2011 AfroBasket

AFRICAN basketball had recently said goodbye to two of its most enduring legends. Radhouane Slimane, the Tunisian forward who captained US Monastir to the 2022 Basketball Africa League (BAL) championship and won three AfroBasket gold medals, announced his retirement in July 2026 at the age of 45.

Around the same time, Carlos Morais, the Angolan shooting guard known across the continent as “Kamoras,” a four-time AfroBasket champion and BAL champion with Petro de Luanda, also called time on a career that spanned more than two decades.

For South African forward Neo Mothiba, their retirements mark the end of a generation he had the privilege of competing against. In this feature, The Big Tip Off  takes a closer look at his reflections on two icons whose legacy continues to inspire the next generation.

Facing champions

Looking back, there’s an interesting pattern to Mothiba’s encounters with the two legends. Every AfroBasket tournament in which he faced them ended with their countries lifting the trophy.

At AfroBasket 2005 in Algeria, Angola, with a teenage Carlos Morais beginning to make his mark, defeated Senegal 70-61 in the final to retain the title. Morais, then just 19 years old, announced himself in the group stage by scoring 13 points and collecting five rebounds in Angola’s commanding 102-47 victory over South Africa.

Six years later, history repeated itself, only this time it was Tunisia celebrating. Led by Radhouane Slimane, the North Africans stunned Angola’s long-standing dynasty with a 67-56 victory in the 2011 AfroBasket final in Madagascar, winning their first continental championship. Earlier in the tournament, Tunisia comfortably beat South Africa 94-50 in the Round of 16, with Slimane playing a key role in that victory.

Mothiba, who averaged 9.6 points and 3.5 rebounds for South Africa during that tournament, found himself on the wrong side of the scoreboard against two future champions. Years later, he sees those defeats differently as opportunities to measure himself against some of Africa’s very best.

“He was and still is an awesome player”

When Mothiba speaks about Radhouane Slimane, admiration comes naturally. “I’ve played against him a couple of times,” he recalled. “He was and still is an awesome player”. You could see the amount of work he put into the gym,” he said, adding that Slimane’s leadership for Tunisia was evident every time they met.

What impressed Mothiba most, however, was his longevity. “You know, I think we kind of built on the same block,” he reflected. “Even when it feels like one door is closing, you kick open the next one.”

Watching someone still competing and genuinely competing at 45 challenged conventional thinking about age in basketball.

“It wasn’t just a token appearance. He was actually competing,” said Mothiba.

For him, the lesson is simple. “You’re never too old. As long as you’ve got your vision and you still want to achieve something, you go out there and do it regardless of how you feel in the morning.”

“One of the most exciting players”

Although Mothiba crossed paths with Carlos Morais less often, the Angolan left just as strong an impression. Morais combined athleticism with a polished offensive game, something Mothiba believes was enhanced by his basketball experience in the United States before turning professional.

“He was athletic, could shoot… he could do anything you needed him to do,” Mothiba said. “Whether it was playing inside or outside.”

Lessons beyond the scoreboard

For Mothiba, the retirements of Slimane and Morais are about more than celebrating decorated careers. They offer valuable lessons for the next generation. He believes elite players inspire others simply by the standards they set.

Whenever South Africa faced Angola, Mothiba viewed it as more than just another fixture. “My aspiration was to go and actually play in Angola,” he explained. “So whenever we played against teams from Angola, it hit my heart. I put my best foot forward.”

That mentality, he believes, comes from respecting the opponent and respecting the work required to compete with them.

For Neo Mothiba, their careers reinforce a lesson that extends far beyond basketball. Greatness isn’t something you’re given. It’s earned through years of work, maintained through discipline and sustained by the willingness to keep chasing your goals long after others believe your time has passed.

“You’re never too old, as long as you’ve got your vision and you want to achieve something, then you go out there and do it.”