AfricaPress-Tanzania: BASKETBALL fraternity said they failed to capitalise on Hasheem Thabeet’s prominence, during his playing time in the NBA, saying that has had a negative impact towards improving basketball in the country.
Thabeet still remain the first and only Tanzanian to play in the NBA, the highest basketball league in the world before he stepped aside from his professional career in 2014, while playing for Oklahoma City Thunder.
“We will always respect him (Thabeet) for being the first Tanzanian to play in NBA and he is our role model, who managed to influence many young basketball players to embrace the game. “But, one thing I regret is that we failed to use him well during the entire period he spent playing in NBA even though he helped a lot to bring the junior NBA in the country,” said the renowned Basketball Coach Bahati Mgunda.
He added that during his first year in NBA in 2009, Tanzania benefited a lot after sending almost 18 coaches to upgrade their basketball skills a thing he described as important for them.
“We failed to go according to his pace in NBA but still, we have an opportunity to produce as many young basketball players as possible to also reach the NBA level just like him. “As a step forward, we have been sending youth basketball players to various competitions dubbed ‘Basketball Without Boarders’ where they are able to acquire new skills of the game and be exposed to the world,” Mgunda said.
Moreover, Mgunda stressed that more and more youth basketball leagues should be established in many parts of the country to tap in talented players.
“Of late, many leagues are concentrated in Dar es Salaam but we need to change that mindset and extend them to many parts of the country. The Tanzanian Basketball Federation (TBF), must also make some amendments in its outdated constitution and come up with new ideas to go in accordance with the modern world,” he narrated.
On his part, former decorated basketball player who had a chance to play in the college basketball for UConn Rwehabura Balongo said young basketball players should be given basic training of the game.
“In my view, I think one of the ways to uplift basketball here is to provide good training platforms to the youths and give them basic knowledge of basketball,” he said.
