David Etyang: Nairobi City Thunder teen sensation sets lofty ambitions ahead of BAL debut

Nairobi City Thunder’s David Etyang will not relent until he makes the final squad for the Basketball Africa League (BAL) having been part of the squad that qualified for the continental tournament.

Thunder made history by becoming the first Kenyan side to qualify for BAL during the Elite 16 East Division staged in Nairobi a fortnight ago and the 19-year-old was part of coach Brad Ibs title winning squad.

The Kenyan team needed to reach the semi-final to claim their place at BAL but did it style, winning the tournament, with Etyang slotted in given the FIBA requirement of having at least an U21 player.

The veteran center played a pivotal role as Nairobi City Thunder booked their slot in the Basketball Africa League.

Etyang was, however, not just there to make the numbers as he played a major role, brushing shoulders with some of the continent’s best players, playing four of the five matches.

Having been thrown into the deep end, the Friend’s School Kamusinga alumnus knows his performance in the qualifiers will not be enough and has vowed to work a lot harder to make it into the squad for the BAL event given the large number of talented players at coach Ibs disposal.

“This was a really great and unforgettable experience,” the Strathmore University student told

“It was a great opportunity not only to learn from my teammates but other players as well from the tournament. Just being there, mixing it up with them, learning different stuff about the game and watching different players in my position gave me a lot of lessons.

“The biggest lesson is that pro-basketball ain’t a joke. If you want to get something, you need to work extra hard for it. You must have the desire and determination to get whatever you have put your mind on. The second lesson is that basketball never changes, you just have to maintain your confidence and keep your composure. You don’t have to be scared of playing at a bigger stage.

“In terms of work on the court I learnt so much from watching other guards play in terms of positioning themselves, reading the game, skills both offensively and defensively as well as game management. I definitely am a better player now compared to the start.”

Kenya's City Thunder will take on Africa's elite basketball teams in the Basketball Africa League set to go down in Nairobi.

Etyang wants to learn from the many pros in the team as much as possible as he feels this will help him grasp enough that will be crucial if he gets selected for the BAL.

“For BAL, I want to keep working hard to see that I can get a chance to be in the final roster. There are several young players in the team and each of them is talented and works hard so I know competition is going to be stiff. I need to give my best in training and in the league,” he added.

“As a team definitely, the big target is to do well in the BAL. We need to go there and win matches and if we can, get to the final. Thunder is a great team and we are built for this and we can’t fail our fans.”