JOHANNESBURG (South Africa) - The Johannesburg Giants secured back-to-back titles in the Basketball South Africa National Clubs Championship.
The Giants finished the national tournament on Sunday, 11 October, at the Mandeville Complex in Johannesburg with a perfect 4-0 record, defeating the 2024 national club champions, MBB, 99-57, in the final round-robin game.
With their national title win, the reigning South African champions secured the country's spot in the 2027 FIBA Road to BAL qualifiers.
The Giants had four players score in the double digits against MBB. Sharpshooters Dylan Whitbread and Joshua Ozabor both had a strong performances from the three-point line.
Whitbread was the top scorer in the final game with 20 points and was 4/6 from behind the arc. Ozabor scored 19 points and made 4/7 attempts from the three-point line.
Championship Most Valuable Player (MVP) Aviwe Mahlong scored 15 points and Yanick Kasilembo added 12 to the Giants' undefeated run.
Whitbread, who had been away from basketball for most of last year, was happy with the team and his performance. He said they "clicked" in the final game.
"I had not played that much in the previous games. I had three minutes here and five minutes there. I was not necessarily happy with my play in those three minutes and had to do some self-reflection and look at what the coach is looking for. I really tried to come in with more focus, be more vocal as a leader, and play my game," said Whitbread, who had four assists along with his 20 points.
The former Cape Town Tigers guard added: "It is a testament to staying ready. Coming in with the right attitude and right mentality, it sort of went my way, and I was able to score the 20 points. The guys were looking for me, but I am a lot more proud of the assists and getting the other guys more involved. I think got five or four of them."
With domestic basketball matters wrapped, Whitbread, who last played in the Road to BAL qualifiers in 2023, looks forward to returning to the BAL qualifying tournament.
He said: "I know this is a step in where we want to go. A lot of the players have played the Basketball Africa League level already, myself included. We have our eye firmly on that goal. I haven't been to the BAL with the Joburg Giants, but I have been there with the Cape Town Tigers, and I know what it takes to compete at that level and not just to participate, but to get a couple of wins and move on to the playoffs."
He continued: "I am excited about the team we have. They're great leaders and we have good chemistry, so let's see what we can do."
Before making their Basketball Africa League (BAL) debut earlier this year, where they finished 0-5 in the Sahara Conference, the Giants made waves in the Road to BAL East Division Elite 16 in Nairobi, Kenya, finishing second.
Championship Awards
The five-day competition saw Soweto Basketball Academy's Dennis Mdluli, MBB's Lebesa Selepe, Jozi Nuggets' Zet Mutongoza, DUEP's Pieter Prinsloo and Giants' Aviwe Mahlong named to the All-Star five.
Aviwe Mahlong capped off the tournament by being crowned MVP.
How the Championship unfolded
On their way to a second national championship and with a perfect record for a second year, the Giants overcame Jozi Nuggets 61-60 in their first game last Wednesday.
Coach Florsheim Ngwenya's men had an easier outing against the Soweto Basketball Academy side, making their national championship debut, beating them 95-49.
The Giants faced a massive challenge against DUEP, who showed resistance from the jump ball, but the Giants were able to squeeze out a 63-59 win.
FIBA