African Basketball

Window of opportunity opens for SA basketball

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THE one thing I have always enjoyed about the basketball court is that it is a great leveller, it does not accept excuses and does not care about words, promises or social stature. It doesn’t care if you have had a good or bad day. It curries no favour!

As a player, all you need to do is think back to a moment where you thought you could cheat on preparation or sneak in a late night or disrespect the game or your competition; chances are that many, many times you came off second best. The opposite end of the scale is, of course, putting in the hard work and it translating into outstanding individual and team performances. I am simplifying here: the fact remains that the hardwood or concrete has taught many players and coaches tangible lessons about hard work yielding results. This is truly one of my favourite aspects because true mastery of this game requires work in so many facets, physical-technical-psychological, and it bears a striking similarity to the balancing act one needs to attain self-mastery: the meeting of mind-body-spirit. This, within a team dynamic, is what makes this game so compelling and enjoyable.

Why is this important? I think that post COVID-19, we are going to be challenged in ways never thought of before. The hard fact is that life will not be the same, it cannot be!

Social distancing will impact the playing, technical and spectating experience for every sport, not just basketball. We can be optimistic and know that the scientific minds will have a vaccine ready in the next 18 – 24 months. Meanwhile, we will all be challenged to think of creative ways to embrace the change that’s required because ignoring it could mean increased health risks and mortality. What that will mean practically, I don’t know, but it will be a challenge requiring collective effort never seen before.

The basketball community will be tested. We all want to see the game grow to heights we have imagined it reaching since the Premier Basketball League disbanded in 1998/9, and South African basketball was sent into a free-fall that it never recovered from. We have seen some positive developments and growth in tournaments and competition at high school, tertiary, club and 3×3 levels. This year presented so much hope for most of us in the basketball fraternity.

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Former South African basketball player Quintin Denyssen. Picture: Supplied

The Basketball Africa League is supposed to pioneer continental competition and is the flagship tournament that has seen federations within the southern Africa region finally start to get their houses in order. Sadly, the gap between southern Africa and the rest of Africa is noticeable with Mozambique and Angola carrying zonal hopes in continental competitions. The question is, will they or any country in the region be able to compete against formidable competition from the rest of Africa? All one needs to do is look at moves made by South Sudan voting in Loul Deng as federation president, Rwanda’s investment in the game, Senegal’s strong development programmes, and a stern examination of club strengths in those respective countries, to understand that we are lagging behind.

COVID-19 has presented a viable opportunity, and I say this with hesitation and constancy, for basketball administration in South Africa to become a competent vehicle and not a swear word. This hard reset can be the biggest opportunity to get things right. We all have a role to play. Checks and balances can be put in place. Outstanding governance matters at all levels can be attended to. An opportunity presents itself for efforts to ensure that basketball is recognised by SASCOC and acknowledged when global or continental competition delegations are constructed. There will never be a window like this again.

A final question that needs answering is, what can individual members of this community do to contribute to basketball’s growth? If we truly want to see the game flourish, then active basketball community citizenry is required. We all have a torch to bear, the onus is on us to identify our role, sharpen skills needed and capitalise on the opportunity presented to do things differently. A journey anywhere starts with the first step and whatever the step, this is our challenge and I believe we can make it work.

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BAL break an opportunity for teams to re-strategise

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SINCE the completion of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Qualifiers in December 2019, when I assisted Rwandan club, Patriots BBC to the BAL East Division qualification title, there has been an immense sense of excitement from players, coaches, management and fans for the first season of the BAL.

After leaving Patriots, I had the opportunity to move to a powerhouse club that had automatically qualified for the first season of the BAL season. I was eagerly awaiting our first games in Dakar, Senegal when on March 4 2020, but the league was suspended due to COVID-19. Having spent the last couple of weeks preparing film, scouting reports, analytics & training sessions, I, along with all the teams and fans, was extremely disappointed that the league would not go ahead, especially as my team was considered one of the favourites to win the first season of the league. However, the decision made by the BAL executive team, proved to be the right decision, keeping the safety of the teams and fans as top priorities.

Liz Mills during her time at Patriots: Pictures: FIBA and Frank Ogallo

Through my coaching career in Africa, I’ve been able to build a network of coaches, players and managers, which means I’m in a unique position to be able to speak to players and/or coaches in all the teams that would have been competing in the 2020 BAL. Although, initially everyone was disappointed that the league was unable to start in March, there was and continues to be a sense of hope that the league will be able to run later this year. We are anxiously waiting to hear any updates from the BAL executive team. If they are unable to run the first addition of the league, I’d love to see them at least host a tournament for the 2020 BAL teams.

