Serowe born and raised, Ntungwa Nkgaswa (pictured above) has been shortlisted as a free agent for the American National Basketball Association – NBA. The Harare-based basketball player is due for contract negotiations.
Ntungwa started playing basketball at Boipelego CJSS and carried on playing when he transferred to Maters Spei College. Through high school, he played nationals, two of them finals. At 18, he progressed to the National League, during which time he competed in both leagues (A & B) before making the move to Zimbabwe, where he has played a couple of games in the A league.
This year, Ntungwa decided to take his dream to dizzying heights. He took a leap of faith and registered with the NBA as a free agent. He is due to sit for contract discussions that could see him become an overnight sensation.
We spoke with Ntungwa to drill down into what going to America to join the NBA means to him, and where it all started.
YB: When did you start playing basketball?
Ntungwa: My love for basketball started a decade ago, when I started playing basketball in junior high.
YB: Why basketball – what inspired you to start playing basketball in a country where football is the most popular sport?
Ntungwa: I wouldn’t say I was initially inspired. In a sense, I want to say basketball chose me, but the more I played, the more passionate I became about the sport. The more milestones I hit, the more I loved it and the more I became competitive.
One day, I was walking down the hallway when I caught sight of the school basketball team training, and I kind of caught the bug. I was very fortunate in the sense that our school team was fierce.
It was almost a sacrilegious event for us to make it to the BISA Nationals.
While this was in a village, the culture was amazing, and everything lined up. I feel like the team had all the right ingredients. It was so good a couple of guys on our team made it into national teams, really big teams within the league.
YB: What do you love most about playing basketball?
Ntungwa: One thing I love most about basketball is the culture. When I think of basketball, the one thing that was instilled in me was discipline. My coach used discipline as a tool to shape the characters of young people.
It provided a safe and secure environment where we were taught principles of leadership,
cooperation and teamwork and how to become a better person. So that’s one thing I love about the sport. It’s a tool that shapes the character of a person.
YB: What are your greatest strengths as a basketball player? What makes you stand out from other players you’ve played with and against?
Ntungwa: I would say my faith sets me apart from most other players as I’m a grounded Christian. I believe that if you’re a person of faith, you can break through insurmountable difficulties and come out on top. I face a lot of challenges, only to rise to the top every single time. And I believe that is primarily because of my faith. It just transitions into my sport. I’m a person of strong faith.
“I am aware of my circumstances and my chances of making it, but to some extent, the idea of going up against the best players from all over the world supersedes all doubt and fear that I might have.
This year boasts an incredible crop of draftees, with the most notable including Scoot Henderson and Victor Wembenyama, who have been taking the basketball world by storm . All I can say is they are yet to see me.”
YB: What’s been your proudest moment as a basketball player so far?
Ntungwa: I’d say my proudest moment would have to be right now. The NBA is actually the premier league of basketball, it’s the best among the best, the creme de la creme of the sport, and to be considered for such ranks is a very humbling experience.
YB: What has been your biggest challenge in basketball in Botswana and Zimbabwe where you now reside?
Ntungwa: My biggest challenge is funding because basketball is a very expensive sport. Hideously expensive. If you want to go far in the sport, you’re going to have to fork out a lot of money.
YB: Which NBA player do you most admire?
Ntungwa: The NBA player I most admire is Michael Jordan, and the late Kobe Bryant, primarily because they’re great. These people wanted to achieve greatness at its highest level, and they achieved it playing against the best athletes in the world. So that’s one thing I really, really admire.
“Africa needs heroes, my story and my narrative should be one of of triumph, one that glorifies overcoming seemingly overwhelming odds and eventually coming out on top.
I thought long and hard about this and decided that I am not going to be another sad tale from Africa and have that as my legacy,” Ntungwa maintains.
YB: Congratulations on being shortlisted as a free agent for the American National Basketball Association. Tell us how that came about and what being a free agent entails.
Ntungwa: Being a free agent means you get the opportunity to negotiate with all 30 basketball teams in the NBA and bid for a contract. It’s a huge feat, actually.
YB: We know you’re due for contract negotiations this month – tell us about the possibilities. For instance, what’s likely to happen once you’ve signed the contract?
Ntungwa: Once I sign the contract, I become part of the roster. Depending on the terms, I believe I might get sponsorship deals because I’d be playing for them now. Signing the contract means the sky is the limit, and the rest is up to me. To live the dream, set myself goals and ensure I achieve… or exceed them.
