'We Can Build On Our Olympic Performance'
An African-American Oliver Babatunde Johnson popularly known as Coach OBJ, introduced and popularised the game of basketball in Nigeria in the 1960's. OLUKAYODE THOMAS met another African-American, Sam Vincent who is determined to make Nigeria basketball teams among the best in the World, if given the tools.
AFTER several years of performances that could be described as near misses and almost there, the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) finally assembled a team that could become the powerhouse of African Basketball.
The Federation also took a step further, at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, its female team, The Tigress, became the first African team ever, male or female, to win a game at the Olympics when they beat Korea, in categorisation. They also managed to stay out of the bottom place.
The performance could be attributed to training tour of Europe by the players. Organised by Federal Ministry of Sports, the rich pool of talents included Mfon Udoka, Itoro Umoh, Mcthbene Amachree, Rafiu Taiwo, Oha Ughchukwu and others.
But, with these, Nigerian basketballers would still not have been able to showcase their talents at the global level. Credit for the team success goes to Sam Vincent whose coaching and managerial ability helped the team to reach this level.
Vincent, an African-American from a family with strong basketball pedigree, played in the NBA, the most lucrative and competitive basketball league in the world, just as his elder brother.
His father almost played the game. Though, he loves all sports, thought of not playing basketball initially occurred to him, but basketball won at the end of the day.
A coach of many years, Vincent, like Oliver Babatunde Johnson, popularly known as coach OBJ, did not initially come to Nigeria. His first abode was South Africa.
Vincent had to leave Sough Africa because basketball in South Africa was not well organised. They have the equipment, the facilities and the resources, but there is a snag, they don't have the players. Vincent needed to boost his resume, he needed players that has got what it takes to qualify for the world championship and the Olympics and play against the best in the world.
In Nigeria, he saw a country with a lot of talents, but no organisation. He decided to jump into the boat of life and he took the risk. In terms of organisation, Vincent has not been disappointed, the NBBF is still a mad house. But he met rich and talented players and with them he has won the Africa championship, the African Games, qualified for the Olympics, became the first African country to win an Olympic game, and on top in categorisation. Looking back on the events of the last few months especially the Athens games, Vincent said:
"This is our first opportunity, and we are able to secure a win and stay out of the last place. I believe that this is something that we can build on."
Going further, Vincent believes the technical crew has been around for a long time, and "we were able to integrate some younger players into the team.
He argued that the team overall performance is good, "because we share little or no experience, it is our first Olympics, we have a lot of young players and when you add up all these, and look at preparation time that we had, I think what we have been able to accomplish is a major milestones. But I think after this we really have to sit down and look at the players we will need for future events.
"May be some of the older players will be around in the future. We may have to look for younger players to really build the programme around?
"I think the first thing to do is to pull out all the games tapes and review them and then I will make those decisions."
Vincent does not buy the argument that the national team should be exclusive to home or foreign-based players.
"I think the most important thing is, any player that plays in this team will be a Nigerian player, weather they are players from the U.S, or China, or Lagos or Abuja, they have to have appearance or something that makes them Nigerian, or else they can't play. So, for me, I don't look at it in any other way, but I see them as Nigerians.
"Now, when you talk about Nigeria, you remember that we don't have a professional league structure to raise the home-based players, because there is no development for those players, there is no way they are going to compete and represent the national teams.
"The players that are playing in the U.S collegiate structure, we know they are playing competitive games and we can trace what kind of progress they are making.
"The bottom line for me is I want to win, I want the team to win and I want Nigeria to win and I am going to be able to do it with the best players that can form a team to win in the world championship and the Olympics."
Can his teams beat Africa again and quality for the world championship? "We have the ability to do it. The Minister of Sports, Mr. Musa Mohammed and the Director of Sports Development Mr. Patrick Ekeji has identified the fact that we need to start preparation early next time.
"We are putting ourselves behind the rest of the world by thinking that with four or five months in training camp we can make a head way, while other countries are staying in camp for years developing their athletes.