A two-week tournament, similar to FIBA AfroBasket, where one country hosts, and allows the 12 teams the opportunity to compete for the 2020 title. This would facilitate that the 2021 qualifications go on as planned for that season.

On a more positive note, with the league being postponed, it has given teams more time to prepare, enabling them to re-evaluate and re-strategise for the upcoming season. Team managers now have more time to bring on sponsors and scout players, while coaches can continue to build on their strategies and develop their players. The additional time also gives players the opportunity to work on their skills at home and evaluate their own performance by watching film. Whilst there is no date set for the BAL 2020 season, it is important for players to remember that they still have an opportunity to play for their national team for the upcoming 2021 FIBA AfroBasket Qualifiers in November 2020 and February 2021. Staying fit and healthy should be a priority during COVID-19.

Although currently back home in Sydney, Australia, I look forward to returning to Africa when basketball resumes later this year. During COVID-19, I hope everyone stays at home, stays safe and remains healthy.

*Confidential due to ongoing contract re-negotiations.

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Mothiba: It was love at first practice

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Basketball is the gift that keeps giving

BASKETBALL has been there for me in so many different ways over the past 24 years (yes, that’s how old I am), and I am sure that it will be there for me until the end of time.

For me, basketball is that one thing that came into my life that I did not know that I needed until I got it. From my very first IPT’s, to Engen, Schweppes and Milo tournaments. To the Pietermaritzburg Girls High tournament, to the Top Schools tournament and to the opportunity of travelling my province and then my country, to the many friendships that are still there even today, I can safely say it has been an exhilarating and rewarding journey. It is unfathomable that I am still on this basketball journey that started in 1995. Many of my peers that started this journey with me have since hung up their sneakers and bowed out of the race, but our memories are forever.

It was “love at first practice” for me and believe it or not, my love for the game has grown in leaps and bounds. Ball has given me so, so much and continues being the gift that keeps on giving, basketball has given me lifetime lessons, lifetime friendships and a lifetime sense of community and belonging. Best of all, basketball has given me a lifetime marriage and in turn the blessing of being a basketball mom, sheesh, what an amazing journey it has been.

For Thabo Mothiba basketball is and will forever be life.

A lot of who I am is because of basketball, even when I stopped playing competitively, ball was so deep in me that I chose to evolve with it and wear the many different “seasonal” hats outside of “player”. As of today, this is who I am in basketball, I am a supporter and enthusiast, I am part of an amazing sporting community. I am a basketball manager when needed, a basketball coach when needed, a basketball administrator when needed. I am Chef de Mission when needed, a table official when needed, a motivational speaker and sports psychologist when needed. I can even administer first aid when needed. I sit on a basketball committee of a district; and I am part of the basketball school system. Above all else and equally important to me, I am a wife of a basketball player and a mother of a basketball player, and as for myself, I dabble here and there on the basketball court.

One of the biggest lessons basketball has taught me is that once you choose it, basketball chooses you back and then it becomes that one constant thing in your life that will never leave you, it will eventually be you who will decide to leave it. I really hope you never ever make that choice to leave basketball but rather that you be open to growing in it and evolve with it and allow it to take you places that you never dreamed of.

As we are dealing with this Covid-19 pandemic, basketball is once again saying, here is an opportunity for you to reflect on your basketball journey, here is an opportunity to align your basketball goals with your work ethic, here is an opportunity to work on yourself internally, here is an opportunity to up your skill level whilst in lockdown, here is an opportunity to read and be more knowledgeable about the game, here is an opportunity to reach out to those you would otherwise not have access to and ask for help or even encouragement. It is really up to you how you will spend this period in lock down but basketball is saying, I am here even in the midst of all that is happening, use me to get better and be better and that is why ball is and will forever be life.

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Things might not be the same again

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A Cape Town team will dominate SA basketball

IVE been involved with sports for half if not most of my life. My love for basketball has greatly enhanced my knowledge for life and sport. To me sports is a way of life, although, sometimes our way of life does get disrupted, like what COVID-19 has done here in South Africa and around the world.

