Rwanda Basketball League (RBL) defending champions APR, on Saturday, March 15, announced two big signings ahead of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), as former NBA player Jordan McRae and former French national team player Nobel Boungou Colo joined. The duo, Times Sport understands, will only feature in the BAL. As APR prepares for the continental showpiece where it will face off with 11 other top teams from various African countries, here is what you may need to know about what their two latest recruits can bring on the court. Jordan McRae 1. Scoring prowess One of McRae’s attributes is his scoring prowess, showcased by among other examples, the fact that he is a former record holder for the highest number of points in a single game in the NBA G League with 61 points. The 33-year-old shooting guard who stands at 1.96m possesses the physical attributes that make him a formidable presence on the offensive end. ALSO READ: BAL 2025: APR to face Al Ahli Tripoli, Nairobi City Thunder Another key example of his scoring abilities, during his days at Cleveland Cavaliers, McRae scored his NBA career-high of 36 points, along with four rebounds and seven assists in 47 minutes, against the Detroit Pistons, including a three-pointer to send the game into overtime. 2. Winning experience McRae is a former NBA champion as he lifted the trophy with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. He has been on the same team with star players like Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers) in 2016 as well as Chris Paul during the 2017-2018 NBA season with the Los Angeles Clippers. In an interview with Times Sport, McRae said he will be bringing his experience to the team and try to play a role in its efforts to win. “The most important thing is trying to win.... I have been on a lot of teams that have won,” he said. He has also competed in other top international leagues, including China with Beijing Ducks (2020–2021), France with Metropolitans 92 (2021–2022), Israel with Hapoel Tel Aviv (2022–2023), and Greece with AEK Athens (2023–2024). 2. Defensive balance McRae's defensive contributions are often overshadowed by his offensive ability, but they have also been good. For example, during his days with Melbourne United in the 2014-15 season, he averaged 19.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals in 27 games, finishing third in scoring and 12th in blocks. With APR currently having relatively small guards like Antino Jackson and Jean Jacques Nshobozwabyosenumukiza, the addition of McRae who is a taller guard can be important both in defence and offence. Nobel Boungou 1. A two-way style of play Standing at 2.02m, Boungou, 36, possesses a fairly strong athletic build for the positions of small forward or power forward. During his time at Limoges Cercle Saint-Pierre in the French topflight, he was elected MVP of the 2013 All-Star Game with 28 points and 13 rebounds. During the 2014 season, he achieved his best performance in the French topflight match with 36 points, five rebounds, three assists, and one interception. ALSO READ: Former NBA player, French star join APR ahead of BAL 2025 2. Experience Boungou played in France for more than 10 years, including the elite division where he featured for teams Limoges. A former member of the French national basketball team, he has competed at the highest level in France, representing clubs such as Antibes Sharks and Metropolitans 92. He has also played in Italy, where he won the Italian Basketball Cup with Fiat Torino. In an interview with Times Sport, he said APR fans should expect a player who comes on the court to win. “I am a big competitor and I want to win. And this is what I like with APR; it is a team that has the same goal of winning,” he noted. At the BAL, APR were placed in the Nile Conference where they will compete against Libya’s Al Ahli Tripoli, South Africa’s Made by Basketball, and Kenya’s Nairobi City Thunder during the regular season. The Nile Conference games will take place at BK Arena in Kigali from May 17-25. BAL 2025 will feature 12 teams, with the regular season divided into three conferences: The Nile Conference, the Sahara Conference, and the Kalahari Conference.
