Hailing from Cameroon, Nson’s basketball resumé speaks for itself. He joins Australian, Liz Mills and Kenyan, Collins Gaya, on the technical bench.
His pleasing performance and his great experience has led him there. Most of us who have had the experience of working with him wonder how he does it. When you get close to him, you will realize it’s innate but he later on enlightened us on a few things. He says that, his scouting and keenness to the game comes from observation. His father, growing up, emphasized on the fact that skill is better than physicality and made him shoot the ball in the dark after watching Larry Bird.
His first official coach, Faumete Lambert a.k.a Mr fundamentals, taught him the game from a skills standpoint. His first NBA experience was, of course, watching Magic Johnson and then Michael Jordan. But the team he loved to watch was the San Antonio Spurs. Their ball movement and that the didn’t need a superstar to excel, made him fall in love with fundamental basketball.
“I am a perfectionist by nature, so that has driven me to attention to detail.”
He started coaching in 1996, and brings a lot in terms of game analysis and international experience to the Morans, boosting what is already there with coach Liz Mills and Collins Gaya.
He acknowledges that the Morans have great potential and he’ll spice it up with immediate skill improvement.
“Some of the players still need their skills fine tuned and we shall elevate our level once we can get these elements down.”
Considering the Morans’ victory over Angola, he says he has seen a great resilience and an ability to surprise even the best of them. He believes with that the Morans have the ability to compete. He also adds that he’ll give the Morans a sneak peak of their opponents.
“I was in camp with Solo Diabate who is still a player from CIV and AS Police of Mali.”
He had a chance to watch these guys in practice and in games and got a better picture of who they are. Nson stretches skill level and the confidence based on some simple facts about opponents and players themselves. For instance, how to pick the spot and select the shot.
He expects hard work and desire from players, and nothing less.
“Give us your all at all times and remember, team work.”
The Kenya Morans play unselfish basketball, so that will be an easy thing to do.
For players with a different attitude, he is willing to cope with them claiming that one must always understand that we are all different. He tries to learn the psychology of each player so as to maximise on their potential.
“I am not a proponent of one style fits all, we always have to adjust.”
We can bet that the Morans are excited to have him and we are all eager to see how our three best coaches will get them to the top!