Kwa-Thema- Mduduze Duze has been playing basketball for over 10 years and says his love for the game has only grown stronger over time.
His interest in the game grew after accompanying his cousin to practise and he now plays as a point guard for the Kwa-Thema Bulls.
The Bulls compete in the Johannesburg Basketball League and the Ekurhuleni Basketball League (EBL).
Before Covid-19 hit, Duze and his teammates were working towards winning division two of the EBL, after making it into the finals in 2017 and 2019.
The team would then be promoted to division one and their end goal is to one day play in the Basketball National League.
While waiting for the league to reopen, Duze has been keeping fit by jogging and training on his own.
How a player gets better at basketball is through repetition.
“You have to practice the same shot and bounce, and you will be good at it,” said Duze.
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The 29-year-old wants to be ready for when the league eventually reopens.
Each season is six months long, with each team playing every fourth night.
The teams travel across Gauteng and play against teams from Soweto, Johannesburg Central, West Rand and the East Rand.
The competition is tough, but Duze, who is naturally competitive, enjoys every minute of it.
“A point guard is the playmaker of the team.
“You have to make the right plays and put the team in a position when they can score.
“A point guard I admire is Chris Paul, who plays for the Phoenix Suns.
“His basketball IQ is amazing and he’s a good handler of the ball.
“He is also quick and can read defences well,” said Duze.
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Duze said over the years, the popularity of the sport has grown tremendously in Kwa-Thema and now has a larger fan base.
The difficulty they have had is that they are self-funded, and not everyone on the team is employed.
“Our coach invested heavily in the team and helped with some of the day-to-day expenses and affiliation fees.
“We had exhibition games last February in Wadeville, Leondale, Duduza and Secunda, which were well attended.
“As a whole though, basketball needs more support from the government.
“There is so much to be done and we need to have the right people working in sports development,” said Duze.
An example of the lack of support is they fund-raised to paint the court on which they play in Kwa-Thema.
Duze is also thinking of his future and for when he eventually stops playing basketball. He is studying towards his LLB and wants to practice criminal law.
He said it’s misunderstood in the public and finds its dynamics interesting.
