Mugabe urges self-improvement after Thunder defeat, again

Mugabe admitted that although Thunder were beatable, his priority was to help his players improve individually and collectively rather than focus solely on how to defeat the defending champions.

“Thunder are beatable, but I cannot teach my players specifically how to beat them. What I can do is teach my players how to improve individually and become better, so that we can give ourselves a chance of winning games,” said Mugabe.

“My planning is focused on how we can improve and become better, both as a team and as a club. If we get those things right, we will be in a better position to go into games and give ourselves a chance to win.”

KPA lost the best-of-five final series 3-0 but pushed Thunder close, particularly in the decisive third game, where the Dockers fell short by just four points.

The Mombasa-based side lost Game One 78-67 and Game Two 72-63 at home before suffering a narrow 74-70 defeat in Game Three in Nairobi.

The victory saw Thunder secure their third consecutive league title while extending their unbeaten run across the three championship-winning seasons.

Despite missing out on the title, Mugabe acknowledged the progress made by his players but insisted that more work was needed to help the team take the final step towards lifting the trophy.

“Individually and as a team, we have made great improvements, but there are still areas we need to work on to finish the job. It would be a lie to say we had a good performance when we did not win, even though we came close,” he said.

“However, as a team, we have improved significantly, and we need to build on that progress and get better heading into next season.”