It’s easy to sit and moan about the state of things, but I would rather learn from the situation, which has allowed me to reflect on many issues, including basketball. I remember on the second week of the lockdown; I had a chance to look at pictures I took at a Michael Jordan camp in the USA. Think about it, a skinny kid from the dusty streets of Gugs shaking hands with a basketball god. That s*** is big.

Basketball has afforded me the opportunity to travel around the world: USA, Russia, Malaysia, Mozambique, China, South Korea, and Morocco just to name a few. I have had the privilege to play in SA national colours with decorated players such as Quintin Denyssen, Joseph Mazibuko, Neo Mothiba, Tsakane Ngobeni, Dr Fumani Marhenele (he is a real doctor by the way), Brendan Mettler, Lindo Sibankulu, Manny Madondo, Sunday Mokoena, Ndaba Ngcobo, Lesego Molebatsi and Lebo Maepa (MHSRIP), just to name a few. We had great fun and created a lot of memories with these guys playing for our country.

Vincent Ntunja made when he was the youngest player to play in the defunct Premier Basketball League at 15-years-old.

In my reflections during the lockdown, I smiled alone remembering that a basketball court is named after me. I have had time to think about my days in the now defunct Premier Basketball League (PBL). Not sure many people know this, but I made history as the youngest player in the league at 15-years-old. I remember playing alongside Siphetho Adonis (MHSRIP) and Alain Robertson for Cape Town Eagles. Every weekend we had tough competition from Johannesburg and Durban. I broke a sweat competing against the likes of Solly Mashiyane, Alaska Kipundu, Merick Palmer, De Bose, Thierry Kita and Craig Gilchrist. I shed a tear remembering all those memories.

My salary then, as a young player was more than that of my friends who were playing for Ajax Cape Town. I think basketball in Mzansi could have gone far by now if it was not for maladministration. I think if we depoliticise basketball administration at all levels, work together rather than in isolation, then our beloved game will regain its spot as the fastest growing sport in South Africa.

That being said, it is truly difficult for us in the basketball community during this lockdown. However, I’m pleading with all the people who haven’t been adhering to the rules to please do so. I think it is also our role as sports people to educate everyone that this virus doesn’t discriminate. I also urge all my basketball people to continue playing their part in ensuring we flatten the even though things might not be the same after this pandemic.

I’m very fortunate to be part of Under Armour’s team sponsored athletes as the brand is running a campaign called #Throughittogether, which requires ambassadors such as myself, Blitzbokke Seven’s captain Siviwe Soyizwapi, SA boxing champion Kevin Lerena and many others to post training routines to motivate our followers to stay healthy and motivated while on lockdown.

As far as basketball future is concerned after the lockdown, well I hope most leagues will resume their duties, tournaments will be played across the country. And finally, remember this day when I told you that a Cape Town team will dominate South African basketball with the aim to participate in the BAL tournament, post-lockdown.

 

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Selepe bowled over by basketball

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When the courts open we bong, bong!

WHEN I was asked to write about my career, I honestly got shell shocked because I have never really reflected on how far I have come and all I have achieved. I guess my story is one of hope and second chances. What started as a gate-crashed basketball practice session because of a cricket practice that ended early became a dream come true journey.

From looking up to guys like Neo Mothiba, Tsakani Ngobeni, Joseph Mazibuko, Quintin Denyssen, Nyakallo Nthuping, Sifiso Ngcobo to one day earning the privilege of playing with them, against them and more prestigiously getting to wear the green and gold with some of these legends.

Lebesa Selepe reflects on his basketball journey.

When I decided to make basketball my sole sports of choice, I had my eyes set on joining Egoli Magic in the Sprite Premier Basketball League.

However, basketball gave me so much more: fate gave me an opportunity to study at the University of the Witswatersrand on bursary and when I struggled to complete my degree and dealt with academic exclusion, basketball gave me a second chance to study at the Vaal University of Technology where I managed to graduate with a degree in Cost and Management Accounting.

Today, a Management Accountant by profession, on the inside I am still a kid who believes that basketball is a game of hope and second chances.

This is the same hope I hold on to that we will soon be able to conquer the COVID-19 pandemic and get back to what we love doing.

A second chance will be presented to basketball players, coaches, managers, administrators, media and fans to improve, grow and be the best we can all be. Until then we ought to abide by the rules and guidelines we have been told to obey.

