Times Of Swaziland: Raptors coach pledges  support to local basketball

Raptors coach pledges  support to local basketball
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BY BHEKISISA MAGONGO on 16/08/2013 01:00:00


MBABANE – Visiting Toronto Raptors coach, Jama Mahlalela, has availed himself
to assist other Swazis who want to make it in the famed National Basketball
League (NBA).
The former Swaziland Railway boss Gideon Mahlalela’s son will be here until
Tuesday, and has already met the Swaziland National Basketball Association
(SNBA) executive committee.
He became the first Swazi to break into the NBA League when he was appointed
assistant coach of top Canadian side, Toronto Raptors, last month. He described
the historic appointment as humbling and exciting at the same time.
“I am thrilled to be part of a set up where I work with top players in the
NBA. To be in the elite of elite is humbling and I believe I can help other
Swazis break into that level of the game,” he said during a press conference
at the Swaziland National Sports Council (SNSC) offices yesterday.
He was accompanied by his wife, SNBA Secretary Bongani Shiba and Dups
Insurance’s Setsabile Dlamini, whose company is the main sponsors of SNBA.