INTERVIEW – African Basketball on the Rise / Interview with Nigerian basketball player William Adeiza Salami by Djuradj “George” Vujcic, Canadian journalist and writer, editor-in-chief of the Urban Book Circle.
African Basketball on the Rise / Interview with William Adeiza Salami
by Djuradj “George” Vujcic |
Urban Book Circle® (UBC)
|
African Basketball on the Rise
– Interview with Nigerian basketball player William Adeiza Salami –
Editor’s Note: This article was written by Djuradj “George” Vujcic and published in Basketball Central on November 11, 2006. Salami had reached out to the author after reading his letter in issue 97 of SLAM Magazine.
Willim Adeiza Salami is a Nigerian basketball prospect. He is a 6 foot 4 guard who began his career playing for the Bauchi Nets in northern Nigeria. After that, he moved on to the Dodan Warriors in Lagos for a year and now plays for the Lagos Islanders – the top team in the Nigerian Premier League (known as the Celtel Premier League for sponsorship reasons) – with whom he won the National Championship. In this interview with Djuradj Vujcic, he talks about his beginnings, his future aspirations and the 21st FIBA African Champions Club Cup which will last from November 16 until November 27, 2006 and will be held at the Sports Hall of the Lagos National Stadium in Nigeria.
Djuradj Vujcic: Nigeria did well at the 2006 FIBA World Basketball Championship, beating Serbia and Montenegro with a score of 82-75. In the Round of 16, they lost to Germany by only 1 point (77:78). Is African basketball going in the right direction, or is there still a long ways to go?
William Adeiza Salami: I think we, in Africa, are on the rise. The game is growing in the continent. In terms of facilities, the game is suffering here. We have players playing on flesh and bones. Poor nutrition, poor equipment, very few colleges support their basketball teams, lots of high schools and colleges without basketball courts... In Nigeria, soccer gets the most support from the government, and the media gives our game little attention. Basketball equipment is expensive, and you know the African problem is economy. But there are lots of youths interested in playing the game. The lucky ones, not really the best ones, get to go to colleges in the US. If you are 6 foot 10, chances are that you are more likely to get to a better basketball league, rather than a 6 foot 3 Allen Iverson type scorer. Our established stars and retired players are doing very little to support the game in Nigeria. There is a lot of lost talent here that real coaches and scouts don't get to see.
Djuradj Vujcic: NBA Legend Hakeem Olajuwon was born in Nigeria. Is he somewhat of a role model for you?
William Adeiza Salami: No, he is not a role model for me and I guess he's not for lots of African players. He never really showed his presence back home. If he had played for Nigeria, instead of the USA, he would have done a lot to promote the game here. We love his dream-shake though. But he was kind of an absent father, never at home. Back then, the dream was real.
Djuradj Vujcic: There are two Nigerian players who currently play in the NBA: Michael Olowokandi of the Boston Celtics and Ime Udoka of the Portland Trail Blazers. Are they idolized in Nigeria?
William Adeiza Salami: I love Ime Udoka, he got game. Kandi is not very popular here. You got to be an idol, like the other NBA players. We don't think they are doing enough just yet, but we still love them. Emeka Okafor is of Nigerian parentage, and the kids here love his aggressive game.
Djuradj Vujcic: What is the level of play like in Nigeria and in Africa in general?
William Adeiza Salami: We get on the court, and the air is charged. The game is very physical, so you got to be strong. The calls are not coming unless you are the home team. The rims are not regulation. Most of the time, we play on concrete courts with pot holes. But in terms of the competitiveness, the desire to win, the raw talents undiscovered... the similarities are there. But there's no lights, no television coverage, poor crowd attendance. So, Europe and Asia are ahead of Africa. But the game is great in Angola. They have good promotion of the game there. Nigeria has better talent but worse managers.
Djuradj Vujcic: Nine of the players who represented Nigeria at the World Basketball Championship were born in the United States. None of the players on the team played in Nigeria. Why do you think that is?
William Adeiza Salami: One major reason is Sam Vincent, the American coach of the Nigerian team. He wanted to use the American-born players because of their records.
Djuradj Vujcic: Where do you see Nigerian basketball in five years?
William Adeiza Salami: I love to think that we can be ranked among the top five countries in the world. We can – because we have the talent. All we need is the right people to manage our sports in Nigeria. We have a great soccer nation, but we need to do more to put ourselves on the basketball map. We're always going to have great players, but we pray for a league that will groom home talent that can jump into the NBA.
Djuradj Vujcic: Thank you so much for taking the time, William.
William Adeiza Salami: It was my pleasure.
Willim Adeiza Salami is a Nigerian basketball prospect. He is a 6 foot 4 guard who began his career playing for the Bauchi Nets in northern Nigeria. After that, he moved on to the Dodan Warriors in Lagos for a year and now plays for the Lagos Islanders – the top team in the Nigerian Premier League (known as the Celtel Premier League for sponsorship reasons) – with whom he won the National Championship. In this interview with Djuradj Vujcic, he talks about his beginnings, his future aspirations and the 21st FIBA African Champions Club Cup which will last from November 16 until November 27, 2006 and will be held at the Sports Hall of the Lagos National Stadium in Nigeria.
