Young basketball player aims to shoot high

Theo Ndinisa (17) used to walk half an hour through crime-ridden areas just to go watch the local basketball club, the Barberton Giants, train.

A few years later, he was chosen to represent Mpumalanga. Now, some of his friends call him LeBron and he is aiming to become a world-renowned athlete.

Theo, a grade 11 learner of Hoërskool Barberton, played for the u/18 provincial team this year and is going to try out to become a part of the national team next year.

He started taking an interest in basketball when he saw the Air Jordan logo, which was made in honour of the basketball player Michael Jordan. As a 12-year-old, he started watching the local team train.

“I used to walk to the local basketball court two to three times a week to watch the Barberton Giants train. It was dangerous due to the crime in the area. My parents used to tell me not to go, but I forced myself to go watch.”

That is where Theo met Coach Blessed. “He is a really good guy. Even though he could see I am a good player, he never told me that. He pointed out the flaws that I could fix. I’m really grateful to have a person like that to tell me to be better.”

ALSO READ: Rhino undergoes groundbreaking medical procedure

When he first started playing, he played against grown men quite taller than him. “Watching basketball was a very different experience to actually playing; it was very physical. That inspired me to ask my parents to buy me a ball.  Every day I became better until one day I started growing taller. My parents aren’t even that tall. I’m the tallest person in our house.”

Today he is about 1.92 metres tall. “Besides being quite tall for my age, I can also jump high, which makes me a strong opponent to go up against.”

Theo usually plays the number 2 or 3 positions, which is the shooting guard and small forward.

His dream is to become an interna-tional player representing South Africa, to play in the United States’ NBA or in the Euro League. “I want to become a paid athlete, playing the sport I love.”

His favourite basketball team currently are the Milwaukee Bucks. “I like the team, because there was this kid who was also poor, Giannis Antetokounmpo. He got an opportunity, took it and became great. Last year he won a championship. That’s really inspirational, because he used to sell CDs and now he is the most vital player.”

Theo said basketball keeps him out of trouble and off the streets. “It prevents me from doing bad stuff. When you’re an athlete, you can’t smoke and drink. It makes me a better person and keeps me disciplined.”

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to editorial@lowvelder.co.za.

For free breaking and community news, visit Lowvelder’s website: Lowvelder

For more news and interesting articles, like Lowvelder on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram