Garang Ding was one of the standout players from Nairobi City Thunder last season, as they clinched their first ever Kenya National Basketball League title, unbeaten.
Ding joined Thunder at the start of the campaign from Strathmore University, where he played and studied for four years under a sports scholarship.
Ding, a South Sudanese national born in Kenya, says he is inspired by South Sudanese legend Luol Deng, who is currently the boss at the South Sudan Federation, and wants to follow in his footsteps.
The 23-year-old shooting guard speaks exclusively to Telecomasia.net on his basketball journey, his dreams and ambitions, top of which is to play for the senior South Sudan national team.
— You played for the South Sudan AFROCAN team this year. How much has this fueled your ambition for the ‘A’ team?
— It was a really great opportunity for me to play for the national team. Being around some players from the Olympic team and the great Luol Deng offered me an amazing opportunity to learn. I got to know that everything you do on a basketball court has to be for a reason; you don’t just shoot, you don’t just screen; it opened up a lot of my basketball IQ.
My big dream is to make a step into the senior national team. Of course, I get inspired by what I saw them achieve at the Olympic Games in their debut, and hopefully, I can get there someday too. We have the Afrobasket coming up next year, and it is my ambition to earn a call to the team.
— There has been a lot of growth in South Sudanese basketball. What do you attribute this to?
— There is a lot of talent in South Sudan because if you look at our heights, it is perfect for basketball. We only needed an avenue, leadership, and ambition. I believe there is more to come from South Sudan. If you look at the South Sudanese community all over the world, I believe putting these talents together can make us one of the strongest nations in the world.
— You have played professional basketball in Kenya for four years now. How has the experience been for you?
— It has definitely been great because when I look at my growth, I feel that I have done quite a lot. Starting off in High School, then going to Strathmore University, and now to Thunder, it has been really steady growth. There is still more to do, more to achieve, and I keep working each day to push towards this.
— You were incredible in your first year at Thunder, helping the team to the title. Do you look back at it with pride?
— It was a really good season and one to remember. We won the title, and not just winning it but going unbeaten as well. That was a really amazing feat considering how competitive the league is. This was a massive achievement for me, winning my first ever title, and I know it opens up doors for more.
— Looking back, which can you pick as your most unforgettable game?
— Game One of the finals (against Kenya Ports Authority) was one that was my favorite. It was a really tough game, and we were down by 19 points at halftime, on an away court. We managed to come back and went on to win the game. That was my best game ever for the Thunder.
— Of course, now the big goal is the Basketball Africa League (BAL). How big of an opportunity is this for you as an individual and the team as well?
— This is a really great opportunity, especially for those who have never played international competitions before, to go out there and get experience by playing some of the top teams in the continent.
I have been able to play with the national team, and so that offers me a bit of experience, but this is another level that I am quite excited to measure myself up against.
Bet on basketball with 1xBeet— What are some of the experiences that you picked up playing at the East Division qualifiers?
— There were really tough games. We lost for the first time against Urunani by a very slim margin, and it showed us that every little detail matters in basketball.
I think for me, it was a worthy experience. We have definitely become better, and it showed us what to expect in the Elite 16. We know we will face tougher teams, we will not find it easy, and we have to be resilient and work hard towards getting what we want.
— What are your expectations for the BAL and the new season as well?
— For the BAL, as a team, our minimum target is to qualify for the final tournament. We have already qualified for the Elite 16, and that is the first step towards achieving our dream. Now, we plan to give it a good shot over there and hopefully earn qualification. For the league, the long-term goal is to defend the title. But at Thunder, we take an approach of a game at a time. Personally, I also want to improve my game a bit in terms of aggression and my scoring ratio. I have been doing a lot of training in taking my shots, and the aim is to improve the general output.