Basketball Africa League a hit, Joburg Giants praised for effort despite defeats

Fans were mixed in their reactions to their decision to back Joburg Giants in the Basketball Africa League’s (BAL) Kalahari conference finals at the Sunbet Arena in Pretoria after five defeats in five games.

The Giants faced off against 2024 BAL champions Petro de Luanda on Sunday and lost by a comprehensive 105-61 margin. The result was meaningless in terms of progression as the Johannesburg team were officially eliminated from contention for the Sahara conference playoffs in in Rabat, Morocco, in April and May when they lost 110-72 against Al Ahly Ly of Libya on Saturday.

One fan, Anele Magaw, stressed the big defeat against Petro came in a fixture that could have no bearing on the team reaching the next round and he was proud of the Giants for their competitive performances at the Kalahari Conference.

“For me, they were playing an ‘anyway’ game because they knew the end result. Regardless of this loss, the boys have come a long way and I couldn’t be prouder of them,” he said.

“The fact that they made it this far has shown young dreamers that everything is possible, that South Africa too can play in one of the biggest basketball leagues such as the BAL.”

Thabang Ndlovu, a final-year student at the University of Johannesburg, said attending the BAL was all about the love and vibes for him.

“I came here to have fun. The arena was packed compared to last year, meaning people love the sport and are in full support of the Giants,” he said. “Our players have worked hard but there is room for improvement, they seemed tired.”

He said the Giants need to evaluate their competition and go back to the drawing board to identify areas to work on.

Another fan, Vukani Mputhi, said the sport was being neglected in the country. The Giants played a game based on a South African style and not in tune with advanced, well-skilled international play.

“The team played well according to we South Africans and that’s because some of us have followed the players’ journeys in the sport before they made it to the BAL,” he said.

“The country needs to invest in the sport. How do people expect us to outperform one of the best teams in Africa while our skills are not as sharp? They couldn’t have expected us to win.”

Stephanie Musakayi said the matchup against 2024 champions and 2025 runners-up Petro was a tough game for the Giants.

“The Giants played their game. However, Luanda had a great defence. They were able to identity their weaknesses in the game and better them. Luanda’s passes were intentional. They didn’t randomly pass, as opposed to the Giants. They knew what they were doing,” she said.

“We forgive the boys because they are bridging the gap, seeing that there are not a lot of basketball teams in South Africa. Out of 10, I think I would rate the game a 7.”

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