year, joining the REG coaching staff for their WBLA journey, which began with the qualifiers in Kenya and ended with a seventh-place finish at the tournament in Egypt.
This year, the skills coach experienced a full season with the men’s team, who finished fourth in the Rwandan championship and the women, who won their fifth title.
He reflected on experiencing the rigours of continental basketball for the first time during the REG Women’s WBLA run. “Oh, man. It was definitely amazing for me to travel the African continent because of basketball. To learn how other countries play basketball and see other teams compete at the Zone 5 qualifiers and compete in Egypt for the main competition,” said Nicolae. “It’s a different ball game once you get there because you see clubs who have history. You see how they warm up and execute on the court. You see their professionalism and why they have been successful for so many years.”
With the men’s team, he worked alongside former Nigeria national team coach and 2024 BAL Coach of the Year Ogoh Odaudu, who recently returned to lead Rivers Hoopers in his country’s domestic playoffs campaign.
Speaking of Odaudu, who led the REG men to a fourth-place finish in the Rwanda Basketball League playoffs, Nicolae says he felt privileged to work with a knowledgeable coach of that calibre.
“It’s truly been a blessing. I have enjoyed my time working with Coach Ogoh. He is full of knowledge and resilient in what he wants to do with the team,” said Nicolae. “I have picked his brain on the team setting, which helped me with my individual training. Understanding his philosophy explains why he has achieved a lot in basketball.”
Having already spent a year in the East African nation realising his basketball dream and with changes occurring in his personal life, does Nicolae see himself living long-term in Rwanda?
“Rwanda is amazing. It’s different from what I’m used to in South Africa. Since I got there in 2010 (South Africa), it’s been a roller coaster, but everybody is doing things differently here (Rwanda). Things are a bit slower. It’s secure, and the people have been so welcoming,” said Nicolae. “As far as living here (Rwanda) for the rest of my life, I am not against that. Since I have got my family here, this is my home base.
“In terms of living here forever, I am not against that, but I see myself transitioning to a place like Kenya or even back to South Africa, maybe when I retire. Who knows?”
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