Former D’Tigers coach, Abdulrahman Mohammed, talks about the Women’s BAL, the new NBBF leadership’s grassroots promise, the foreign coach debate and more in this interview with PETER AKINBO
One of the new NBBF president (Mustapha Abdullahi)’s promises is a grassroots-first approach. For a long time, our basketball has been heavily dependent on the United States, with players, coaches and tournaments all based there, while the domestic league has been neglected. What do you make of this?
We are going to give him a chance, and hopefully he will do the right thing, and grassroots and domestic basketball, the domestic league, will pick up at both ends, male and female.
Now that the new president is talking about grassroots first, are the stakeholders ready?
I am a domestic player. How do you think I got that opportunity? I played in the local league. I had a few stints outside the country, a couple of months here and there, but I played basketball mainly here, and I coach at the domestic level here. So the coaches are there, the players are there. It is just the framework, the structure, that needs to be put in place so that we can follow it. It will not take much time. It is just the will for somebody to come and say, “This is how I want it done,” and it will be done. We are in Nigeria. We are able to establish a structure in the US, bringing players from there and everything. We can do it in Nigeria because it is within us.
How difficult or how long do you think this will take?
I do not think it will be a challenge. It will not take much time, trust me. We just need to have patience, because Nigerians lack patience. You just need to give somebody time, because once we start doing it differently and the results are not coming, everybody gets impatient and says maybe we should go back to the status quo. But with patience, I think we will get there.
What does the Women’s BAL opportunity mean for basketball in Nigeria?
It is a great initiative, and let me be honest with you: with Chiney (Chinenye Ogwumike) being involved in the programme, the future of our female basketball is great. The potential is there, the talents are there, but they need that kind of encouragement, that kind of initiative that will propel them to the highest level. I think Chiney is doing a fantastic job.
Is there anything you would like to see done differently with the programme?
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The only thing I want is for it to be spread. The past few camps have been held in Lagos. I understand that it is probably just taking off, but it needs to be spread all over the country. There are talents all over the country.
We have a national team coach who has said he wants to change how we see basketball in Nigeria. How realistic is that, with the way basketball is run in Nigeria?
To be honest with you, most American coaches do not have much belief in the players in the league here. The disparity between the players here and the players abroad is really huge. For him, coming at a time when there is so much politics, elections, and everything, he wants to deliver and give results. So he will probably look outside to get the best talent that he feels will get him the result.
You don’t believe he will build a team around local players?
Well, I have never seen an American coach who comes with the idea that he wants to work with a local team. No, they are always result-oriented because they were brought in from somewhere. Nobody will have the patience to let me lose and lose and still develop and build a team. Look at the World Cup qualifier. As soon as we lost a game, with our qualification hanging in the balance, people were already making negative comments, saying we should have just allowed the local coaches because he came and did not make any changes and things like that. I do not think they will really focus on the players at the domestic level. I doubt it. I think they will focus more on American players. That is why there has to be a change. You have to give the local players a chance, because everybody was a local player at some point.
What do you make of the proposed format for the new BAL, where the traditional teams will have permanent places and will not have to play qualifiers?
The issue here is, are you aware of how much you need to pay to get the franchise? Do you see so many teams getting it? I know there are a few individuals in Lagos who can put that money in. But when you talk about state governments, teams owned by the government, it will be difficult because of the transition in leadership. One governor is here for a couple of years, and when he leaves, another person who comes may ask why we are putting that kind of money into just basketball, and he might decide to pull it out.
What do you think the franchise model needs to work in Nigeria?
I think it will work if we have individuals who are willing to put in money and who have an interest. But I am not sure it will work with mostly state governments or governors, unless you have a governor who is very passionate. If I were a governor in my state, I know I would put that money in because I am passionate about basketball. But it is a great initiative. I hope it works, but I foresee these challenges.