Finally, I think it is important for players to remember that they should invest this time to train and get stronger so as to avoid getting injured when the courts open up and we bong bong.

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Hlope: Basketball will be seen with a different eye

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HOSTING a sports tournament is not an easy task. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to ensure that every detail is perfect. For Andile Hlophe and his Jozi Nuggets team, the successful hosting of the FIBA Basketball Africa League (BAL) qualifying tournament held in Johannesburg was like summiting Mount Everest.

Hlophe, who is the founder, owner and coach of the Nuggets, was thrown a hospital pass when he was informed at short-notice by Basketball South Africa (BSA), that hosting the BAL qualifying phase for Southern African teams fell squarely on his team. This kind of news would have sunken the faint of heart, but being involved in basketball as long as he has and knowing what is at stake, Hlophe and the Nuggets bit the bullet.

For their Group E qualifying phase of the tournament, the Nuggets welcomed five of Southern Africa’s best teams, Ferroviario de Maputo (Mozambique), UNZA Pacers (Zambia), Mercenaries (Zimbabwe), Lions (Namibia) and Dolphins (Botswana) at the Wembley Stadium.

“Yoh! Hosting has been painful. Very painful in the sense that we were told that we are hosting on the 15th of October for an event that starts on the 22nd of October. The federation (BSA) accepted the bid on our behalf, but they did not tell us who would handle the tournament costs. We got the shock of our lives when we were told on the 20th of October that we were supposed to pay for everything,” said an exhausted Hlophe at the Wembley Stadium on Sunday evening. He elaborated on what the Nuggets’ financial responsibilities were for the tournament. “We were supposed to pay for the accommodation of the officials, we were supposed pay for medical services, the security and table officials. Yeah! It was a mess.”

Having to wear the hats, he wore during the tournament, Hlophe should have passed out, but instead he took the situation in his stride.

“Our team is amateur. We don’t have any corporate backing. Everything comes from my pocket and the players. It’s been tough, but the last game has been played, no lights went off and no referees went on strike,” said Hlophe.

Asked why the information was not given out timeously, Hlophe attributed that turn of events to the slack attitude of South Africa’s basketball governing body.

“It was carelessness. When you are bidding to host a tournament. You need to have your ducks in a row. You need to be told that ‘this is what is expected of you’,” said Hlophe. “Everybody said it is cheaper to travel than to host, which is true. Let’s say if the games were in Maputo, we would have spent maybe R 60 000 to go there and comeback. Now we had to spend more than R 200 000 to host.”

While hosting the FIBA tournament put a financial strain on his club’s coffers, Hlophe who hails from Kanyamazne in Mpumlanga, believes the sacrifice is worth it for the Jozi Nuggets brand. The qualifiers will also raise the profile of basketball in South Africa, a sport that has struggled for decades to gain a foothold.

Skumbuzo Mthembu (7) and Thamsanqa Nyawo (4) are some of the young players on the Nuggets roster who got playing time during the BAL qualifying tournament.

“Basketball will be seen in a different eye in South Africa and we will be looked at as a club that competed in continental competition. Not many clubs can say they have competed in continental competition in South Africa,” said Hlophe, who believes his team’s new found profile could attract new partnerships. “A potential partner would be the Gauteng Lions (rugby franchise). It would not be a surprise for them to own basketball club. They own the Ellis Park Arena, so if we team up with Gauteng Lions, we will have access to the venue for basketball.

On the court, while the results were not pleasing for the Nuggets, who suffered four losses and gained a victory over Dolphins to finish fifth in Group E, which was eventually won by Ferroviario. The Mozambican team and UNZA will proceed to the next phase of qualification. Despite the disappointing results, Hlophe is of the opinion that the young players his team recruited for the tournament will benefit in the future.

“I think the youngsters we brought in learnt a lot and this opportunity gave them a chance to showcase their skills. When was the last time you heard of an under-20 player in South Africa competing in an international competition? The last time was 2016. Some of these kids are 20 years old, so we gave them an opportunity to be seen, so that their status can rise in the world of basketball,” concluded Hlophe.

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Tuks out to rise from the ashes ahead of Varsity Basketball

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UNIVERSITY of Pretoria’s basketball team will begin their Varsity Basketball tournament campaign on Friday at Wits University knowing that their image has recently taken a battering. It follows the posting of messages in the social media space accusing some players, who were at some point involved with the university’s basketball team, of sexually violating women.

