Kenyan youngster optimistic of NBA breakthrough
Ricky Omondi (left) with the great Cameroonian and Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid in Dakar, Senegal during the just concluded 17th edition of Basketball Without Borders Africa Camp. PHOTO | FRANCIS MUREITHI |
What you need to know:
- Omondi, who plays as a shooting guard for Kisumu Lakeside Club, was lucky to have been among those being trained by veteran coach Rivers, Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenney Atkinson, and New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale
- The four-day camp, which was held between July 28 to 31 at Dakar Arena in Senegal, brought together the top 60 male and female basketball players aged 17 years and below from 29 African countries
- Omondi says he was impressed by the level of skills and motivation he received from the coaches
“In my career as a basketball player, I have never thought that one day I will brush shoulders with a top NBA coach like Doc Tivers of Los Angeles Clippers.” Those are the words of basketball sensation Ricky Omondi Okello who turns out for Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) men’s Premier League team Kisumu Lakeside Club.
Omondi, 17, had a rare opportunity to meet Tivers in Dakar where he had gone to participate in the 17th edition of Basketball Without Borders Africa Camp.
The four-day camp, which was held between July 28 to 31 at Dakar Arena in Senegal, brought together the top 60 male and female basketball players aged 17 years and below from 29 African countries.
Omondi, was the sole player from Kenya to participate in the camp that brought together top NBA head coaches.
“I don’t want to say I am on my way to the NBA, but from the coaching I receive, I have a great chance of playing in NBA and nothing will stop me from making a debut in the not far future,” said Omondi.
Speaking to Nation Sport moments after arriving back from Dakar on Saturday morning, Omondi added: “I don’t even know how I managed to make the list of top 60 boys and girls from 29 African countries. It feels good.”
“The coaches I met were not only better in the pitch with their well thought out analysis of the game, they were also better in management of the game. They gave us important tips in leadership, discipline and lifestyle. I learnt that just being a player is not enough. One needs to do more to prove he can do better.”
Omondi, who plays as a shooting guard for Kisumu Lakeside Club, was lucky to have been among those being trained by veteran coach Rivers, Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenney Atkinson, and New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale.
He also received coaching skills from current NBA assistant coaches DeSagana Diop (Utah Jazz), BJ Johnson (Houston Rockets), Vince Legarza (Utah Jazz), Patrick Mutombo (Toronto Raptors) and Miles Simon (Los Angeles Lakers), among others.
Omondi says he was impressed by the level of skills and motivation he received from the coaches.
“We went through rigorous training and what I liked about the NBA coaches is that they really wanted participants to do well. They believed in me and this has re-energised me to focus on my dream of one day playing in the NBA,” said Omondi.
At the same time, Omondi has said another lesson he picked from the training sessions in Dakar is that one should never stop learning. He reckons that a player should stay open-minded.
“The things that I know now that I didn’t know when I first started my basketball career at Kisumu Boys Secondary School such as life skills, leadership, self-discipline will transform my basketball career,” said Omondi.
He said the training has made him hungrier to improve his drives, spacing techniques and free shooting.
“I loved the shooting techniques and dribbling of former NBA player Chris Bosh and I picked many lessons which I plan to use in my team and help it make an impact in the Kenya Basketball Premier League,” said Omondi.
