MBB Basketball
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Made by Ball Blue Soldiers, commonly known as MBB or MBB Blue Soldiers, is a South African basketball team based in Johannesburg. The team plays in the Basketball National League (BNL), the highest level of basketball in the country, following their promotion in 2024. They have won one National Championship title in 2024.
They made their debut in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) in the 2025 season.
History
The team was founded as a social club in 2010 by a group of players who had moved from KwaZulu-Natal to Johannesburg, Gauteng. The team has been owned by former player Cyril Shabalala, who later also took reigns as head coach.
Although the team had been in existence informally, MBB started playing competitively for the first time when it joined the Gauteng regional Inner City Super League (ICSL) in 2023. They went on to win back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024. The Blue Soldiers joined the Basketball National League (NBL) for the 2024 season, and later also won the BSA-organised National Championship title.
Their national championship title earned them the right to play in the 2025 BAL qualification, where they will make their debut in the Elite 16 phase, becoming the third South African team in the Road to BAL, behind the Jozi Nuggets and the Cape Town Tigers.
On January 12, 2025, MBB announced on Instagram that they would play in the 2025 season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). On February 4, 2025, MBB announced Sam Vincent as their new head coach. Their participation was confirmed on 28 February 2025. On May 20, 2025, MBB won its first ever BAL game, defeating Nairobi City Thunder. The Blue Soldeirs were eliminated in the last round, and finished with a 2–4 record.
The team uses the slogan ‘iTeam Yase Dladleni’, which roughly translates to "The People's Team".
Honours
- South African National Basketball Championship (1): 2024
- Inner City Super League (2): 2023, 2024
Players
Current roster
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.
| 2025 MBB roster | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Coaches | ||||||
| Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht. Age PG 1 Zimbabwe men's national basketball team Pfachi, Dyvonne 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) 31 – (1995-02-09)9 February 1995 CG 2 South Africa men's national basketball team Dim, Nino 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) 25 – (2000-11-06)6 November 2000 SG 5 Uganda men's national basketball team Opong, Robinson 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 36 – (1989-05-10)10 May 1989 SF 6 United States men's national basketball team Lenard, Teafale (I) 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 23 – (2002-07-21)21 July 2002 G/F 10 South Africa men's national basketball team Selepe, Lebesa 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 35 – (1991-03-13)13 March 1991 SF 12 South Africa men's national basketball team Mothiba, Neo 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 44 – (1982-03-21)21 March 1982 F 13 Gambia men's national basketball team Thielemans, Omar 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 26 – (1999-09-23)23 September 1999 PF/C 14 South Africa men's national basketball team Sibanyoni, Nkosinathi 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) 27 – (1998-05-24)24 May 1998 SF 15 Senegal men's national basketball team Camara, Mouhamed (E) 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 21 – (2005-04-01)1 April 2005 C 23 South Africa men's national basketball team Mokwena, Marcus 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 34 – (1991-12-04)4 December 1991 PF 41 South Africa men's national basketball team Prinsloo, Pieter 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) 34 – (1992-01-07)7 January 1992 PG 45 United States men's national basketball team Mooring, Jovan (I) 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 31 – (1994-12-14)14 December 1994 C 50 South Africa men's national basketball team Craig, David 2.18 m (7 ft 2 in) 22 – (2003-07-13)13 July 2003 | Head coach United States Sam Vincent Assistant coach(es) United States Dean Murray South Africa Lindokuhle Sibankulu Legend (C) Team captainInjured Updated: May 21, 2025 | ||||||
| Pos. | No. | Nat. | Name | Ht. | Age | ||
| PG | 1 | Zimbabwe men's national basketball team | Pfachi, Dyvonne | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | 31 – (1995-02-09)9 February 1995 | ||
| CG | 2 | South Africa men's national basketball team | Dim, Nino | 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) | 25 – (2000-11-06)6 November 2000 | ||
| SG | 5 | Uganda men's national basketball team | Opong, Robinson | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | 36 – (1989-05-10)10 May 1989 | ||
| SF | 6 | United States men's national basketball team | Lenard, Teafale (I) | 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) | 23 – (2002-07-21)21 July 2002 | ||
| G/F | 10 | South Africa men's national basketball team | Selepe, Lebesa | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | 35 – (1991-03-13)13 March 1991 | ||
| SF | 12 | South Africa men's national basketball team | Mothiba, Neo | 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) | 44 – (1982-03-21)21 March 1982 | ||
| F | 13 | Gambia men's national basketball team | Thielemans, Omar | 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) | 26 – (1999-09-23)23 September 1999 | ||
| PF/C | 14 | South Africa men's national basketball team | Sibanyoni, Nkosinathi | 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) | 27 – (1998-05-24)24 May 1998 | ||
| SF | 15 | Senegal men's national basketball team | Camara, Mouhamed (E) | 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) | 21 – (2005-04-01)1 April 2005 | ||
| C | 23 | South Africa men's national basketball team | Mokwena, Marcus | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | 34 – (1991-12-04)4 December 1991 | ||
| PF | 41 | South Africa men's national basketball team | Prinsloo, Pieter | 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) | 34 – (1992-01-07)7 January 1992 | ||
| PG | 45 | United States men's national basketball team | Mooring, Jovan (I) | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | 31 – (1994-12-14)14 December 1994 | ||
| C | 50 | South Africa men's national basketball team | Craig, David | 2.18 m (7 ft 2 in) | 22 – (2003-07-13)13 July 2003 |
Head coaches
- Cyril Shabalala: (–2025)
- Sam Vincent: (2025–present)