Accusations of this nature can be a destabilising factor within a sports team and Tuks are no different. The accusations, which appeared in the form of direct messages were posted on 3 September on Facebook basketball group Let’s Talk SA Basketball.

While the alleged incidents happened before his tenure, Tuks coach George Makena had concerns about the allegations made.

“I haven’t made any statement regarding that. If you look at some of the allegations, you start to question them. I am not trying to defend anyone. I was not there and I was not part of the team when all these things happened,” said Makena during his team’s scrimmage at the university’s Rembrandt Hall on Thursday night.

Makena, a seasoned basketball coach, pointed out that there is legal recourse for the women who made the accusations against their alleged abusers.

“Go to the nearest police station. Lay a criminal charge, so that these perpetrators can be brought to book. But it hasn’t happened so that’s why we worry that the allegations could be unfounded,” said the former Tshwane Suns coach, who believes the team is more unified.

“It actually divided the team, but we have strong leadership. We are taking care of the things we can control and what we cannot control, we leave in the hands of the almighty,” said Makena a two-time Basketball National League champion with Tshwane Suns.

WISE HEAD: Tuks team coach George Makena. Picture: The BTO.

 

Tuks assistant coach Thanda Kweyama believes the situation demoralised the team and while there is no certainty on the time frame of the alleged incidents, he intimated that, as adults, the players have a responsibility towards themselves.

“I think it killed the morale of the team. I have been with them for three years and I wasn’t aware of these things. This is on the players who were part of system previously. So, obviously by saying the Tuks basketball team you are obviously associating it with the current team. Some of these players are second year students and were not aware that these things are happening. They could have happened three years ago or even four years ago. However, it affected the team morale-wise and there was a reduced attendance at practices.

“Also, people have to be accountable for their own actions. As a coach, when you ask players and they don’t give you an answer, you don’t have much to work with. The institution will protect its own image and where players are wrong, they should be dealt with,” said Kweyama

“The most important thing they need to understand is that, they are young men. They are no longer kids in high school. There is a cause and effect for everything. So, how you drink and what you do always comes back to haunt you. So, make the best decision knowing that you wouldn’t want to be in that position. You must always take cognisance. When you always try to impress people, it might comeback to bite you. Which is what happened to a lot of these kids.”

On the playing front, Tuks take on a team that has beaten them three times this season, Vaal University of Technology (VUT), and the men from Pretoria have some injury worries to key players Ludwig Gerdes, Louis Motaung and Emmanuel Shine. Makena believes despite the challenges they face they are up for test posed by Vaal-based team.

UNITED: The Tuks team will need to put the past behind them and focus on game against VUT.

“We are battling with injuries some players are not available, but the other players are ready to play. We played them three times this season and we lost all three games. Some things will have to come to an end, and we hoping we will do better this time around. What I have noticed is that they will be missing some key players as well. So, it will be an added advantage to do better,” said Makena.

While they are measured in their expectation in this year’s tournament, Kweyama believes the team has grown. He has also noted areas where they need to improve their game.

“I think it’s going to be a grind. Ask me after every game, ‘What do you think?’ And I‘ll tell you after every game what I think,” responded Kweyama. “I think we have grown from where we were at the beginning of the year. In the GUBL, we are bringing down leads. Twwenty-point deficits have now been reduced to single digits and it’s against Wits, UJ and VUT. We are going pretty much with the same team as last year’s.

“What will be critical is our third quarter. We compete well in the first two quarters and the fourth. But we tend to have lapses in concentration in the third. Minimize our mistakes and convert where it counts the most, which is at the free throw line.”

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Will Suns have the magic touch in top of the table battle?

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TSHWANE Suns and team coach Dr Yiannis Grapsas did not get off to the right start in their opening game against the Soweto Panthers, but since that loss, his team have enjoyed an upward trajectory. The Suns have won five games in a row and on Friday they will step on the Wembley Stadium court against Egoli Magic with an air of confidence.

Since taking over the coaching role at the Tshwane franchise Dr Grapsas has been re-engineering his team’s approach to the game. While results have been forthcoming, the Suns coach is a pragmatist and understands that playing philosophies take time for players to grasp. The match against their unbeaten Basketball National League (BNL) rivals is important, but the bigger picture is as paramount for the Greek coach.

