The Sunday Mail
Tinashe Kusema
THE sight of a pensive looking Arthur Nhamburo sitting — hands clasped and fidgeting on his phone before every game is a sight that should be all too familiar within the annals of Zimbabwe basketball.
The 33-year-old centre has been a loyal sergeant of the game for about five years now but it is only now that his pre-game ritual has started to get some sort of traction.
As a former league and national champion, Nhamburo is currently the talk of the town, and as one of Foxes’ senior statesman and locker room leader the light seems to be shining brighter now.
“I’m not much of a drinker. In fact, I have never tasted alcohol or even smoked, so I don’t really go out much.
“My passions are in electronics and you are more likely to see me on my phone researching or catching up on the latest trends than anything else.
“It doesn’t really matter where I am,” said the Foxes center.
Nhamburo currently holds a National Certificate in Tractor Maintenance and Diesel Plant Fitting, on top of a couple other certificate in Business Management and programming Languages.
So in a way, he is kind of a nerd and standing at 1.74 meters, he is a very tall one at that.
The 2018/19 Harare Basketball Season has been one of the strangest.
Round about this time most of the conversation is usually about the MVP (Most Valuable Player) race but with the league evenly poised, no one seems to have stood out and stamped their authority.
Unlike in the women’s league where the star-studded and undefeated Harare City Hornets appear to have one hand on the trophy already, the male’s league race is too tight at the top to call.
Four teams- Raiderz, JBC, Hornets and Foxes — are all still capable of winning it.
In its stead, much of the talk has been about Nhamburo and how seamlessly he has slipped into his new role as senior statesman and locker room leader at the defending champions.
All of which appears to be lost on the former St Johns Student.
“It’s been a long road-full of countless hours on the court and plenty of hard work-to get to a place but I think I am more comfortable in my own skin now,” said Nhamburo.
“Do I think this could be my breakout season?”
“Well, yes?
“But, I don’t really fancy myself in the MVP conversation right now.
“Don’t get me wrong, I am flattered that people are talking about me and if it comes I will be extremely pleased, but my main focus is on the team,” he said.
The humbleness is not just an act as Nhamburo seems to have his feet solely rooted on the ground.
At the moment the Foxes Centre has been the defensive rock averaging 14 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and five assists a game.
He is under no illusions of grandeur, and refused to get way ahead of himself.
“I would be remiss if I said I wouldn’t want to play in the NBA or any of the European leagues some day, but right now my main focus is on Foxes.
“Players have come and go but I have stayed and will stay with the for the foreseeable future.
“I have faith in the team and the vision they have for the future.
“My goal is to play my part in that vision and help make this club as successful as it can be,” he said.
