There is a certain irony to Tomide Akinsiku becoming one of the most exciting young prospects in the Super League Basketball.
Because, by his own admission, he was not particularly good at basketball when he started playing it.
Akinsiku did not pick up the sport until he was 15, after his family moved to Wales. Having spent his childhood playing a variety of sports and finding that he could usually pick them up quickly, basketball was different.
“I feel like the reason basketball stuck with me was because I wasn’t naturally very good at it at all,” he says.
“Every other sport I played as a kid I picked up very quickly, but in basketball I was bad for a long time, it felt like.
“I loved it though. That feeling of chasing getting better was something I hadn’t had as much before and it really made me love the game.”
That desire to improve has been at the heart of a remarkably rapid journey ever since.
Having initially struggled to find a team after moving to Wales, Akinsiku eventually found his footing and began to progress quickly. Within a few years, his journey had taken him to Barking Abbey, a season playing overseas in Germany and, eventually, back home and into the Leicester Riders pathway.
His progression continued through the Great Britain junior programme, giving him exposure to high-level basketball before he had even stepped onto an SLB court.
Then came Leicester.
Akinsiku joined the Loughborough Riders British Championship squad last season before being called up to the senior side midway through the campaign. He seized the opportunity, becoming an increasingly influential presence in Rob Paternostro’s rotation and quickly developing a reputation for his explosive athleticism and ability to impact the game at both ends of the floor.
Now, after getting his first taste of SLB, he has a full season ahead of him.
“I’m really looking forward to this year, it’s going to be a lot of fun,” he says. “To be in this position is very exciting.
“We put in a lot of work as young players to get these opportunities and I’m happy that I have my first full season ahead of me.”
For all the excitement surrounding his potential, Akinsiku is approaching the next step with a refreshing sense of patience.
His first half-season taught him just how demanding the jump to the professional level can be.
“Last year was a great experience for me and I learned a lot about how important it is to take experiences as they come,” he says.
“There’s a lot of pressure with playing at this level, especially for me making a jump like I did up to this level for the first time, so I learnt how important it is to take your time, enjoy the process and appreciate getting the outcomes you want.”
The progress was made even more impressive by the fact that, while he had never played in SLB before, he felt prepared for the opportunity when it arrived.
“It has been a crazy few months but I don’t feel like it’s been quick or anything,” he explains.
“Although I hadn’t played in SLB before, I had played for GB junior level and had opportunities to be exposed to good levels of basketball, so when I had the opportunity to step up for Leicester I felt ready and prepared.”
That preparation does not mean the nerves disappeared.
“It is still a very big jump, absolutely, and you have to get used to it quickly,” he admits. “I still get nervous and all that, of course.
“But I feel with all the work I’ve put in before this, I can have confidence when I earn opportunities like this to go out there and not be worried or stressed and instead can concentrate on helping the team.”
That last part is perhaps the clearest indication of how Akinsiku sees his role.
The highlight plays have certainly arrived. His athleticism has made him a natural source of spectacular moments, and his performances quickly caught the attention of Leicester supporters, with the club describing him as a fan favourite during his breakthrough campaign.
But the highlights are not what drive him.
“Highlights are a part of basketball and regardless of whether you’re making them or not, if you contribute to winning that’s what’s important,” he says.
“If I’m known as a guy who makes highlights plays that’s cool but it doesn’t motivate me and I’m not worried about it, my only focus is on doing what I need to do to help the team win.”
In fact, he rarely watches them himself.
“I know my highlights get posted but I don’t like watching them at all,” he laughs. “I appreciate the fans and their reactions and that means a lot to me to impact them, but I know how the game goes and sometimes you’ll look great in a highlight and other times you won’t.
“So it’s not something I pay too much attention to and just try to focus on making the right plays.”
It is a mindset that reflects the journey that brought him here.
Akinsiku has gone from a teenager discovering basketball relatively late, to a player earning recognition through the Great Britain pathway, to an overseas experience in Germany and finally into one of the most established clubs in British basketball.
And throughout it all, the next step has always been the focus.
“Every day for me is about learning as much as I can,” he says.
“Seeing something new either in practice or anywhere else, wanting to add it to my game, making the most of the experience of my teammates and trying to get their help to allow me to grow, just day by day doing everything I can to develop.”
That development now continues within a Leicester team with ambitions of its own.
The Riders finished fifth in last season’s SLB Championship before reaching the Play-Off Semi-Finals, and Akinsiku’s emergence was one of the positives from their campaign.
For the young forward, the target is simple.
“I want to contribute as much as possible, help this team fulfil its potential,” he says.
“I don’t think there’s a team we can’t beat in this league, as long as we put the work in and play our best basketball.”
It is an ambitious statement, but one delivered without the need for grand predictions.
Because for Akinsiku, the goal remains to take things one day at a time.
“This year is all about growth for me,” he says. “I want to keep developing, I want to make the most out of this experience and opportunity, take it day by day and develop from the previous season.”
For someone who only discovered basketball at 15, the speed of his rise has been impressive.
But perhaps the most exciting part is that Akinsiku does not seem particularly interested in looking back at how far he has come.
He is far more interested in finding out how much further he can go.
You can watch all the action from the SLB and stay up to date via our social media channels by clicking here.