“It’s exciting. It will be an interesting game, between two good teams and we are ready. We are not yet at 100%. I have talked to my guys. I told them that this is a second step to achieving the goal we set ourselves at the beginning of our collaboration,” said Dr Grapsas on Wednesday night, during his team’s practice at the Pilditch Indoor Basketball court.

While the Suns’ 5-1 record makes for good reading, Dr Grapsas as mentioned earlier is more concerned about a greater objective.

Tshwane Suns captain Kagiso Ngoetjana always strives to improve his game. Pictures: The BTO

“There are two ways of looking at it. Firstly, we have to look at our final goal, which is to create a strong team. We want to play good basketball, we want to put pressure on opposing defences, utilise set plays and fast breaks effectively. Secondly, we are ready to face Egoli. If we apply what we are doing in practice I think it will be easy for us. We respect Egoli, but we also want our playing quality to show,” said the Suns coach, who clarified his playing ethos.

“The most important thing in a game of basketball is spacing and timing. I am focused on that. I want us to take advantage of our skills. We have good big men and frontline. If we create set plays for them, we will have more opportunities to win the game,” said Dr Grapsas.

One of the big men the Suns will look to is team captain and forward, Kagiso Ngoetjana, who has been one of the go-to players in offense. Ngoetjana has been a figure of consistency for the Suns during the season, using his physique well inside the paint area and has a sweet jump-shot.

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Tshwane Suns Basketball Club (@tshwanesuns)

 

According to statistics provided by Geniussports, Chief as Ngoetjana is known, leads the scoring for the Suns, averaging 16 points per-game and it is this consistency at the offensive end that the team from the capital city will rely on to get the better of Egoli.

Ngoetjana believes his team is up for the challenge posed by the unbeaten Johannesburg-based franchise.

“I am confident about our team’s chances. We are hungry for this game, it’s a great challenge and a chance for us to gauge ourselves, said the former Mpumalanga Rhinos captain.

“They have big guys like Reece (Prinsloo) and Everisto (Pasipamire) to rebound offensively, but on our side, we have good players and set plays that can crack their system. I trust our set plays and system and will rely on them to come out victorious.”

Reflecting on the season he is having so far Ngoetjana, pointed out that he is not resting on his laurels and always seeks to improve his game.

“I am always a student of the game. I don’t stay in a comfort zone, I always try to find ways to improve my game so that I can have a competitive edge,” said the Suns captain.

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Vincent Ntunja: More than a basketball player

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BEING an athlete means attention is drawn to you and while some in the sports arena bask in that limelight, others use their platform as a vehicle for social activism. Western Cape Mountaineers captain and point guard Vincent Ntunja fulfils the latter criteria.

Ntunja’s basketball career has earned him national team colours. It has led to him meeting arguably, the game’s greatest player, Michael Jordan at his training camp. These are milestones the Gugulethu-born player does not take lightly.

Ntunja, a director of non-profit organisation, African Grassroots Hoops, has used his privileged position to help children with special needs learn how to play basketball; and to highlight the issue of gender-based violence in the country, a problem the Mountaineers captain believes basketball should not be immune from.

“I have played junior national team basketball and participated in two Afrobasket competitions. I have travelled the world and met Michael Jordan. These are things I don’t take for granted. It’s no use bragging about a court being named after me and my other achievements, if I don’t use them to impact my teammates and my community,” said Ntunja after his team’s win over the North West Eagles at the Wembley Stadium in Johannesburg, last Saturday.

“One of my passions is grassroots development. I coach behaviourally challenged kids to play basketball and help them to become leaders. I also coach girls and have discussions with them about what it means to be a female in our country. If you have followed the news, you will have seen the stories about gender-based violence happening in the country. As a basketball community, we have to ask ourselves what we can do to be part of the solution” said Ntunja, who also works as a model and radio host.

Vincent Ntunja in action for the Mountaineers in the BNL. Picture: The BTO

Rather than talk about the critical issues on social media, Ntunja believes it is best to be active in addressing these matters of importance, something he does daily.

The 38-year-old Ntunja stressed that his work is geared towards helping young people avoid the social trappings of life.

“I am not one to write on social media platforms for the likes and comments and then think that I have done something. I am in the office from Monday to Friday, planning and thinking about impact and how to get more involved in schools. We are trying to help develop a new mentality, where we tell kids they don’t have to be gangsters to be successful or stand on the street corners and think that makes them cool. They don’t have to chase Maseratis. Take the long route!” said Ntunja.

