Author name: Manyehlisa Lehohla

NINO Dim had to rewind his mind to a decade ago when asked if he knew he would one day pursue a basketball career. He remembers asking a former University of Johannesburg teammate if it was possible for them to become pros one day, and understandably, his friend laughed the idea off.

The reason Dim’s friend may have found the question preposterous is that the poor governance of basketball in South Africa has left many despondent. Many who have made a career out of basketball are the exception, not the norm.

Fast forward to the present, Dim, playing in his second BAL tournament, explained that he worked hard and his unwavering determination has got him to this point.

He is enjoying playing in front of thousands of fans at the Sunbet Arena in Pretoria for his club, Johannesburg Giants.

“I really can’t describe it. Playing in front of your home crowd and your family being able to come and watch you is a luxury,” said Dim, who had an interview with The Big Tip Off on Saturday at the arena. “I don’t think I am taking it lightly, and neither are the other guys. It’s a really good feeling. More than anything, I am excited, and the hope is that it happens more often than not.”

Dim, who scored 13 points in a 100-70 loss to Tanzania’s DarCity, says stepping on the court on Friday night was a moment of relief.

“I mean, finally! Those are the words which came to mind. I have been working for this for a really long time. It’s work that I have been doing for over 10 years that has now come to fruition,” said Dim.

He then reflected on the conversation with his friend from university. “Ten years ago, I was probably walking to church with my good friend Zet Mutingoza. I remember asking: ‘Zet, do you think we can go pro?’ He looked at me, laughed at me, and said ‘Hey man, I don’t know about that’,” reflected Dim.

Dim, who made his name playing for the University of Johannesburg and leading South Africa at the 2023 FISU World Student Games and the 2024 CUCSA Games, ploughed on and having someone believe in his ability was a sign that he was on the right track.

“In my head, I believed already. I just needed that extra push. That extra motivation from somebody that I looked up to, to just let me know ‘yo it can happen’,” said Dim. “I was just training and working out blindly… And by God’s grace, BAL happened, and we are here today.”

So, who is the person who encouraged Dim all these years to continue on his present path?

“The one person that I can speak about who impacted me in terms of that is Coach Mandla Ngema of UJ Basketball. He instilled a different type of mentality in me from the jump. I think he had a lot of expectations of me as a rookie coming in. He had a lot of expectations when I became a senior,” said Dim. “Him putting that amount of pressure on you… Pushing you physically and mentally continuously made me believe I am doing this for a reason.

“I believe I can somehow make it out of South Africa and go play professional basketball elsewhere.”

While he chases his basketball dreams, Dim made sure not to forget the man who pushed him towards his goal. He gave Ngema a token of appreciation when he made his first BAL tournament last year as an MBB player.

“Coach Mandla is a man of very few words. He is a man of action. The first season, when I got my jersey, I went back to UJ to give it to him as a way of saying thank you, coach,” said Dim. “He would come after practice to do some extra work with me. He put up shots with me. He helped fix my jumper. He is not a man of many words. He congratulated me and told me he is proud of me… Also anytime I need the UJ gym it’s available to me. I think that was him co-signing and telling me put in all the work I need to achieve greatness.”

Looking back at his first BAL season, Dim, who played in only three games in his continental club championship debut, says he gained perspective from seeing how the veterans and other professionals at his former club, MBB, put in work to stay in good condition or to remain at the top of their game.

“As much as I didn’t play, watching guys like Lebesa (Selepe), Neo Mothiba, Omar Thielemans, and Teafal Lenard Jr., confirmed the level of intensity and consistency you need to be effective on the court, and that’s something I took into consideration,” said Dim. “I had to work that into my programs so that I could become a better player, for me and whatever team I would play for next.”

He is now running with the Giants, who are less than a year old, but they have taken big steps in the game. They dominated in the Road to BAL, gaining automatic qualification after beating DarCity in the semi-final of the Elite 16.

Dim delivered an impressive Road to BAL campaign, averaging 13.3 points, 8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, which contributed to the Giants’  BAL qualification.

While he had an outstanding continental qualification tournament, he says the team had to find common ground in a short space of time.

“From going to club champs not knowing each other to forming a brotherhood with guys like Josh (Ozabor), Aviwe (Mahlong), Pieter Prinsloo and Nathi Sibanyoni. Those are guys we went to war with a bunch of times, from Cape Town, to Zambia, to Kenya and now BAL season 6,” said Dim. “It has been a privilege. It’s just surreal. We knew this was the ultimate goal. We knew we wanted to go further, but coming here and taking it all in is something special.

“It’s exciting to be at BAL season six. I want to see what we will do next.”

Dim and the Giants have to move on from Friday night’s loss and focus on another reunion with an East African club, Nairobi City Thunder, who beat the Joburg club in the group stage and the Elite 16 final last year.

Before speaking on the game against the Thunder on Sunday, Dim touched on the loss to DarCity.

“Of course, we obviously wanted a win. The 30-point loss is something we are not proud of, and we don’t want to lose by that margin again,” said Dim. In terms of my production… I did what I could. I missed a bunch of shots I could have made. I had good looks. We have to do better.

“We have to put our best foot forward against NCT, which is our next game on Sunday. We have got to put our heads down and keep working.”

Dim has shown a glimpse of what he can do at this stage. He, however, feels his capabilities are not fully appreciated, and he wants to prove that he fully belongs on this stage.

“People have seen me perform in South Africa, but at this stage, I have not yet been considered. I have been pushed to the wayside quite a bit. So one has to be a bit tenacious and persistent… Understanding that my time will come, and I have to be ready for that moment,” said Dim. “I am patient, but I am hungry too. That is what I have understood about myself. When the time comes to be productive, I am going to do just that.”

Getting the Giants back on a winning track will be a good start, and with two more games remaining after the clash against the Thunder, Dim knows he cannot afford to miss a step for the remainder of this Kalahari Conference.