Nairobi — Golden State Warriors shooting guard Moses Moody believes Africa is blessed with abundant talent in the sport.
Moody said he has been privileged to play with a number of Africans and is impressed by their athleticism.
"I played with a lot of African players over the years. When I was younger, there were three Nigerian players on my team and they would come over to my house. I don't think there is a gap between us (Americans) and them (Africans). If anything, they have athleticism and physical traits you can't teach. It's through the roof in those areas," he said.
The 22-year-old further stressed on the need to introduce these talents to the sport as early as possible, noting that this would make the continent a basketball powerhouse.
"The only is depending on how long you have been playing basketball. There's a feel and a touch that comes with time. If they are able to play the game for a long time and with the physical capabilities that they have, then they will be ahead of the pack," Moody said.
Moody joined GSW in August 2021 having been selected with the 14th pick in the NBA draft.
It came off the back of a hugely successful freshman season for Razorbacks in which he averaged 16.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per match.
The feat earned him the South Eastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Year award as well as First Team All-SEC.
His first season with Golden State earned him an NBA title.
Looking to the future, Moody said he is using the off-season to improve himself.
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"You never really know how the future looks until it happens. I am not trying to get ahead of myself...just doing my best to become better. I am working on my body and on my game," he said.
Despite missing out on an eighth title after losing to Los Angeles Lakers in playoff semis last season, Moody is optimistic the Warriors will rise again.
"The team looks differently than it did during the dynasty. Any team that is on a journey, you can't predict how it is going to look like. Everybody is going to do their role and see where it takes us," he said.
Moody was speaking on the sidelines of this year's Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa program in Johannesburg, South Africa.
This year's edition brings together 30 boys and 30 girls from around the continent to benefit from life skills, leadership and development program courtesy of current and former NBA, WNBA, and FIBA players and coaches.
Also in attend in the three-day event include Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic, Boston Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell, Orlando Magic assistant coach Jesse Mermuys, and Atlanta Hawks assistant coach Ekpe Udoh, among others.
