There is a famous saying, an idle mind is a devil’s workshop. I don’t know who came up with that saying but I’ve found it to be true to an extent.

After the Game 5 of UCU Lady Canons and JKL Lady Dolphins, there i was, idle. I was so bored and idle so I started making up weird scenarios and fantasies in my head.

By now, you must be wondering, what is this guy talking about? Well, never mind. Just stick with me, but I guarantee you I’m not making any point in this article.

I’m just going to rub my boredom/idleness on you but you’ll get something to tinker with in your mind.

On Sunday 19th, the Namuwongo Blazers advanced to the Elite 16 after thumping Djabal Club 132-58.

This is a very huge accomplishment for them and I wish them nothing but the best on the next stage.

However, even before this qualification, something occurred to me. I’ll get to it in a bit.

At this point, it is not a secret that the Namuwongo Blazers will be facing the City Oilers in the 2025 NBL Finals.

This is a rematch of the 2022 Finals that was decided in game 7.

Here’s what I was thinking about when my mind was idle.

Say God/ Allah/ Buddha/ the Universe/ fate/ a superior being or whatever you may think of or believe in, gave the Namuwongo Blazers a chance to choose between winning the 2025 NBL Championship or going to play in the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

What do you think they would choose?

Obviously, as I mentioned, my mind was idle when I thought about this. And as you earlier read , I’m not making any point but rather thinking out loud.

One thing to mention here is, the Blazers can win the Championship and also play in the BAL. However, they can also fail at both or even succeed in just one.

The thing that has tinkered with my mind is, what is better for the Namuwongo Blazers.

Qualifying for BAL

The moment you qualify for the Basketball Africa League, the money comes in. The team and players all get a certain amount of money which they may not have gotten if they didn’t play at the BAL.

Secondly, there is increased exposure for players. Take an example, a guy like Peter Obleng who scored 7 of 8 3-point shot attempts in the Road to BAL game against Djabal.

If you do something like that in the BAL, thousands of opportunities immediately open for you both on the continent and abroad. Your price/value immediately goes up.

This would be good for players as they could get a chance to advance in their careers.

Thirdly, this would be a very good opportunity for the team to tap into sponsorships and partnerships. This could potentially mean increased sources of revenue.

The fan base and attention on the Namuwongo Blazers would also increase which would be great for the club.

Finally, with the news that the BAL is looking to have 12 permanent franchise teams. If we can have a Ugandan side play in the BAL, perhaps we are looked at as one of the countries with a team.

The City Oilers have played at the BAL twice and if Namuwongo can also make it there, that means consistent presence of Uganda which is good for the Nation.

Winning the NBL Championship

The Namuwongo Blazers have for so long dreamed of winning the championship. This is not actually about just winning the championship but rather defeating the ‘dictators’ the City Oilers and toppling them.

In 2022, they fell short in game 7 but this year, they have another opportunity, against a much weakened City Oilers side.

One thing to remember is the fact that, on the current Nam Blazers team, 4 of them were with the Oilers.

Given the manner in which they left, they would very much want to hurt the Oilers. How can they do this? By simply dominating them and ending their reign.

Winning the championship for the Blazers would be monumental and very sweet. Sweet not only because they would have finally won but they would have inflicted pain to their rivals in the process. There is a joy that comes with winning at the expense of your rivals and that is what the Nam Blazers want to feel.

Another important thing to note is, if the Blazers don’t win, they would be the unworthy representaives of Uganda at the Road to BAL.

As a club, you don’t want your first Road to BAL to be remembered as a fluke. In order to avoid that, you have to make sure that you win the championship.

Finally, if you call yourself a big team, you have to prove it. So many fans have been behind the Namuwongo Blazers, not because they like them, but because they believe they are the next biggest team that can oust the City Oilers.

If you are the Blazers, you have to prove yourself and this is the perfect opportunity.

If the Namuwongo Blazers lose the finals, I believe it would be catastrophic for them and we would remember their first experience at BAL as having been “a given not earned”

Thank you very much for reaching the end of this article and I hope that you have enjoyed.  I will leave you with an assignment though.

Based on what you have read, if the Nam Blazers were to choose between winning the NBL and playing in the BAL, what do you think they would choose?

Let us know…….