There’s a rumble in the jungle, and that heat is credited to the basketball fierce, Cape Town Tigers.
They recently dominated South Africa’s National Championship summit, and the next move is representing the entire country in the BAL regional qualifiers, facing off against other African teams. For context, BAL (Basketball Africa League) is the most prestigious league in African basketball.
But who are the Cape Town Tigers? And who is the mysterious New Yorker who raised the game in the Mother City?
Raphael Edwards is the driving force behind our Mother City’s team. A New Yorker, Edwards has been involved in basketball for years, both on the court and as a trainer. He has a full roster of NBA Talent, including Brandon Ingram, Allen Houston, Ty Lawson, Elton Brand and Jerry Stackhouse. Right now, however, his star-making passion is on the courts of the Mother City.
I was lucky enough to speak with Mr. Edwards about the eye of the Cape Town Tigers, and basketball writes Cape {town} Etc’s Ashleigh Nefdt.
In conversation with owner Raphael Edwards:
What brought you to the Rainbow Nation, and why a focus on Cape Town in particular?
Well, what brought me to the rainbow nation..the opportunity to own a professional basketball team brought me to Cape Town. The city in particular is amazing, and it has great energy. So, I just thought it would be perfect for the recruitment of different high-level athletes, I mean who wouldn’t want to live here?
I read that you believe Cape Town’s Tiger’s have the opportunity to become the face of BAL. Sports builds a nation. Do you think basketball has the potential to rise to the ranks of cricket and rugby in SA?
Well, I believe that basketball has the opportunity to surpass cricket and rugby. While those are amazing sports.. basketball is a lifestyle. So after you leave the court it’s still a whole other lifestyle, entertainment and celebrity off the court, that stems from basketball.
Do you think there’s enough government support for basketball in SA?
No, I don’t, but that’s only because the sport hasn’t been grown. I believe that once they see the capabilities, what’s going on with the sport and how it just transcends all cultures to everyone, male and female, I believe the support will kick in at that point.
What have been your personal highlights of being the owner of the Cape Town Tigers?
I really enjoyed merging with Ghugulethu. Seeing the kids from there and bringing them to our practice so they could see a professional team practice, and how it’s done and what hard work really looks like at that level, has been one of my highlights. Another [was when] the team helped out a young lady that was playing for the netball national team. She needed help to get to the city where the competition was being held in, and just to see her and her family’s eyes light up and we were able to help them, I mean it was pretty amazing.
The third and final thing…just seeing the growth of my players. Not only the import guys, but the national guys.To see how much they’ve grown in the sport, and just mentaliy and spiritually as men. And to see how much more they want to grown. An extremely delightful surprise.
Do you think there’s enough focus on basketball as a recreational activity in Cape Town?
I actually do. Unlike New York City right now, you can’t go to the parks in New York and see people outside playing basketball a lot like how it used to be. Whereas when I drive by these parks here, the waterfront, it’s always crowded. It’s always crowded. From sun up to sun down they’re out there playing basketball. And that shows that people have a thriving passion for the sport, it just needs to be focused and bottled up so it can explode the right way here.
What would you say to encourage young Capetonians to start getting into Ball?
First and foremost, it’s an amazing sport, amazing conditioning, but it builds mental toughness, beyond belief. So, you know, everyone won’t be a professional althelte,but you’re able to take now that mental toughness, the ability to work with a team, to lead, and you take that onto whatever job or occupation you’re going to have or business you’re going to own and that will just spread across Cape Town and just raise the bar, raise the level of everything.
If you had to describe your team in one word, what would it be?
Hmm that’s a good question. I would say, passionate.
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Edwards also adds that what people should know about the ownership team is that two black women are also in charge of the behind-the-scenes glory. Dia Martin and Chante Butler are two of the powerhouse females within the consortium. “That is almost unheard of for a professional team,” Edwards notes proudly.
Picture:Instagram @thecapetowntigers
