Winning on and off the court: James Mwangi's rise to stardom

He is simply James Mwangi. No, we are not talking about the Equity Bank CEO but Kenyan basketball's smiling assassin, an engineer by profession. 

He wears many hats, one more as a co-partner to a fast-growing business brand in Nairobi and Kiambu. The next time you get the opportunity to enjoy a refreshing sip of the Masafa Quench bottled water, which is quickly making its way to our shelves, think basketball and business.

Still winning championships on the court and not ready to hang his boots, the former Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) men's league Most Valuable Player (MVP) has found a way of successfully juggling between running a business effectively, delivering for his employer and playing basketball at the highest level in the country. 

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And he is not stopping. His dream is to play in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) final tournament. Missing out on the elite 16 action where his team Ulinzi Warriors had to travel without some key players has not gone down well with the forward. 

"That was a dream shattered as I watched. I was really looking forward to competing with the elite players in the continent. To be honest, I am still mad especially after watching the first match 77-67 loss to Cobra Sport. I think I would really have made an impact had I made the trip," he says of the BAL competition ongoing (7 to 11 December 2021) in Johannesburg as we get settled for the interview. 

Currently in his second season with the league champions, Warriors, the 32-year old's basketball journey can be traced back to high school. His elder brothers, basketballers themselves cultivated an interest for the sport in the young Mwangi but at the time, schooling at Mang'u, he did not think much of his game. 

"The two were into basketball. My eldest brother played for Posta for a year back then with the other featuring for Laiser Hill. The best we did at Mang'u was reaching the provincial final in my final year, losing to Alliance. I learnt a few things from my siblings but I was not serious with the sport until I got to the university," he admits. 

Before joining Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in 2009, he had a year of horning his skills at Ongata Rongai Baptist who had a church league at the time under the watchful eyes of coach Kaunda. "This is where I began taking the sport serious and really understood what I was capable of on the court." 

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After joining the Juja-based varsity side, it did not take long before a league team came calling, denying the varsity side of his services. It was coach David Maina (Equity Banks' overall coach) who identified the youngster and signed him at Parklands Baptist, in 2010, who were playing in the KBF division one league. 

"Under Maina my skills improved immensely. He was very patient with me and I can credit him for the ability to run the floor, which has been one of my strengths to date. He saw that in me and guided me on how to fully exploit it. We reached the semi finals of the league the same year I joined," Mwangi narrates. 

After two seasons in the division one league Carey 'T9' Odhiambo had seen a star in the making and did not hesitate in signing him up. Mwangi made his debut in the top flight league in 2012. The now defunct Co-operative Bank Spartans, his new home. He had become part of basketball's elite in the country and had to fit the title. 

"My basketball IQ was elevated. Spartans played a lot of structured basketball and that forced me to develop different sets of skills to survive there. Being a student athletes was a tough balancing act. I was juggling engineering classes in Juja and intense training sessions every evening at Nyayo Indoor Arena and that was no mean feat," he reminisces singling out assistant coach Job Munene as having helped with the transition. 

James Mwangi at Spartans

He continued, "After graduating in 2015, balancing work and playing became another hurdle. Youth is a very underrated trait though. I doubt now I can do what I did then. Managing work and basketball is quite challenging right now. Being employed, however, had its advantages. Despite tighter and more strict schedules, commute was different and that made things easier,"

"I missed some practice sessions due to work but I did not let that affect my game. I made up for my absence any time I got the chance to train and that has been the norm to date. Luckily for me my first employer was very understanding and was very supportive of my basketball careeer." 

Mwangi won his first league title with Spartans the same year he joined. They were the league invincibles then, defending the league in 2013 and 2014. His moment of glory, however, came in his second season under T9' as he was named the league's MVP. His dedication and sacrifice for the sport he had grown to love was finally paying off. 

And the perks were not over yet, he received his first national team call-up in 2012 after joining Spartans, suiting up for the country for the first time in a Zone Five championship in Dar es Salaam. Despite the national team having not been as active as the current squad is, he has not missed any assignment up until 2020.

At the conclusion of the 2017 season, the unanticipated happened and Co-operative Bank moved to disband all its sporting teams across all disciplines, leaving Spartans' players in the cold. However, seeing as they had some of the best players in the league, most of them were quickly snatched up by top teams, Mwangi joining Mombasa-based Kenya Ports Authority (KPA). 

Under coach Sammy Kiki, the forward had joined a title-winning side and as expected, they bagged the 2018 title, the third consecutive for the dockers. In 2019, he joined Warriors, helping the side win their first title since 2015. 

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"In addition to the club titles, I have represented the country since 2012 up until last year. Seven year after my debut, I served Kenya Morans as an assistant captain in our first ever win against Egypt, to be crowned Zone Five champions in 2019. The maiden title was also a ticket for Kenya to the inaugural AfroCAN championship in Mali. However, I did not make to travel with the squad that did duty for silver in Mali due to work related commitments," he offered. 

Remember that Masafa Quench you're sipping from, off the court, Mwangi has partnered with his elder brother Ashton Mwangi to create a brand that has ventured into several businesses including the drinking water production plant on Kiambu Road. 

"Apart from the water business, we have a tour company, a garage specialising in bodyworks and a carwash specialising in vehicle and home detailing. Ashton was already in the tours and travel industry and we just took it from there. I manage the water and car wash business while he handles the rest," he explained. 

Mwangi says handling any business remotely as he does has been a big challenge. That coupled with endless government taxes and fees will require that one develops a thick skin, and quick, if they are to survive in the market. But just like his 'never die' spirit on the court, he adopts the same in business. 

Away from the three tasking responsibilities, the forward is also helping the next generation of basketballers develop their skills and providing mentorship. 

"I am part of the JKUAT Straycats alumni team where we mentor the players there. They are currently unbeaten in Division two and the alumni association involvement has played a part in the current good run." 

His message to the up and coming players "No matter the frustrations you get in whatever circle you are in, be in school, work, basketball, hustle, just put your best foot forward. If it works out, good for you, if it doesn't, you tried, keep working on yourself."