Okwera Primed for Big Role

Since signing as a development player at the start of NBL22, the rise and growth of David Okwera has been nothing short of impressive.

The now 20-year-old started the season on fire when he became the youngest player since Joe Ingles to score 10 points in an NBL game on debut. His exciting performances saw Okwera earn a place in Australia’s ultimately successful FIBA Asia Cup squad, alongside fellow NBL young gun Wani Swaka Lo Buluk.

Now, Okwera's experiences with Melbourne United, the Boomers, and the Sandringham Sabres in NBL1 have primed him to step up his game in this upcoming NBL season.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">21-4 ? David Okwera is leading the way in the Semi-Finals ?<br><br>Tune in live at <a href="https://t.co/NEk1I7BLMG">https://t.co/NEk1I7BLMG</a> or the NBL1 App ??? <a href="https://t.co/dGhv5VYRTB">pic.twitter.com/dGhv5VYRTB</a></p>&mdash; NBL1 (@NBL1) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL1/status/1563102382216470531?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“It was a big step up for me,” Okwera told the Melbourne United website of his rise to the NBL. “It was a lot more physical than anything I had previously experienced.

“I learnt a lot going up against guys like ‘Whitey’ (Jack White), (David) Barlow and ‘Horse’ (Mason Peatling).

“They helped me a lot, and I think you could see that from the outside as the season went on.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">?WERA! ?<br><br>Between David Okwera and Rayjon Tucker, <a href="https://twitter.com/MelbUnited?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MelbUnited</a> are bringing some serious bounce to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> ? <a href="https://t.co/4o1cz3qMag">pic.twitter.com/4o1cz3qMag</a></p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1560825437353541632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 20, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

After the highs of a semi-final run with United and that now famous FIBA Asia Cup win, Okwera returned to NBL1 South with Sandringham to link up with United teammates Dave Barlow and Shea Ili.

The 208-centimetre big man was one of the most consistently impressive performers on a Sandringham side that, like United, were knocked out at the semi-final stage of the competition.

“Having Barlow as my coach (for Sandringham) was special. He and guys like Shea (Ili) and Dion (Prewster) helped me feel even more comfortable on the court.

“It felt really good to be able to do that while playing a lot of basketball.”

Read the full story >> Okwera Bringing Growth, Excitement into Second Season with United.