Djuradj Vujcic: Nigeria did well at the 2006 FIBA World Basketball Championship, beating Serbia and Montenegro with a score of 82-75. In the Round of 16, they lost to Germany by only 1 point (77:78). Is African basketball going in the right direction, or is there still a long ways to go?
William Adeiza Salami: I think we, in Africa, are on the rise. The game is growing in the continent. In terms of facilities, the game is suffering here. We have players playing on flesh and bones. Poor nutrition, poor equipment, very few colleges support their basketball teams, lots of high schools and colleges without basketball courts... In Nigeria, soccer gets the most support from the government, and the media gives our game little attention. Basketball equipment is expensive, and you know the African problem is economy. But there are lots of youths interested in playing the game. The lucky ones, not really the best ones, get to go to colleges in the US. If you are 6 foot 10, chances are that you are more likely to get to a better basketball league, rather than a 6 foot 3 Allen Iverson type scorer. Our established stars and retired players are doing very little to support the game in Nigeria. There is a lot of lost talent here that real coaches and scouts don't get to see.
Djuradj Vujcic: NBA Legend Hakeem Olajuwon was born in Nigeria. Is he somewhat of a role model for you?
William Adeiza Salami: No, he is not a role model for me and I guess he's not for lots of African players. He never really showed his presence back home. If he had played for Nigeria, instead of the USA, he would have done a lot to promote the game here. We love his dream-shake though. But he was kind of an absent father, never at home. Back then, the dream was real.
Djuradj Vujcic: There are two Nigerian players who currently play in the NBA: Michael Olowokandi of the Boston Celtics and Ime Udoka of the Portland Trail Blazers. Are they idolized in Nigeria?
William Adeiza Salami: I love Ime Udoka, he got game. Kandi is not very popular here. You got to be an idol, like the other NBA players. We don't think they are doing enough just yet, but we still love them. Emeka Okafor is of Nigerian parentage, and the kids here love his aggressive game.
Djuradj Vujcic: What is the level of play like in Nigeria and in Africa in general?
William Adeiza Salami: We get on the court, and the air is charged. The game is very physical, so you got to be strong. The calls are not coming unless you are the home team. The rims are not regulation. Most of the time, we play on concrete courts with pot holes. But in terms of the competitiveness, the desire to win, the raw talents undiscovered... the similarities are there. But there's no lights, no television coverage, poor crowd attendance. So, Europe and Asia are ahead of Africa. But the game is great in Angola. They have good promotion of the game there. Nigeria has better talent but worse managers.
Djuradj Vujcic: Nine of the players who represented Nigeria at the World Basketball Championship were born in the United States. None of the players on the team played in Nigeria. Why do you think that is?
William Adeiza Salami: One major reason is Sam Vincent, the American coach of the Nigerian team. He wanted to use the American-born players because of their records.
Djuradj Vujcic: Where do you see Nigerian basketball in five years?
William Adeiza Salami: I love to think that we can be ranked among the top five countries in the world. We can – because we have the talent. All we need is the right people to manage our sports in Nigeria. We have a great soccer nation, but we need to do more to put ourselves on the basketball map. We're always going to have great players, but we pray for a league that will groom home talent that can jump into the NBA.
Djuradj Vujcic: Thank you so much for taking the time, William.
William Adeiza Salami: It was my pleasure.
__________________________
__________________________
|
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
|
|
Note: The Urban Book Circle does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comments, you acknowledge that the Urban Book Circle has the right to reproduce, broadcast and publicize those comments or any part thereof in any manner whatsoever. Please note that comments are moderated and published according to our Terms and Conditions.
|
African Basketball on the Rise / Interview with William Adeiza Salami by Djuradj “George” Vujcic
|
Last updated on November 22, 2021.
Published by Urban Book Circle on November 22, 2021 Urban Book Circle® (UBC) |
· Photos of William Adeiza Salami courtesy of William Adeiza Salami / All rights reserved. Copyright © William Adeiza Salami ·
· Edited by Djuradj “George” Vujcic, Jefimija “Mia” Vujcic, Danijela Kovacevic Mikic,
Deidre McAuliffe and Prvoslav “Pearse” Vujcic ·
· Design & Artwork by Prvoslav “Pearse” Vujcic and Djuradj “George” Vujcic ·
· Illustrated by Sarah Riordan and Deidre McAuliffe ·
All rights reserved. Copyright © Urban Book Circle®
Deidre McAuliffe and Prvoslav “Pearse” Vujcic ·
· Design & Artwork by Prvoslav “Pearse” Vujcic and Djuradj “George” Vujcic ·
· Illustrated by Sarah Riordan and Deidre McAuliffe ·
All rights reserved. Copyright © Urban Book Circle®
ABOUT US · EDITORS · CONTRIBUTORS · PARTNERS · TESTIMONIALS · ARCHIVE · CONTACT