"This kind of things put Nigeria at a disadvantage, but the words from the sports administrators on the future is that they will ensure that we have the funding and resources needed to do better, we need to put those things in place."
But for Nigeria to become a great sporting nation, Vincent believed the government at the Federal level need to show more seriousness.
"I think we need commitment from government. I read different reports that the President will consider tax relief for corporate bodies, so that they can fund sport. That would be a wonderful idea because funding sports cannot be the sole responsibility of the Federal Government, we need to get a lot of people involved. We need more private money; we need more of private sector sponsorship.
"Sports have wonderful way of building the reputation and credibility of a nation all over the world, I hope Nigeria will take sports serious and provide the funding needed to do it."
Vincent gave his players pass mark for their performances at the Olympics.
"My players did well, we had a very vigorous training camp, because when most of them came into camp, they were not in shape and that makes it tough for the coach because we were preparing for the Olympics.
"There has to be some preparations before you get to the training camp, because then we had only three months to go. That was a little disappointing and because of that we were a little behind, and we also had some injured players.
"We had a lot of problems in the camp, but looking forward, things will get a lot better."
Vincent's faith in the ability of Nigeria basketballers to rule the world is not in doubt.
"I think given the right environment, Nigeria can rule the world, both men and women teams. If you give me the time to go round, I will identify all the top players and the coaches.
"If you give me the time and the resources to develop the right programme, and if you take a place where we can play competitive teams like we did in Germany, then I think it could have been better, we could have beaten Greece and Japan, we could have won three games and set sail to the quarterfinal.
With a few touch-ups we can be among the top five in the world."
But why quit South Africa where the entire environment and other things he prays for in Nigeria are readily available.
"South Africa has the facilities but they don't have the players. I can still work in South Africa any day. I have a great relationship with the people. They have the resources, in future they could have the right programme, but right now, they don't have the kind of players, that could get to World Championship or the Olympics.
"I want to be in the world championship, I want to be in the Olympics, I want a chance to win and I think Nigeria has the players."
Who is Sam Vincent?
"Sam Vincent is an ex-player, Coach, a guy that knows what it takes to be on the top with players. A guy who knows and appreciate what highest level of basketball is.
"I was drafted by Bolton Celtics to play in the NBA. I started playing Basketball at age seven. I could not have done anything else, my elder brother played basketball, and he played in the NBA, played overseas in Europe. My father also loved basketball and other members of my family, so basketball is just a part of the family.
"Apart from the above, I love sports generally, but I think you have to be focused in what you are trying to do and for me I made the decision on basketball and I am focused on Basketball."
His impression about Nigeria
I have been in Nigeria about four of five times, each time, I was there for the All Africa Games for about two and a half weeks I also came in once for about three weeks. I have been there several times and stayed for about a month each time I visit I enjoyed my time in Nigeria. Nigeria is like any other place, it has its good and its bad, just like the U.S.
"I think most importantly, there is the need for development. And I think there is a hunger for opportunities, I want to be involved in those areas, I think it is okay."
Vincent says he is not trying to emulate either Lee Evans or Oliver Babatunde Johnson, two African-Americans who left indelible marks in Nigeria, but he promised to make our basketball better.
"I don't know Lee Evans, but I will try to find out who he is, but let me tell you that I have a very sincere passion about what I do, and that passion is to win basketball games in Olympics with Nigeria, to really create a basketball programme that will make the country one of the top five in the world.
"And I would stay and do whatever it takes to make that happen. I need the resources and the support from the populace.
"I will love to see Nigeria have a very good league. I got some proposals and ideas that I will love to speak to the sports minister about. He has seen some of my proposal and likes them.
"Now the task is building the national team, but I know I am not going to be happy until there is a professional league for women and men in Nigeria. Then I will be happy and say I have accomplished something."
Vincent who is married says he is contented with leaving his family in South Africa for now.
"I am married, my wife is a South African, and right now my family is in South Africa. Nigeria is just five hours from South Africa, so, right now I shuttle back and forth."
