Hasheem Thabeet

In Tanzania, Hasheem Thabeet is seen as a saviour and a hero – the man who put his country on the world basketball map, mixing it with the slam-dunking millionaires of the NBA. However, there have been times when the Dodoma native has not always thought that way about himself.

His five years in the NBA began in 2009 with much fanfare after he was selected as a number two draft pick by the Memphis Grizzlies – the first three picks are considered to be the most promising players of that year and are awarded in a lottery to some of the worst-performing teams to maintain parity in the league. However, despite his undoubted abilities – seeing the athletic 7 ft 3 in Thabeet swat away shots above the rim of the basket is something to behold – the Grizzlies let him go after two seasons; and unfulfilling stints with five more teams, involving little time on court, followed.

As a raw talent, new to the United States and new to the game – the football fanatic didn’t begin shooting hoops in Dar es Salaam until he was 15 – Thabeet felt he was given little in the way of guidance when games were not going his way and admits to periods of feeling lost and low.

Thabeet may have played his last NBA game in May 2014, but he hasn’t given up his dream of returning. Such determination and drive to prove himself should only strengthen his hero status in Tanzania. He doesn’t need to do it financially, and the smart, articulate Thabeet has other business opportunities he could pursue; but it’s the desire to make his country, family and friends proud of him and repay their faith in him that drives his quest to return to the top of his sport.

“My attitude, or approach, when it comes to this is to just keep working,” says Thabeet. “I understand that doing something special takes a special approach, and it won’t be an easy approach. I have a great supporting team, they have been there for me since day one, they’re the ones who really keep me sane. They love me and support me no matter what, I can’t ask for a better supporting group. I love them.”

Thabeet has kept himself in the shop window for the NBA with a promising spell in its development league and a short-term position playing for the Yokohama B-Corsairs in Japan. Recently, he has been honing his skills with three workouts a day under trainer Keith Williams, who has worked with NBA alumni such as Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins.

Skills on show

Williams has helped get 32-year-old Thabeet into the shape of his life and pump up his attacking game. The results are reaching NBA executives, with Thabeet showcasing his new skills at trials with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Toronto Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks with more to come.

Thabeet has wonderful memories of life as an NBA star and believes he now has the abilities and attitude to make the most of a second chance.

“I believe I have the power and the will and all the tools to still play the game I love,” he says. “I’m going to keep training and stay ready for whenever the opportunity presents itself.

He adds: “Playing in the NBA was a blessing to me. I loved and enjoyed every minute of it. You get to do something that you love as your everyday job. It doesn’t get better than that. Seeing my family at some of the games, it was just amazing times. I would run into these celebrities and stars who were our fans. It was always mesmerising and such a cool feeling.”

Sharing his success with his family is important to Thabeet. His mother, Rukia Manka, plays a key role in his many charity projects and his father, Thabit Manka, though he died when Thabeet was just 16, still inspires his son to live his life the right way.

“My dad was a role model. He was a soccer player, and architect. I wanted to be just like him. All the good traits and wisdom came from him. I wanted to travel and do things just like him. He went to college at Oxford [in the UK] and Perth [Australia]. I believe that he is still watching over me. As I’m doing this, I’m embracing all the things I’ve learned from him.”

Basketball journey

The loss of his father came as Thabeet was beginning a basketball journey that would take him thousands of miles from home. When Thabeet was 15 years old, a coach, noticing his height and athleticism, suggested he try basketball and Thabeet proved immediately comfortable with the ball and could instinctively dunk.

His aptitude for the sport aroused the interest of US scouts and he soon gained a scholarship to Stoneridge Prep School near Los Angeles, then Cypress Community Christian School in Houston before playing college basketball at the University of Connecticut. It was a steep learning curve for Thabeet, who at that time only spoke Swahili and a few words of English, compounded by the personal upheaval and the loss of his lodestone father.

“The rules of the game, the life it comes with, it wasn’t all really easy,” he says. “I was still learning the game that I recently fell in love with. The challenge was learning basketball while competing with kids that have been playing basketball from a younger age than I have. I was missing my family more and I would go on without seeing them up to my junior year in college.”

Thabeet excelled on the court in that junior year, relishing his shot-blocking role. “I definitely enjoy the defensive end of the floor. I started playing the game a little later so my offence wasn’t as good. It’s a pride thing – if I don’t score then that means I’m not going to let you score on me either.”

Tanzanian sporting hero

He helped UConn to a Final Four finish, earning himself the National Defensive Player of the Year award and a share of the Big East Player of the Year award. Still, he was surprised when the Grizzlies swooped and he was suddenly a marquee name in the NBA. It was a huge event for Thabeet and for Tanzania. The country had never had a player represented in the top echelon of US basketball before and he became a sporting hero.

Thabeet is equally proud of his country. From the start he has used his privileged position to support charitable projects in Tanzania and to help sharpen the skills of the next generation of basketball talent there.

He says: “My country has always meant so much to me because its something that I look at to measure how far I’ve come and how far I can strive for. Growing up from there, I know how hard things can be. When I was blessed enough to be able to contribute to causes, it has always felt like it’s my place to help as much as I can.”

Recent projects for Thabeet include working with orphans in Tanzania and getting across to African children the importance of education. He is also an ambassador for WildAid, which aims to protect elephants and rhinos from poaching, and the clean water charity Water For Life.

Visits home

Thabeet has a home in Las Vegas, but often returns to Tanzania. In the off-season, you may be lucky enough to see his unmistakable figure running along the beach at Mikocheni to keep fit; and any stay in Dar will also include time at the National Indoor Stadium training the country’s future basketball stars.

No wonder, then, that Thabeet commands such national affection. The defence master has been working on his offensive game and is ready to attack the NBA again – and Tanzania is behind him.

Keep up to date with Hasheem’s progress at his Facebook page and @HasheemTheDream on Twitter.