It is 11:30 am as we are cleared to access Stecol basketball court, an open sporting facility located at the Kigali Special Economic Zone, in Gasabo District.
Walking into the facility, which is commonly known for hosting domestic basketball games, we are guided to a training court where APR basketball club conducts daily club training in preparation for the 2024 Basketball Africa League(BAL).
We are then introduced to the Rwandan champions' new assistant coach, Bill Bayno, a seasoned tactician who retired in 2022, after a 39-year career, 19 of which he was a coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA), commonly referred to as the premier professional basketball in the world.
At the onset, Bayno is not free to speak in the middle of the drills, and we are supposed to wait for about an hour for the veteran coach to finish the session and spare time for a chat with us.
For the 61-year-old, it still sounds surreal to be able to do what he loves, despite his career taking a bumpy turn after he was diagnosed with cancer.
The New York City native and Detroit Pistons former assistant coach is far too familiar with cancer. He lost his mother in 2020 to lung cancer, watching it take her precious soul piece by piece.
Bayno's mother was the sixth of nine in her family to die from cancer. His father, too, succumbed to the same disease in 2019.
While speaking, seated at the back side of the court, it is almost morbid the way Bayno talks about his relationship with cancer, but, at the same time, also peaceful.
"I had prostate cancer and I'm blessed and I take advantage of my recovery every day," he told Times Sport. "I am blessed to be able to contribute to this game until today."
After being diagnosed with prostate cancer, Bayno is back to doing what he loves. Thankfully, he took time to recover from his surgery.
"Thank God I got this while I was with an NBA team. When you have good employer health insurance, it makes a huge difference."
Giving back
Before his time as an NBA assistant, Bayno was the head coach for UNLV and Loyola Marymount in the collegiate ranks.
He has also previously served the same position at the Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Toronto Raptors, and the Indiana Pacers.
"I just retired from coaching after 39 years, the last 19 in the NBA," Bayno said, "And I wanted to give back."
"I fell in love with Africa. I fell in love with the spirit of the people. I was always treated warmly and I call myself an honorary African."
Bayno is not new in Africa. His first trip was to Senegal, where he was introduced to now President of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Amadou Gallo Fall, who could later interest him in transferring his skill to the upcoming talent on the continent.
"...and so I told him that I was ready to go for it. I told him that I didn't want any money. I just want to help as much as I can."
"So, they started to bring me last year and I had to come every year in the off-season, but it was only for two or three, four days maximum because I had to get back and work with my players," he says.
Joining forces with Trakh at APR
At APR, Bayno quickly adapted with the group. Much as it is off-season, he takes time to work out with the team.
"African players are great."
"They're fun to coach, you know, they just do what you ask them to do, they try their best. They listen, they learn."
Bayno is not inclined to share the team's expectations, but when pressed for details, he turns back at the court and asserts; "I think we're going to get 10,000 fans again and again."
Bayno reunited with Mazen Trakh at APR having previously worked together in the same profession three decades ago where they won a championship in the former Continental Basketball Association (CBA).
"Coach Trakh is phenomenal. He was my assistant in the CBA and we won a championship together. I am just so happy."
He hailed an exceptional job that Trakh is doing at APR but, he said, " we want to get better every single day, and if we get better every day and we improve then winning is going to follow and we're going to win...we're going to have success."
Reflecting on his new responsibilities at APR, the veteran said, "I am developing the same relationships, here with these guys, that I have with all the active players in NBA superstars like Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Marcus Aldridge, Kevin Love...I could name 50 of them that we still stay in touch and it's what makes coaching special."
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A career with no bounds
Bayno, a long-time NBA assistant, spent time with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors. He worked in the now-defunct Continental Basketball Association, the American Basketball Association as well as the Philippine Basketball Association
He also made college stops at Seton Hall, Kansas, Massachusetts, and Baptist College, which was later renamed Charleston Southern.
"It was some of the worst pain I've ever gone through. All I can say is that I am blessed."
Bayno joins the APR team at a time when the club is set to represent Rwanda at the much-anticipated fourth season of the BAL which tips off in March.
It is going to be APR's maiden appearance at the continental basketball tournament. Rwandans, and club fans in particular, have high expectations of the team considering how much efforts and funds invested so far to strengthen the team in all departments.