The former Cape Peninsula University of Technology student explained his life’s mantra and how he uses it to help young people.

“I always instil the three basic D’s of success: dedication, determination and discipline in the young minds I mentor so one day when I am not here, the legacy continues,” said Ntunja who holds a Masters in Sports Tourism.

 

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A post shared by Vincent Ntunja® (@vincentntunja)

On the court, Ntunja’s team sits second on the log, but their aim is a top four finish in this season’s BNL. With a 5-2 record after their 66-63 victory over the Eagles, the Mountaineers still have some work to do before sealing their spot.

“We do have talent that can lead us to the top four. So far, we are not playing our best basketball, but we are managing to win games. That is a plus for us. Despite the two losses, we have five wins. We are closer to where we want to be,” said Ntunja.

“The captaincy doesn’t start on the court. It starts from Cape Town and how we prepare. Are we arriving on time for flights? Are we sleeping early the night before games? Do we take care of our bodies? Because it will all show on the court. Those are very important things. Drawing from my experience, I believe this is how we best prepare to reach our goal,” concluded Ntunja.

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Veteran Banza electrifying Mpumalanga Rhinos

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JOHNNY Banza is a stand-out personality for the BNL franchise, Mpumalanga Rhinos. He is the type of player who brings energy, passion and leadership to this young team that made the playoffs last season and hopes to go a step further this year by making the final four.

Banza’s character traits have been a useful tool for the Rhinos. Team coach, Tutu Gama elaborated on why the Democratic Republic of Congo-born forward’s characteristics led to him being appointed captain of the team.

“He is my captain. I chose him because I like his intensity. The guy is from the DRC and is a beast who is very hard to box out. He uses his physique to his advantage, and towards the end he was the only one scoring,” said Gama, referring to the forward’s performance in the Rhinos’ 76-68 victory against the Panthers.

Banza, who is doing his Masters in Electrical Engineering at Vaal University of Technology, acknowledges his approach to the game, how his electric on-court persona, and style of play impacts positively for the Rhinos. The 32-year-old also believes it was his brashness and physicality that helped to seal the victory over the Panthers.

“That’s in me! Once I’m on the court, I want to leave it all there. It’s meaningless if you don’t. I am the captain, the oldest in the team, and have to lead by example. I have to display the right kind of energy for the young players,” said Banza, who dropped 14 points and crashed 10 boards against the Panthers.

Banza always tries to get the upper-hand against any opponent at both ends of the paint area. He uses his physicality and a bit of verbal jibing to take the opposing player off their game – something that worked well against the Panthers.

Rhinos captain Johnny Banza and his team have set their sights on a final-four finish in this year’s BNL. Picture: THE BTO

“The first thing for me is defence. It’s either you don’t score or I get the ball. I play defence and trash-talk to get the opponent frustrated. On offence, I bring the energy,” said Banza, who acknowledges that he is part of a dying breed of forwards.

“The new way of playing basketball is not about the big guy posting down low. The big guy can shoot outside and can drive in. We are trying to adjust to the new FIBA basketball.”

Reflecting on the match against the Panthers, Banza’s team had a strangle hold in the first three quarters of the game. When the Mpumalanga franchise momentarily loosened their grip in the fourth quarter, the Panthers clawed their way back. Reflecting on the Panthers’ quick fight-back and how the Rhinos regrouped to regain the lead, Banza says his team never once wavered in their commitment.

“It’s a game of basketball. There is a time when everything is working and when it doesn’t go your way. We had a very tough third quarter where nothing was working on both offence and even defence, and so we tried to adjust in the fourth quarter. We saw the mistakes, quickly applied the strategy the coach came up with, and won the game,” said Banza, who is in his fourth season with the Rhinos.

The Rhinos participated in the 2013 inaugural final of the BNL, but after that, they had a tough couple of seasons until last year when they made the playoffs. Banza believes the team, who have a 4-1 win-loss record this season, can reach the final four, an ambition highlighted by the team’s coach earlier.

“We are taking it one game at a time. The aim is to make it to the top four, but we have to get to the quarter-finals first,” said Banza, who believes they have a team capable of reaching their goal.

“I trust my teammates, coach and management. We have a young squad and some experienced players. We have energy. The team has  talented players who play varsity basketball. I trust them and believe we are going to do great things this season,” concluded Banza.

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