Jump to content

MBB Basketball

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

MBB
MBB logo
NicknameBlue Soldiers
Team Yase Dladleni (The People's Team)
LeagueBAL
BNL
South African National Basketball Championship
Inner City Super League
Founded2010
HistoryMBB Basketball Club
2010–present
LocationJohannesburg, South Africa
Head coachSam Vincent
OwnershipCyril Shabalala

Made by Ball Blue Soldiers, commonly known as MBB or MBB Blue Soldiers, is a South African basketball team based in Johannesburg. The team plays in the Basketball National League (BNL), the highest level of basketball in the country, following their promotion in 2024.[1] They have won one National Championship title in 2024.

They will make their debut in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) in the 2025 season.

History

[edit]

The team was founded as a social club in 2010 by a group of players who had moved from KwaZulu-Natal to Gauteng.[2] The team has been owned by former player Cyril Shabalala, who later also took reigns as head coach.[3]

MBB previously played in the Gauteng regional Inner City Super League (ICSL), where they won back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024.[4] The Blue Soldiers joined the Basketball National League (NBL) for the 2024 season,[5] and later also won the BSA-organised National Championship title.[6]

Their national championship title earned them the right to play in the 2025 BAL qualification, where they will make their debut in the Elite 16 phase, becoming the third South African team in the Road to BAL, behind the Jozi Nuggets and the Cape Town Tigers.[3]

On January 12, 2025, MBB announced on Instagram that they would play in the 2025 season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL).[7] On February 4, 2025, MBB announced Sam Vincent as their new head coach.[8] Their participation was confirmed on 28 February 2025. On May 20, 2025, MBB won its first ever BAL game, defeating Nairobi City Thunder.[9]

The team uses the slogan ‘iTeam Yase Dladleni’, which roughly translates to "The People's Team".[2]

Honours

[edit]

Players

[edit]

Current roster

[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

2025 MBB roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht. Age
PG 1 Zimbabwe Pfachi, Dyvonne 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) 30 – (1995-02-09)9 February 1995
CG 2 South Africa Dim, Nino 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) 24 – (2000-11-06)6 November 2000
SG 5 Uganda Opong, Robinson 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 36 – (1989-05-10)10 May 1989
SF 6 United States Lenard, Teafale (I) 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 22 – (2002-07-21)21 July 2002
G/F 10 South Africa Selepe, Lebesa 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 34 – (1991-03-13)13 March 1991
SF 12 South Africa Mothiba, Neo 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 43 – (1982-03-21)21 March 1982
F 13 The Gambia Thielemans, Omar 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 25 – (1999-09-23)23 September 1999
PF/C 14 South Africa Sibanyoni, Nkosinathi 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) 26 – (1998-05-24)24 May 1998
SF 15 Senegal Camara, Mouhamed (E) 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 20 – (2005-04-01)1 April 2005
C 23 South Africa Mokwena, Marcus 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 33 – (1991-12-04)4 December 1991
PF 41 South Africa Prinsloo, Pieter 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) 33 – (1992-01-07)7 January 1992
PG 45 United States Mooring, Jovan (I) 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 30 – (1994-12-14)14 December 1994
C 50 South Africa Craig, David 2.18 m (7 ft 2 in) 21 – (2003-07-13)13 July 2003
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Injured Injured
Updated: May 21, 2025

Head coaches

[edit]
  • Cyril Shabalala: (–2025)
  • Sam Vincent: (2025–present)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b "MMB (SOUTH AFRICA)". The BAL. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Meet the team: MBB". www.fiba.basketball. 25 November 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  4. ^ "ICSL – Inner City Super League". icsl.co.za. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  5. ^ Basketball National League [@bnlsa] (14 June 2024). "We're thrilled to share the revised 2024 BNL fixture with you! Note that Cape Town Tigers are excluded, and EC Windbreakers have been relegated. Stay tuned for more updates and let the games begin!" – via Instagram.
  6. ^ a b "FIBA Africa Zone 6 Weekly Review: 20/08/2024 | AfricaBasket". www.africabasket.net. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  7. ^ MBB Basketball [@mbb_basketball] (12 January 2025). "MBB at BAL 2025! We have a lot of work to do and are beyond ready to put in all that work. Proud to be representing South Africa this season. It's going to be a good year. Let's do this!" – via Instagram.
  8. ^ MBB Basketball [@mbb_basketball] (4 February 2025). "MBB welcomes Sam Vincent! Sam Vincent, a former NBA champion and well established international coach with incredible impact over many years, is joining Team MBB as head coach for BAL Season 5! Sam has a deep love for our country and continent, and is ready to bring his invaluable experience and passion for the game to our players and team. GHIV US Everything you've got Coach! Let's go! #iTeamYaseDladleni #GHIVUS #MadeByBall" – via Instagram.
  9. ^ "Opong's last-gasp three-pointer sinks the Thunder". The BAL. Retrieved 21 May 2025.


Stub icon

This article about a basketball team in Africa is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Flag of South AfricaSport icon

This article about a South African sports club is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MBB_Basketball&oldid=1291465084"