NAIROBI, Kenya, May 16 – Nairobi City Thunder head coach Brad Ibs says the team is not under any pressure to prove anything as they prepare for the Basketball Africa League phase, the first ever Kenyan team to compete at this level of the NBA-backed tournament.
Thunder earned this piece of history after winning the Elite 16 round staged in Nairobi late last year, and will travel to Kigali, Rwanda, for the group phase, seeking another piece of history, to qualify for the play-offs.
In an exclusive interview with Telecomasia.net after their final practice session in Nairobi, the American coach says their only ambition is to head there and perform well, despite expectation being plenty on them.
“Obviously it’s a big deal, but we are not even thinking about it that way. If we do, we will be ditracted. We are just keeping preaching of how we can do better; playing defense and offense well, keep staying together and at the end of the day if we do all those things we will be happy where we end up and if we don’t do that, we will be disappointed with the result. Of course the pressure and expectation is in the air in the background, but we try not to talk about that,” the coach told Telecomasia.
Thunder will take on home side APR, South Africa’s MBB and Libya’s Al Ahli Tripoli in the Nile Conference where the top two will advance to the play-offs. Thunder already faced MBB in the Elite 16, thrashing them 1-2-59, but they expect it tough nonetheless.
“We are in the BAL and these are great teams. Any team that has reached this level is definitely a good side. Teams have beefed up their squads and it will not be easy. We have prepared well for this challenge and our focus is on game by game. We will play with a respect to everyone immensely,” Ibs further told Telecomasia.
The Nile Conference Group phase tips off on Saturday in Kigali.
